LisaFAQ

[LisaFAQ] > [Hardware] > [Hard Drives] > [Hard Drive Problems]

3.7.2.2. My Profile or Widget drive shows error 84 (or another) on boot. How do I repair it?

An error while trying to startup from a hard drive may indicate a problem with the Lisa, the drive's hardware, or the data on the drive.

The troubleshooting suggestions below assume the data on the drive is damaged. However, before assuming the worst, check the following:

• hard drive is properly connected
• hard drive data cable connectors are clean and straight
• Lisa is operating properly (self-test completes with no errors)

• ProFile drives will sometimes fail due to minor corrosion (and thus bad contact) in one or more of the IC sockets on the controller board (inside the ProFile). This can be cured by partially removing and re-installing the socketed chips. Do this one at a time to preserve the locations, and be sure to maintain the correct orientation.

If the Lisa configuration has been changed recently, or it has been out of use for an extended period, also check the power supply voltages at the drive.

If the problem persists, troubleshooting typically uses the following progression:

• attempt to repair the drive using the OS installer
• if repair fails, attempt to re-install the OS
• if OS installation fails, perform a low-level format
• if low-level formatting fails, repair the drive electronics and/or disk assembly

Double initialization for MacWorks

In response to some problems re-installing some early variants of MacWorks, Sun Remarketing had this advice (it may not be applicable to other OS installers):

Source: http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~woz/lisatech/page32_33.html ( Lisa/Macintosh XL Do-it-yourself Guide published by Sun Remarketing, Inc. )

Startup error code 84 pertains to Profile and Widget drives. It means the boot blocks are damaged. There are three possible fixes.

Fix one involves double-reformatting the drive- first under Lisa OS, then under MacWorks XL. Double-reformatting the drive is time-consuming and it only applies to some computers. You can't use this method with a Macintosh XL Screen Modification Kit unless you pull the 3A ROMs and reinstall the old ROMs. Also, double-reformatting doesn't always work.

Editor's Notes: Not sure that this will help anything since it doesn't make sense 
that one format will make a difference from another.  It might help if
you are using an old version of MacWorks, which sometimes gets confused
if you are installing it over a drive that has existing data.

If you have an Apple II or /// available, initializing the drive under ProDOS
or SOS may have the same effect as using LOS.

Fix two involves reformatting the drive with MacWorks Plus version 1.0. 18 or later. Holding down the Apple and the left Option keys while double clicking the MW Install icon opens the program in the expert mode. Expert mode recognizes most unmountable drives and gives the option to you to reinitialize them. Afterwards, the drive may or not be bootable.

Fix three is low-level formatting.

[LisaFAQ] > [Hardware] > [Hard Drives] > [Hard Drive Problems] (Comment on this answer)