[net.micro.cbm] 1541 Drive problems

bpm@homxb.UUCP (B.MAGNIN) (05/13/86)

Here's a problem that maybe one of you c64 gurus may be able to help
me with.

Recently, my 1541 has begun to refuse to format disks using the
standard N0:fname,id.

Here are the general symptoms:

     All my software loads and runs normally.

     I have no problem writing to my previously formatted disks.

     If I attempt to format a disk now, the drive hangs up between
     tracks 1 and 6 (seems to vary) and screen message indicates that
     the formatting is complete.

     I can format a disk by using a format-as-it-goes type copy
     program such as the widely used three minute copy routine
     and then scratching all the programs and data on the copy by
     using S0:*.

Thanks in advance,

Byron Magnin
...{cbosgd,ihnp4,allegra,ulysses}!homxb!bpm

ubsims@ecsvax.UUCP (William K. Sims) (05/25/86)

Byron, It sounds to me that your 1541 has a disk head alignment
problem. I have a friend that had the very same problem.
We (He and I) aligned the head on his 1541, and the problem
was corrected, however it came back in a few days. We finaly
had to pin the shift that controls the head movement up and
down the disk, while trying to write or read. The disk drive
has been running now for months. If I can be of any further
help, drop me a line via E-mail (ubsims@ecsvax) Univ. of
North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N. C.