Re: *WARNING* to Focus Drive (and possibly Sirius RAM card) owners regarding write corruption!

["Rodney Hester" <rod3@mindspring.com>]

<warnken@nospam@mother.com> wrote in message
news:BqMU6.10990$zv1.890146@e420r-sjo3.usenetserver.com...
> <<However, if you use the GS/OS Memory Control Panel to specify a disk
cache
> for the system to use, there appears to be some sort of collision between
> this cache and the on-board cache, resulting in corrupted writes (NOT
reads) to the Focus Drive, regardless of filesystem type.  In addition,
utilizing a GS/OS disk cache when running FocusDriver actually seems to
result in a noticable _decrease_ in speed.>>
>
> <<It is not clear to me at this time if this problem is only triggered in
> conjunction with a Sirius RAM card, or if it affects all Focus Drive
users.>>
>
> <<My recommendation is to *completely* disable the GS/OS disk cache - my
tests have shown that even the 32K GS/OS default cache can very quickly
cause write corruption. likely to get better performance from FocusDriver
than you are the system as disk cache.>>  snipped some of this paragraph
>
> <<To verify corruption, either a) launch AppleWorks, and if you're lucky
enough to actually get to the opening screen, go into the Spreadsheet
function and try entering some numbers in cells - they'll likely
> all register as zero shortly before a program crash,>>
>
> It looks to me like you still have a problem.  I use AppleworksGS a great
> deal and have no problems with it booting from the Focus hard drive. -
either old one or new.  I also have a ROM3 with 8 meg Sirius RAM card.  I'm
currently running 3296K RAM disk.  I don't know where to find the cache you
mention.  Let me know how to look that up and I'll check it.

There's no problem with booting it - the corruption appears on writes, not
reads.  If you're ever able to successfully install it, you're golden, even
with FocusDriver loaded.

I have, however, found with further testing that corruption can still occur
even with no disk cache at all.

For your interest, the disk/RAM cache is in the GS/OS 6.0.1 Memory control
panel just to the right of the RAM disk settings.

There is most definitely a problem with either my GS, my Focus card, or
FocusDriver - but since both the GS and the Focus card pass all diagnostics,
it seems the "blame" is squarely centered on FocusDriver itself.

> Also in my talk with Tony he said that people using AppleWorks GS seemed
to return more Focus cards.  Something about how AWGS "saves" files is hard
on the Focus.  Of course that was what I started noticing that indicated I
had a problem with my 500meg card.  I was writing a newsletter for GSAUG at
the 11th hour.  I was saving it as I went along. Almost at the end all of a
sudden the file disappeared after a save operation.  I had to write the
article 3 times before I figured out the open apple-S functio
> n was failing.

That's very interesting.  Did you have to get a new card?  I can't imagine
why _any_ application should cause the FocusDrive grief, with the possible
exception of very, very high levels of I/O (which I believe AppleWorks GS to
be incapable of).

Rodney