🚀 go-pugleaf

Hello I-Hate-Spam
> Here is a description of exactly what I have/what I'm doing.  If you could
> possibly tell me what software I need and/or where I can get it so I can
> begin using the harddrive, I would be enormously appreciative.  Here goes...
> 
> One of the only other disks I have that came with the computer is a disk
> labeled "Amiga 2090A Hard Disk Software."  So this is what I do:
> 
> 1.  I put workbench 1.2 in the drive and turn on the computer.  It then gets
> me to the desktop screen.
> 2.  I put the Amiga 2090A hard disk software in the drive and click on the
> "HDInstall" Icon.  I then click on the Install program.
> 3.  The computer says, "Setting up for first ..." and then it begins copying
> various files.
> 4.  The computer asks me if I want to continue since it will delete
> everything on the harddrive."  I typed in yes.
> 5.  The computer says "checking your mountlist" and copies more files
> 6.  The computer days "Mounting hard disk and initializing."
> 7.  The computer asks me if this is a SCSI hard disk.  (I don't know -- so I
> have tried typing both yes and no, but I get the same result -- please see
> # 8 below for what happens)
> 8.  The computer says "Error -1 on open device of hddisk.device."
> 
> Accordingly, if you can suggest how the heck I can get the harddrive to work
> and/or where I can get the necessary software from, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
> tell me.
> 
> Thank you enormously in advance for your time/assistance.

Well you have the right software, and it is most probably an SCSI
drive.  My guess would be that either the hard-drive or the controller
or both are bad.  They are really ancient.  The 2090a will not boot
from a hard-disk and neither will OS 1.2, they require a boot floppy. 
Frankly, you can get a self booting 2091 for around $10.00, and you
could probably get 1.3 or 2.04 roms that will boot from a hard disk
for around the same price.  3.1 roms might cost you $25 or $30. 
Anyway, replace that controller, and get at least 1.3 roms if you want
it to work.  Probably the controller and maybe the hard-disk are
toast.  First check and see if there is a program called something
like HDToolbox on one of your 1.2 disks.  It could also be what the
guy who responded said, the hard-drive may not be prepped.  A similar
message will be given even by OS 3.9 if you try to install it on an
unprepped hard-disk.  HDToolbox may have first appeared with the 1.3
rom and OS though, I started with 1.3.3, and never used 1.2, so I
don't know.  Anyone?  

-- 
Mike Leavitt ac998@lafn.org