Re: Incompatible configure.dat error msg resolution sought

[nathan@mixer.visi.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <4tivbn$84q@srv13s4.cas.org>,
Larry W. Virden <lvirden@cas.org> wrote:
>My 10 year old came to me this weekend upset because of something that's
>happened to his GS.  When he boots it up, he is getting a message about
>an incompatible configure.dat file, then ends up in the ramfast scsi
>utility.

   The 'Invalid Configuration Data' message (not .dat; this isn't an
IBM) is generated by the RamFAST/SCSI card when it can't find the info
it wants on the SCSI chain. Basically, the RamFAST uses a normally
unused area of the drive to store which paritions are mapped to which
slot/drives, etc. When the SCSI chain changes (i.e. RamFAST moves
slots, you really rearrange the drives, etc), this info can be become
invalid.

  The solution to this is to make the boot drive 1) Not write
protected (not a problem with most HDs), and 2) choose to 'Save' the
new configuration after it complains. If you keep saving, and the data
is still invalid, the HD may need to be low-leveled. [The area where
the config needs to be saved is a bad area of the disk. Consider
yourself lucky it only destroyed that area]


>What we would love to find is some solution that doesn't require reformatting
>the disk, as he bought this computer from someone else and hasn't done a
>backup of the hard drive.

   Then do a proper backup and low-level format the HD, unless you're
trying to teach him the value of backups the hard way.

Nathan Mates