How Can I fix the bootstrap failture use install disc

[zhang_guoquan]

i use openvms 7.2.1 in axp1000.

but now when i boot this system

shows:

block 0 of the disk is not a valid boot disk?
(some like that)
bootstrap failture.

I have the install disc Can I fix that? How can I do.
I dont wanna break the data in the disk

[Willem Grooters]

I think this will work:

- Boot from CD
- use option to start DCL (get to prompt)
- MCR WRITEBOOT (may need device (your system disk, e.g. DKA0) as parameter)

but I never tried that.

Be sure, howver, that your systemdisk isn't broke. It may have more errors,rendering it unusable. Perhaps your data is still intact, in that case (if possible) copy your data to another disk before doing anything else. You may need to restore your system disk from backup (if you need the data as-is, be sure to back it up before), worst case, you'll need to re-install (use PRESERVE in stead of INIT - but even then, backup your data, just in case).

Willem

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Try power cycle first. Had it several times that that solved the problem.
Also make sure you boot from the right disk (try a boot from every device if you don't know which one).

Wim

[Willem Grooters]

Well, SRM should know.
Has the system been booted from this disk before (appearantly if you want to keep data)
Check BOOT_DEV variable in console:
>>> SHOW BOOT_DEV

If this is NOT the same disk you have problems with, specifing

>>> BOOT

will access the right disk (but keep SRM variables intact)

>>> SET BOOT_DEV

will set this right, so a simple (or automatic) BOOT will get the system up (hopefully)

But indeed, if you don't know which is the right disk, you can try any disk in the system.
But if you boot from CD, there is an easier way: get to the prompt, mount ALL disks, and then (for each disk) specify:

dump/block=(start:0, end:1) :[000000]indexf.sys

If this disk is NOT a system disk, the first bytes will tell you so:


Virtual block number 1 (00000001), 512 (0200) bytes

03039401 001E65C0 11C00200 15C600A0 ..Ã ...Ã .Ã e...... 000000
8BDFFF76 905F0000 000501FB 000609F7 ÷...û....._.v.à . 000010
20202020 30303241 4B440087 80FDFF74 t.ý...DKA200 000020
73206120 746F6E20 73692020 20202020 is not a s 000030
0000000A 0A0D6B73 6964206D 65747379 ystem disk...... 000040
00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 ................ 000050

and a ssyetm disk will look like:

03039401 001E65C0 11C00200 15C600A0 ..Ã ...Ã .Ã e...... 000000
8BDFFF76 905F0000 000501FB 000609F7 ÷...û....._.v.à . 000010
20202020 20203041 4B440087 80FDFF74 t.ý...DKA0 000020
74737973 20616870 6C412020 20202020 Alpha syst 000030
0000000A 0A0D2020 206B7369 64206D65 em disk ...... 000040

(But this may fail if your boot

[zhang_guoquan]

i have in the dcl,but I dont know how to use writeboot.

power cycle? Can this work?

if I have another disk have the right data

and can boot.

can I copy the whole disc to the bad disc?

[Willem Grooters]

I don't know the right number for getting to DCL when you start from CD , IIRC it's number 6.
Once you get the $$$ prompt, give the command

MCR WRITEBOOT

it might require a parameter: the disk to write the bootsector to, but what it will do if you don't specify it, I don't know.

power cycle may indeed do the trick. It simply resets the whole system. Give it some time (wait a 10 seeconds after power off before tunring it on again). This resets ALL hardware...

since you have another disk have the right data you can do boot from that:

>>> BOOT

[quote]
can I copy the whole disc to the bad disc?
[/quote]

DON'T (NOT NOW, ANYWAY). First of all check this disk when VMS is started ($ ANALYZE/DISK/NOREPAIR to see what's wrong) because, as said earlier, there can be more things wrong.
If that other disk holds the data you want (up to the required moment) consider to INIT the 'old' disk and make an image copy from your backup disk (when started from CD). You can consider booting from that disk and use it; but even then be sure to have a reliable backup of it (if you don't already have one)

Another warning: do NOT make an image or (even worse physical) backup from the bad disk. This may (will?) corrupt the destination disk as well!

Willem

[Volker Halle]

Using WRITEBOOT is documented here:

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/doc/72final/6522/6522pro_012.html#writeboot_sec

Example:

$ mc writeboot
Update VAX portion of boot block (default is Y) : n
Update AXP portion of boot block (default is Y) :
Enter AXP boot file : device:[vms$common.sysexe]apb.exe

As 'device' enter the disk name of your disk with the bootstrap failure.

Volker.

[zhang_guoquan]

I have use this ,

but when I enter

dka0:[vms$common.sysexe]apb.exe
{dka0 is the bad system disc}
system can not find apb file in this diretory

but can find the apb.exe file in the

dqa0:[vms$common.sysexe]apb.exe

{dqa0 is the install system cd}

[Volker Halle]

DQA0: is probably the CDrom (confirm with $$$ SHOW DEV SYS$SYSDEVICE), so that doesn't help.

Did you mount DKA0: ($$$ MOUNT/OVER=ID DKA0:) ? And then try $$$ DIR DKA0: [*...]APB.EXE - is there any APB.EXE on that disk ?

Volker.

[zhang_guoquan]

i have run the command

mount/ov=id dka0:

dir dka0:[vms$common]

it shows there is 32files

and have the sysexe.dir

but when i run

dir dka0:[vms$common.sysexe]

it warnning the directory has a error.

so I think maybe the directory is error.