eightd2

To be honest--I've have not specifically tried to have multiple external USB HDDs hooked up and seen at the same time--I will have to do some experimenting--but, I can not do that for a couple days right now....

But, what I can say is that I have at least one system where I have a USB card reader, and when I boot with a DOS Ghost boot disc with USB mass storage device drivers, and I have a memory card in the card reader--the USB drivers mount and assign a drive letter (memory card has to be formatted with FAT32 or FAT16) to the memory card as well as an attached single USB HDD, and I can access both in DOS--so that does work--but, everything has to be *compatible*!  If anything in the system is not compatible--the driver will show an error to the effect that *no device was found*.  So, if the USB device (card reader or USB HDD), the size of the mass storage device (I have been unable to mount anything larger than 180 GB using the *di1000dd.sys*), and the USB controller all have to be compatible with the DOS USB drivers--if not then there will be a *failure* of some sort.

Do each of your USB HDDs work if plugged in separately?  Do they work only from a specific USB port (i.e. where you plug the USB cord into the system), or can you use different ports?

If you hit the *F8* key just as the system begins to load the DOS OS, you will be presented with a boot menu screen that gives you, as one option, the ability to load the DOS boot files (config.sys and autoexec.bat) in a step-by-step fashion.  You have to say *Y* (yes) to load each line--so you can see what's happening with each line and it gives you a chance to see the messages reported by each program as it is loaded.  When you load *di1000dd.sys*--you will see what was found and what action(s) where taken.

Quote:

That's *normal* behavior for Ghost 2003.  But, there should be one *.gho* file as well!  Ghost 2003 has a DOS file size limit of approx. 2 GB per file--so for larger Ghost images, you will have as many 2 GB *segments* as it takes for the total image size.

NightOwl or Anyone Else who has an Idea -

I found that USBASPI had an invalid parameter error and ASPI Manager indicated "not installed."  With that in mind I found that I installed the wrong USBAPI and installed the correct one.  Burned a new disc and it appeared to find both external USB harddrives and one flashdrive.  As it was looking for the last flashdrive it failed with a divide overflow error.  I am assuming there are too many external drives to locate.  Is there any way to change one of the drive parameters to allow for all of my drives?  I know I am close to a fix, just need some direction.  Just so you are aware, it was a slow (a few minute) process to identify the drives, but it certainly was working until the divide overflow.   

Thanks again.

Nightowl -
I read an article which indicated the USBASPI.SYS should be extracted from KXLRW40A.exe.  My orginal attempt did not use that file.  The sys. file I am currently using is dated 11/26/02 and does not generate the errors first reported.

It found two external HDDs and one flash drive, but did not assign any letters to them as it was still "looking for the last flash drive.  Both flash drives are plugged into the monitor (Dell) and share one USB port.

Your assessment that the program is going through a "probing" process is an excellent description of what it appears to be doing.

I will disconnect both flash drives and see if the CD can overcome the divide overflow error.  I will advise.  Any other recommendations based on what info I have provided.

Thanks once again.

eightd2

eightd2 wrote on Dec 20^th, 2011 at 10:32pm:

Is this problem something new? 

Were you able to mount at least one of your USB HDDs previously? 

Was the only change made was the USBASPI.SYS used?

If you use the F8 option to do the step-by-step loading of the config.sys file, what is the name of the software maker for the USBASPI.SYS and what's the version number?

I'm trying to remember, but I think all my *divide overflow* errors have occurred when *di1000dd.sys* attempts to load--can you confirm when that error occurs?

eightd2

Okay--so it's your *di1000dd.sys* that's loading and then giving you the *divide overflow* error.  You may have missed this little aside I mentioned way back in my first response:

NightOwl wrote on Dec 19^th, 2011 at 9:35am:


What sizes are your external USB HDDs?

eightd2

eightd2 wrote on Dec 22^nd, 2011 at 3:03am:

Maybe!  I have a series of *experiments* that I need to do--it was regarding another thread from another forum member.  I just have not found enough free time to do the deeds  !

It involves multiple re-formatting of external HDDs to different sizes, trial use of a *di1000dd.sys* replacement software, re-booting multiple times, and if all that *fails*, possibly trying an totally different approach to using an external USB HDD for Ghost backups.

I've been frantically trying to complete some outdoor projects--here in the Northwest, Puget Sound region we usually have major wind/rain storms by this time of year--but, it has been quite dry and calm--driest December since records have been kept, actually--so I have not been *trapped* indoors--yet!

But, I'm almost at the end of my *chore* list--and this project has been on the back burner long enough.

So, stay tuned--I'll be back with results hopefully within the week!