I don't know when the problem started, but I can't use my NetBSD hard drive
anymore.

I'd just got a Packard Bell "Multimedia" computer (used) and tried to move
the 230MB IDE drive from my older 486 to this new PB 486.  No matter what
BIOS settings, it would alaways say "rwd0a isn't a character device".

Its never done this on my older 486DX-20 (PB is 486DX-66) but I just moved
the drive from the Packard Bell back to the older 486.

Now, the older 486 does exactly what the PB did.

Transcript of drive now on older 486 (ran perfect for 2 months).
...
...
...
root on wd0a dumps on wd0b
root file system type: ffs
swapctl: adding /dev/wd0b as swap device priority 0
Automatic boot in progress: starting file system checks.
/dev/rwd0a is not a character device
/dev/rwd0a is not a character device
/dev/wd0a is not a character device
/dev/wd0a is not a character device
/dev/wd0a: UNEXPECTED INCONSISTENCY: RUN fsck_ffs MANUALLY
Automatic file system check failed: help!
Enter pathname of shell or RETURN for sh: {RETURN}
# {fsck_ffs /dev/rwd0a}
/dev/rrwd0a (No such file or directory)Can't stat /dev/rrwd0a
/dev/rwd0a is not a character device
CONTINUE? [yn] {y}

Can't open /dev/rwd0a: Device not configured
# {fsck_ffs /dev/wd0a}
/dev/rwd0a is not a character device
/dev/wd0a is not a character device
CONTINUE? [yn] {y}

Can't open /dev/wd0a: Device busy
# {cat /etc/fstab}
/dev/wd0a       /       ffs       rw       1 1
/dev/wd0b       none    swap      sw       0 0
/dev/wd0e       /usr    ffs       rw       1 2
/kern           /kern   kernfs    rw
#