O05@psuvm.BITNET (09/03/85)
Our Campus owns 25 Apple ][/+ and ][/e computers, and for reasons we won't
go into now, the small arm which actually detects the write-pritect tabs exist
ance has broken off (worn out ... whatever) on about 1/3 of our drives. After
consulting with our local Apple dealer, I find out that the small black plastic
arm can not be independently replaced, but would require the replacement of th
e whole bottom of the disk drive (at $100 each !!!!!).
IS THIS TRUE ??? If anyone out there knows if it is, or a quick solution
to the problem, I'd appeciate the info. It seems to me that you should be abl
e to jerry-rig the thing to work, but I'd rather like to have more opinions.
Thanks in advance,
--- MUST I DO ALL THE WORK AROUND HERE ???
GLENN S. PIPER
O05 @ PSUVM
(BERKS OPERATOR)
dfe@petrus.UUCP (Dean F. Espinoza) (09/06/85)
> > Our Campus owns 25 Apple ][/+ and ][/e computers, and for reasons we won't > go into now, the small arm which actually detects the write-pritect tabs exist > ance has broken off (worn out ... whatever) on about 1/3 of our drives. > > > > GLENN S. PIPER > O05 @ PSUVM > (BERKS OPERATOR) > Your users probably realized that breaking off the write-protect mechanism allows them to write on both sides of a floppy disk without punching a hole in the disk's other side (this has nothing to do with the original question, but it is most likely that the write-protect did not wear out.) Dean Espinoza ...bellcore!dfe
cem@intelca.UUCP (Chuck McManis) (09/09/85)
>> >> Our Campus owns 25 Apple ][/+ and ][/e computers, and for reasons we >> won't >> go into now, the small arm which actually detects the write-pritect tabs >> exist >> ance has broken off (worn out ... whatever) on about 1/3 of our drives. >> >> GLENN S. PIPER > > > Your users probably realized that breaking off the write-protect mechanism > allows them to write on both sides of a floppy disk without punching a hole > in the disk's other side (this has nothing to do with the original question, > but it is most likely that the write-protect did not wear out.) > > Dean Espinoza Couldn't you also just install a switch to enable/disable the write control line? This would fix your problem without getting a new plastic gizmo. --Chuck -- - - - D I S C L A I M E R - - - {ihnp4,fortune}!dual\ All opinions expressed herein are my {qantel,idi}-> !intelca!cem own and not those of my employer, my {ucbvax,hao}!hplabs/ friends, or my avocado plant. :-}
randy@peora.UUCP (Randy Hendry) (09/11/85)
I couldn't believe it, so I just opened up one of my drives. Sure enough,
the little plastic arm is part of the entire black case (front) of the
drive. It works by having the arm attached by plastic so thin there as to be
flexible (this is the part I'm sure that broke). The arm then touches the
actual write-protect switch.
I can't think of an easy way to replace this, but I'll pass on
an idea that a friend of mine came up with which works real well.
He has added an extra switch to the front of all his drives. The
switch is single pole, double throw with center off. The way it is
wired is as follows. One position, say up, is connected through the
regular write protect switch and thus functions as an ordinary drive.
The other position (down) bypasses the original write protect switch
and thus the drive will always write regardless of the write protect
tab (real handy for using the back sides of disks if you don't have
a hole punch). The center off position is an open circuit and thus
is the disk is always write protected. This solution in your
situation doesn't provide the exact original functionality, but
will give you a way to write protect disks (center off), or write
disks (down).
--
Randy Hendry (305) 850-1027
Perkin-Elmer Corporation
MS 795, Southern Development Center
2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!randy
An overheard promise of computer to terminal: Ascii and ye shall receive.randy@peora.UUCP (Randy Hendry) (09/11/85)
I wish to modify my statement slightly. After closer examination of my
drives, it appears to me that the plastic switch is a separate piece
that is attached to the black case (by glue? I'm not sure, I didn't
want to break my switch :-). So, I guess the posibility exists to
replace the switch by itself if you can find another one and get
the remains of the old one detached from the case.
--
Randy Hendry (305) 850-1027
Perkin-Elmer Corporation
MS 795, Southern Development Center
2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642
{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!randy
An overheard promise of computer to terminal: Ascii and ye shall receive.