#Bad disk drive
17 messages in this thread
HELP! I am looking for a diagnostic program ( or something) to fix my disk
drive. It seems to be ill adjusted, and won't write anything to disk. It
has no trouble reading, just writing. I tried to find a PD Diagnostic
Program under Disk Utilities, but came up emptyhanded. I am using Auto
PIlot, and I am not very proficient with it, but if somebody could suggest
something, I would be very appreciative. Does' anybody have any
suggestions? Thanks in advance. BTW, I have an A3000 50/25mgz. It's
three years old, and never been repaired before. Or cleaned if that
matters. Thanks again,
Lisa
Lisa,
What errors are you getting and is this on a floppy drive, or the hard
drive?
Don
I am getting "write" errors on my floppy drive. If I try to copy from one
disk to another on the one disk drive, then I get a verifying error, and
the disk is "corrupted". BUT I can play a game from the floppy drive
without a problem.
Lisa,
That can be caused by several things.
1. Removing the disk before the write is fully completed.
2. Low quality disks.
3. A blown 8520 CIA chip.
4. A defective disk drive.
It is also possible for it to occur if you don't have the latest
version of SetPatch installed on your system. The version of SetPatch
that came with 2.04 is the latest I'm aware of. You need to have it as
one of the first things in your startup-sequence.
Don
>…version of SetPatch that came with 2.04 is the latest…
Not necessarily. There was one with DOS 2.0, but a major new one with DOS 2.1:
DOS 2.0: SetPatch 37.10 size=1828
DOS 2.1: Setpatch 38.31 size=6908
I did a hex read of the newer version, and there's an ASCII message inside it
that says "fix for old A1010 drives".
–apl
Andy,
No need to do a hex read to see what SetPatch does.. Just go into the CLI
and type "setpatch". You'll get a message saying it's already been
installed (unless you removed it from your startup-sequence), then you'll
get a patch list.
Hmmm, you're right… nice user info from these commands. I'm not used to that
— I started with Amiga DOS 1.1 (really) and I'm used to using whatever
low-level tools you have to find out just about anything! –apl
re: AmigaDOS 1.1
Me too…I still have my original 1.1 KS & WB disks from my old A1000.
I thought EVERYBODY kept those! Gee, I even have KS and WB 1.0, and a few
of the beta ones that were .78 or some such.
—Betty
Brian,
Got you beat! I've still got the original 1.0 KS/WB disks that CBM
shipped for a few months with the very first release machines. I've also
got one or two earlier beta versions of KS/WB.
Don
Andy,
Ok, the 2.04 was rev 38.30, but it also had the fix for old A1010
drives. It's 6760 bytes long.
Don
That's interesting. There apparently was another interim SetPatch. I purchased
one of the early "Release 2" packages with the 2.04 ROM, and the "Version 2.04"
Workbench and Install disks. Both disks are labelled as "2.04", but they have
that earlier 37.10 SetPatch, which only has "Blitter interrupts turned off" in
its patch list. My point is simply that even though someone has purchased 2.0
(i.e. 2.04), there is no guarantee that it has a SetPatch that corrects the
floppy problems. –apl P.S. If you have 2.1 however, the nec'y SetPatch is
there (I ended up buying 2.1 disks-only, no ROM, several months after getting
2.0).
Don,
Would a defective diskj drive still allow me to read from disk?
Afriend told me to buy a "head cleaner" set, and to try that because maybe
it's just that it's dirty. It hasn't been to see the "doctor" for a check
up, and tune up since I bought it three years ago. Istill have 2.0 OS. I
have not upgraded because my dealer (doctor) doesn't have it in stock, and
was supposed to call me months ago when he had one in so he could install
it. I would try to find another dealer, but I am in the boondocks, and
he's the only one around, and he's still thirty miles away.
Thanks for your suggestions though.
Lisa
Lisa,
Yes, it is possible…although I admit it's unlikely…that a drive can
become defective where it won't write but will read from a disk. However,
I'd consider that a last alternative. Same with cleaning the drive. I
seriously doubt that's the problem. I'd be 90% sure the problem is you
need the newer version of SetPatch…the one that comes with the 2.04 or
2.1 AmigaDOS release.
It's been available for months now, if your dealer can't get it for
you, call any of the mail order houses that advertise in the Amiga
magazines and I'm sure they'll be happy to sell it to you.
Don
don, why would lisa need the new setpatch if her drive had been
functioning fine for some time with the OLD setpatch??
– Barry Jarrett
careening around CIS on my Amiga!
Barry,
My understanding was she just upgradded to 2.0.
Don