cagordon@watnot.UUCP (Chris Gordon) (10/01/86)
Distribution:
I'm having a LOT of trouble with reading disks in CP/M mode on the C128. A
friend of mine gave me a disk which was formatted Kaypro II on a dedicated
CP/M machine and I assumed I could read it. When I try to read it, it (CP/M)
states that the disk is Kaypro IV and then gives me an I/O error. I have even
tried formatting Kaypro II with my 1571 but it does the same thing. In fact,
ANY format that I try to read gives me an error (I have tried EPSON QX10,
Osborne DD,Kaypro II and IV, and IBM - all of which seemed to format fine - I
used the parameters given in a previous article for these formats.). However,
I HAVE been able to read an IBM disk formatted on an IBM PC, although I
imagine the dir setup is different - the dir listing was blank but I didn't get
any errors.
I was also wondering if the 1571 also sets up the directory after formatting
using the burst format MFM command from the manual, and if not, could this be
the cause of the I/O error (ie. all sectors empty)?
Incidentally, I think the I/O error from the disk my friend gave me may have
been caused by the fact that one side was Kaypro II and the other side was some
other format.
Any help would be M U C H appreciated. After all, what good is CP/M if you can't
use it?
--
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Chris Gordon UUCP: {abunchasystems}!watmath!watnot!cagordon
U of Waterloo CompuServe: Don't know yet
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"I've got the looks. You've got the brains. Lets make lots of money"
- !(Pet Shop Boys)fred@cbmvax.cbm.UUCP (Fred Bowen) (10/03/86)
> I'm having a LOT of trouble with reading disks in CP/M mode on the C128. A > friend of mine gave me a disk which was formatted Kaypro II on a dedicated > CP/M machine and I assumed I could read it. When I try to read it, it (CP/M) > states that the disk is Kaypro IV and then gives me an I/O error. I have even > tried formatting Kaypro II with my 1571 but it does the same thing. ... > I was also wondering if the 1571 also sets up the directory after formatting > using the burst format MFM command from the manual, and if not, could this be > the cause of the I/O error (ie. all sectors empty)? > > Incidentally, I think the I/O error from the disk my friend gave me may have > been caused by the fact that one side was Kaypro II and the other side was > some other format. First, the problem you are having with your friend's Kaypro II disk is a frequent 128 CP/M user's complaint. Because the 1571 drive cannot tell the difference between Kaypro II and IV, you must assist it. When the prompt KAYPRO IV appears, it is asking you to confirm the format. If it is correct, press return. If it is not (as in your case), press the LEFT cursor key (the one at the top of the keyboard, not the old c64 one below the return key) and select the correct format. Press return when it is correct. The format prompt only appears when the drive needs confirmation, and is not necessary for most other MFM formats. Second, your reasoning for the errors encountered when reading disks you have formatted yourself is correct. They need root and directory info written to them before CP/M will be happy. There is a 'new' FORMAT.COM utility which will prepare many types of MFM disks and write the necessary root and directory sectors. It has been placed on several BBS's. Finally, 'flippy' disks (single-sided formats on both sides of a disk) will cause the 1571 a lot of grief when it attempts to determine the format. After a lengthly think-and-blink spell, it usually figures it out. -- Fred Bowen uucp: {ihnp4|seismo|caip}!cbmvax!fred arpa: cbmvax!fred@seismo.CSS.GOV tele: 215 431-9100 Commodore Electronics, Ltd., 1200 Wilson Drive, West Chester, PA, 19380