Disk Tests - Texas Instruments PHP1240 Manual

The prompt TRACKS PER SIDE? appears. Type the number of tracks (a maximum of
40 for single-side diskettes) and then press
(YIN)? If you have both a double-sided diskette and disk drive, press
the maximum storage out of the diskette; otherwise, press
prompt, SINGLE DENSITY (YIN)? then appears. Enter your response.
The diskette is initialized, a process that takes about a minute for a single-sided diskette
and about twice as long for a double-sided diskette. The message
INITIALIZE NEW DISK
WORKING ... PLEASE WArr
is on the screen for a moment. Then the message 0 < WORKING . . . . PLEASE WAIT
appears, followed by 1 < , and then 2) . The number 2 is increased by one as each sector
is initialized.

Disk Tests

The third option on the Disk Manager selection list is DISK TESTS. It is sometimes
necessary to check the condition of a diskette, the disk drive, and the controller. There
are two levels of testing that can be done. The fIrst Is called a quick test. For a slngle­
sided diskette, each loop takes about two minutes if you choose to make the test
destructive and about 40 seconds If you choose to make It non-destructive (information
on the disk Is preserved). For a double-sided diskette, each loop takes about twice as
long if you choose to make the test destructive and about 80 seconds if you choose to
make it non-destructive. The non-destructive test should satisfy most requirements.
The destructive version of the test could be done to new diskettes to determine whether
or not they are good.
The second test Is a comprehensive test that runs an exhaustive check on the diskette,
controller, and disk drive. In the process, it destroys all the data that was on the
diskette. Before running this test, you should make a backup copy of the diskette If you
want to retain Its data, or you can run the test on a blank diskette. The comprehensive
test for a single-sided diskette takes about 15 minutes for each loop and about twice as
long for a double-sided diskette.
Note: After a diskette has been put through a destructive test, it must be Initialized
before it can be reused. Also, if a diagnostic test reports an error condition, repeat the
test with a known good diskette to verify that the disk system is at fault.
When you choose DISK TESTS, the following screen appears.
1 QUICK TEST
2 COMPREHENSIVE TEST
YOUR CHOICE? 1
If you choose 1 , gUICK TEST, the following screen appears.
DESTRUCTIVE TEST [YIN)? N
26
DISK TESTS
QUICK TEST
The next prompt asks SINGLE SIDED
ENTER.
Y
and
N ENTER
and The third
ENTER.
to get