Very Computer

    I have an Apple CD300e Plus CD-ROM drive connected to a RamFAST.
It's been working wonderfully up to this point (even so far as reading
all CD-R color dyes) but for some odd reason, refuses to mount four
specific *factory pressed* CD's under GS/OS or the Finder desktop.

    I connected the CD drive to a Mac LC 475 and those four discs
mount just fine, meaning either it's a RamFAST, HS.FST or GS/OS
issue. I just don't understand WHY they won't mount--they're plain
pressed CD's (not burned), they follow IS0-9660 rules properly and
two of them are actually DiscPassage titles Sequential Systems
packaged and sold with RamFAST cards. They're even detected
within the RamFAST's menu (disc size, etc) but remains invisible
under GS/OS. The titles are:

- DiscPassage: "Shakespeare", 1992 (HFS and DOS)
- DiscPassage: "Sherlock Holmes", 1992 (HFS and DOS)
- A hybrid data/audio CD, 2000 (HFS and DOS)
- A Mac HFS CD printed by Chinon, 1990 (HFS only)

    Unlike the others, when I insert the Chinon HFS disc, GS/OS
rings the error bell after trying to mount it but no error message
is displayed. I can also see it's HFS volume name in the RF
menu, however it's checked off as inactive/offline.

    What could be the problem? Something with the SCSI chain
set up or the RamFAST and this particular drive? It does work
fine with other pressed CD's and CD-R's, so I'm not sure what
makes these four special.

Mitchell Spector

        Wayne

    If it makes any difference, the drive's SCSI ID is set to '3' and
my Quantum 240-LPS (internal) is set to SCSI ID '6' (I also have
a tape drive though I've temporarily removed it from the chain
while I figure this out). The RamFAST is jumpered to supply
term-power though I haven't done anything else such as add
an external terminator at the end of the chain. I do have a
pass-thru Apple terminator as well as a passive and active
terminator plug handy, if they're necessary.

Mitchell Spector

Quote:>     If they're not ProDOS or HFS discs, the only information displayed
> is 'Device Size' and 'Space Available' on the upper half of the menu
> screen (and the disc interleave, which seems to always be 1:1).
> So they're marked _neither_ active or inactive, that area is blank.

Quote:>     If it makes any difference, the drive's SCSI ID is set to '3' and
> my Quantum 240-LPS (internal) is set to SCSI ID '6' (I also have
> a tape drive though I've temporarily removed it from the chain
> while I figure this out). The RamFAST is jumpered to supply
> term-power though I haven't done anything else such as add
> an external terminator at the end of the chain. I do have a
> pass-thru Apple terminator as well as a passive and active
> terminator plug handy, if they're necessary.

        Wayne

    I've since found two more problem CD's: A Microsoft Network/MSN
preview CD and an Abit BX-board driver CD. These two mount on the
Finder desktop and under GS/OS software, but refuse to open when
clicked on. The window opens and then instantly shuts itself. Odd.

Quote:>>     If it makes any difference, the drive's SCSI ID is set to '3' and
>> my Quantum 240-LPS (internal) is set to SCSI ID '6' (I also have
>> a tape drive though I've temporarily removed it from the chain
>> while I figure this out). The RamFAST is jumpered to supply
>> term-power though I haven't done anything else such as add
>> an external terminator at the end of the chain. I do have a
>> pass-thru Apple terminator as well as a passive and active
>> terminator plug handy, if they're necessary.

>I'd probably try it with a terminator and then if it's still doing that
>try removing the term power jumper just to see if that makes a difference.

    In the meantime I'm only interested in getting those two
DiscPassage/discQuest titles to mount.

Mitchell Spector

    I created a clean 3.5 boot disk with only the necessary drivers.
This cleared up many problems. First the two discQuest CD were
no longer invisible to GS/OS and mounted. The Chinon HFS CD
still refused to mount but _now_ GS/OS reported that no available
FSTs could recognize the filing format.

    As for the MSN and Abit discs, those still seem to exhibit random
behavior. Sometimes they'll open as empty disc (GS/OS reports zero
files and folders), sometimes they'll mount but refuse to open. And
occasionally, opening the MSN CD causes the system to freeze.
The combination data/audio disc though still acts invisible.

    So, I went back to my hardrive and removed all the FSTs from my
system folder and replaced them one by one. Oddly, removing them
all and putting them ALL back fixed things (this makes little sense but
I have a theory as to why it worked). Now mounting works as I've
described it above. The only odd thing is I still don't get an error
message when inserting the HFS CD (only when booting from that
clean 3.5 disk). Oh, and Joliet CD-R's seem to have lots of
compatibility issues with the HS.FST but that's another story.

Mitchell Spector