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From: Kate J. on 7 Apr 2010 14:32
I'm having a strange problem:

Previously, I had created a target boot floppy for xPC Target, and it had successfully booted up my Target PC. I had been using this configuration to run models on my Host and Target PCs. Then, today my Target PC started to make loud whirring noises, which wasn't normal, so I restarted my Target PC. However, upon restart, it reverted to Windows OS, and wouldn't recognize the boot floppy to boot the xPC Target OS.

I tried, with several brand new floppy disks, to create new xPC Target boot floppies, but each time I try to reboot the Target PC, it continues to boot the Windows OS instead of recognizing the boot disk.

I also attempted to boot a different PC (other than my Target PC) using each of these boot disks (both the old, previously-working one, and the newly-created ones), and this other PC also doesn't recognize any of these disks, and just boots the Windows OS.

I'm puzzled, because until I heard the whirring on my Target PC today, the Target had been correctly booted and functioning properly. What might cause all of these new boot disks (as well as the old, previously-working one) to not be recognized by my Target PC (or my other PC)? There are no error messages displayed when I create each boot disk in xPC Explorer, and I used exactly the same configuration setup as I did for my previous, working boot disk.

Thanks for any input that you have.
From: Gordon Weast on 7 Apr 2010 15:21
Kate,

This sounds like the floppy drive has failed.

If you let it boot into Windows, take a look at the floppy with
Windows explorer ('My Computer' icon).

If Windows can't read the floppy disk, then the floppy disk
drive has failed. If that is the case, you'll need to replace
it if you want to continue using floppy boot. Recent versions
have CDROM boot as well as netboot which will allow you to
stop using the floppy if your target supports either.

If Windows can still read it, then boot into the BIOS setup
and look to see if the boot device order has changed. That
could mean you need a new CMOS backup battery. A battery
failure or glitch could cause the setup to revert to the
default.

That's two ideas for you to try.

Gordon Weast
xPC Target Development
The MathWorks

Kate J. wrote:
> I'm having a strange problem:
>
> Previously, I had created a target boot floppy for xPC Target, and it
> had successfully booted up my Target PC. I had been using this
> configuration to run models on my Host and Target PCs. Then, today my
> Target PC started to make loud whirring noises, which wasn't normal, so
> I restarted my Target PC. However, upon restart, it reverted to Windows
> OS, and wouldn't recognize the boot floppy to boot the xPC Target OS.
>
> I tried, with several brand new floppy disks, to create new xPC Target
> boot floppies, but each time I try to reboot the Target PC, it continues
> to boot the Windows OS instead of recognizing the boot disk.
> I also attempted to boot a different PC (other than my Target PC) using
> each of these boot disks (both the old, previously-working one, and the
> newly-created ones), and this other PC also doesn't recognize any of
> these disks, and just boots the Windows OS.
>
> I'm puzzled, because until I heard the whirring on my Target PC today,
> the Target had been correctly booted and functioning properly. What
> might cause all of these new boot disks (as well as the old,
> previously-working one) to not be recognized by my Target PC (or my
> other PC)? There are no error messages displayed when I create each boot
> disk in xPC Explorer, and I used exactly the same configuration setup as
> I did for my previous, working boot disk.
>
> Thanks for any input that you have.
From: Kate J. on 7 Apr 2010 17:44
Thanks for your input, Gordon.

When I try to access the floppy disk on my Target PC, I get an error message that the disk isn't formatted properly. It asks me if I want to format the disk, and then it appears to do so (there is a progress bar that displays as this process occurs).

However, after this disk-reformat process had completed, when I went to exit the My Computer display, it then displayed this error message:

A:\ is not accessible.
The volume does not contain a recognized file system.
Please make sure that all required fiile system drivers are loaded and that the volume is not corrupted.


I'm not sure what this "volume" being referred to is (the floppy disk, or the drive itself?), but am I correct in reading this error message as indicating that there is a failure of my Target PC's floppy drive?

Thanks.
From: Gordon Weast on 8 Apr 2010 09:30
Kate,

That really suggests a failed floppy drive. The other hint comes
from the loud whirring noise you reported the first time.

Drives don't last forever, unfortunately.

Gordon Weast
xPC Target Development
The MathWorks

Kate J. wrote:
> Thanks for your input, Gordon.
> When I try to access the floppy disk on my Target PC, I get an error
> message that the disk isn't formatted properly. It asks me if I want to
> format the disk, and then it appears to do so (there is a progress bar
> that displays as this process occurs).
>
> However, after this disk-reformat process had completed, when I went to
> exit the My Computer display, it then displayed this error message:
>
> A:\ is not accessible.
> The volume does not contain a recognized file system. Please make sure
> that all required fiile system drivers are loaded and that the volume is
> not corrupted.
>
>
> I'm not sure what this "volume" being referred to is (the floppy disk,
> or the drive itself?), but am I correct in reading this error message as
> indicating that there is a failure of my Target PC's floppy drive?
> Thanks.
From: Kate J. on 13 Apr 2010 12:47
Hi, Gordon,

I replaced my Target PC's floppy drive, but unfortunately, the behavior hasn't changed or improved:

One question I have: in your advice above, you give me 2 recommendations, depending on whether Windows can or can't read the floppy disk on my Target PC; below, I describe the behavior of the 3 PCs I'm working with (my Host, my Target, and a third PC that isn't used at all for xPC Target, but which is the newest of the 3, and theoretically has a newer, functional floppy drive).

Based on the descriptions below, would you say that my Target PC *can* or *can't* read the floppy disk (i.e., if it *begins* to read at least one of the disks, but then gets stuck)?

-------
When I try to open/view the contents of the floppy disk that was created using xPC Target and previously worked perfectly (a couple of weeks ago) to boot up my Target PC, I get the following behavior on the 3 PCs:

Host PC: Error message: The disk in drive A:\ is not formatted.
Do you want to format it now? Y\N

Target PC: Error message: The disk in drive A:\ is not formatted.
Do you want to format it now? Y\N

3rd PC: Error message: A:\ is not accessible
The wrong diskette is in the drive.
Insert (Volume Serial Number: ) into drive A:\
_____________________________

If I create a new boot floppy on the Host PC, with a brand-new disk of the same brand that had previously worked for me, the behavior is:

a) Host PC: The 3 files that the floppy contains are displayed (BOOTSECT.RTT (1 kB), checksum.dat (1 kB), xpctgb1.RTA (796 kB))

b) Target PC: Error message: The disk in drive A:\ is not formatted.
Do you want to format it now? Y\N

--> When I attempt to restart the PC to boot from the floppy, it begins to load (says “Loading….”) but then just gets stuck, and doesn’t complete the load.

c) 3rd PC: Error message: The disk in drive A:\ is not formatted.
Do you want to format it now? Y\N

--> When I attempt to restart the PC to boot from the floppy, it begins to load (says “Loading….”) but then just gets stuck, and doesn’t complete the load.

____________________________
One possible solution I can think of to explain the above behavior is that maybe my entire boxes of blank floppy disks, as well as my previously-working formatted boot disk, all somehow got corrupted (even though the formatted disk had been kept in my Target's floppy drive for weeks on end, while the boxes of blank disks had been in a cabinet, stored separately).

Another potential source of the problem is if the Host's floppy drive isn't correctly generating the boot disks; is there any way for me to test/confirm that the disks it creates are correct and not corrupted? Are the 3 files I listed above on my newly-generated boot disk (BOOTSECT.RTT (1 kB), checksum.dat (1 kB), xpctgb1.RTA (796 kB)) the correct contents of this disk?

Thanks for your input.
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