POTENTIAL DATA LOSS USING 60MB FIXED DISK

PURPOSE:
TO ASSIST CUSTOMERS REQUESTING HELP TO LOAD THE SELF BOOTING "60MB FIXED DISK BUFFER TEST, UPDATE DISKETTE" TO SEAGATE 60MB FIXED DISK DRIVES.

PHYSICAL CHECK:
THIS ECA APPLIES TO SEAGATE 60MB FIXED DISK DRIVES, FRU P/N6128282. SOME 8555 SYSTEMS MAY HAVE THE AFFECTED DRIVES INSTALLED IN THEM.

THIS ECA CAN BE USED TO INSTALL THE UPDATE DISKETTE ON SYSTEMS IN THE ECA'S FEATURES SECTION. ALL GREENOCK PRODUCTION MAY BE AFFECTED. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO OPEN THE SYSTEM TO INSTAL THIS ECA.

NOTE:
IF THE SYSTEM IS OPENED, THE 60MB DRIVES THAT ARE AFFECTED CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY A SUPPLIER CODE OF 820850 ON A LABEL LOCATED ON THE TOP OF THE DRIVE.

SEE THE DETAIL SECTION FOR FAILURE SYMPTOMS. THESE DO NOT HAVE TO OCCUR IN ORDER TO APPLY THIS ECA. SOME OPERATING SYSTEMS SUCH AS DOS DO NOT HAVE A DISCERNIBLE FAILURE SYMPTOM, BUT BECAUSE OPERATING SYSTEMS ARE OFTEN CHANGED DURING THE LIFE OF A SYSTEM, THIS CODE INSTALLATION IS REQUIRED ON ALL SYSTEMS WITH THE ABOVE DISK DRIVE.

THE IBM 60 MB DISK SCREENING PROGRAM IS INCLUDED IN THE DISKETTE P/N96F7296 SO BOTH THIS ECA AND ECA080 CAN BE INSTALLED TOGETHER.

DETAIL:
DISKETTE P/N96F7296 HAS BEEN RELEASED TO FIX PROBLEMS WHICH MAY OCCUR ON 60MB DRIVES. PROBLEMS THAT MAY OCCUR ARE HIGHLIGHTED BELOW.

THIS CODE INSTALLATION IS DESIGNED TO PREVENT DATA LOSS PROBLEMS WHILE RUNNING OS/2 AND TO PREVENT NMI ERRORS WHILE RUNNING AIX. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHEN FILE INTERRUPTS OCCUR DURING AUTOMATICALLY EXECUTED DISK DRIVE DIAGNOSTIC ROUTINES CONTAINED WITHIN THE DRIVE CODE. SOME OF THE SYMPTOMS THAT CAN OCCUR ARE:

SYSTEMS WITH AIX OPERATING SYSTEMS CAN DISPLAY A MESSAGE THAT READS "PANIC MESSAGE SYSTEM WILL REBOOT IN SECONDS."
SYSTEMS WITH OS/2 OPERATING SYSTEMS CAN EXPERIENCE INTERMITTENT HALTS THAT REQUIRE A SYSTEM REBOOT TO RESET.

TO INSTALL THE UPDATE CODE INSERT THE DISKETTE AND BOOT THE SYSTEM. THE DISKETTE ALSO EXAMINES THE FILE FOR THE PROBLEM ANNOUNCED ON ECA080 TDR H053807. AN EASY TO FOLLOW MENU IS USED TO DIRECT THE INSTALLER.

NOTE:
CODE INFORMATION WILL ONLY LOAD TO A FIXED DISK THAT REQUIRES IT. THE INFORMATION IN THE CODE OF THE DRIVE IS CORRECTED WITH THE UPDATE DISKETTE. OTHER TYPES OF HARDWARE FAILURES WILL BE RESOLVED BY USING THE CUSTOMER'S CURRENT SERVICE AGREEMENT TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE FRUS.