sreiss@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA (Steve Reiss) (10/25/87)
I need some help. I just got hold of an Apple ][+ and am having trouble
doing a disk initialization. I type INIT HELLO and i get the disk to start
it's noises, only to get I/O ERROR printed on my display. I can SAVE files
to disks that have already been initialized, so my disk is able to correctly
write files.
If anybody has any ideas on what is causing the problem and how to fix it,
I would be greatly appreciative.
Thanks,
Steve Reiss
internet: sreiss@teknowledge-vaxc.arpa
usenet: {uunet|sun|ucbvax|decwrl|uw-beaver}!sreiss%teknowledge-vaxc.arpa
Address: Teknowledge Inc, 1850 Embarcadero Rd, POB 10119, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone: 415-424-0500 work 415-591-6192 home
--
internet: sreiss@teknowledge-vaxc.arpa
usenet: {uunet|sun|ucbvax|decwrl|uw-beaver}!sreiss%teknowledge-vaxc.arpa
Address: Teknowledge Inc, 1850 Embarcadero Rd, POB 10119, Palo Alto, CA 94303schumann@puff.wisc.edu (Christopher Schumann) (10/26/87)
In article <18249@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA>, (Steve Reiss) writes: > I need some help. I just got hold of an Apple ][+ and am having trouble > doing a disk initialization. I type INIT HELLO and i get the disk to start > it's noises, only to get I/O ERROR printed on my display. I can SAVE files > to disks that have already been initialized, so my disk is able to correctly > write files. > Steve Reiss > internet: sreiss@teknowledge-vaxc.arpa > usenet: {uunet|sun|ucbvax|decwrl|uw-beaver}!sreiss%teknowledge-vaxc.arpa > Address: Teknowledge Inc, 1850 Embarcadero Rd, POB 10119, Palo Alto, CA 94303 This sounds very familiar. I would bet that your drive speed is off. This is very easy to fix. Open the case of the drive and look for a VERY small screw in a box about an inch long. Use a program like Locksmith to tell you what speed your drive is at (use optimized, copies go faster that way). Turn the screw. It can turn about 10 revolutions from center each direction. If you don't like mucking around in your drives, take it to a dealer. This will be free or very cheap Chris Schumann schumann@puff.wisc.edu
kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) (10/27/87)
<Meet the DISK ][, the *original* headbanger!> In article <1130@puff.wisc.edu> schumann@puff.wisc.edu (Christopher Schumann) writes: >In article <18249@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA>, (Steve Reiss) writes: >> I need some help. I just got hold of an Apple ][+ and am having trouble >> doing a disk initialization. I type INIT HELLO and i get the disk to start >> it's noises, only to get I/O ERROR printed on my display. I can SAVE files >> to disks that have already been initialized, so my disk is able to correctly >> write files. >> Steve Reiss >>internet: sreiss@teknowledge-vaxc.arpa >>usenet: {uunet|sun|ucbvax|decwrl|uw-beaver}!sreiss%teknowledge-vaxc.arpa >>Address: Teknowledge Inc, 1850 Embarcadero Rd, POB 10119, Palo Alto, CA 94303 Yes, I've had this *exact* problem before. . . >This sounds very familiar. It always does, doesn't it? >I would bet that your drive speed is off. This is very easy to fix. >[instructions on drive speed adjustment] >Chris Schumann schumann@puff.wisc.edu Well, think about it. IF you have a slow or fast drive, it should be able to read and write all by itself, but unable to read other disks formatted with other drives. Unless the speed is way to fast, in which case it overwrites part of it's own track formatting, in which case it shouldn't be able to write *or* read *any* disks. I had this problems twice. Actually, the exact problem only once. The first problem I had was I couldn't write to *any* disk. It was a bad cable. They do go bad, especially when you put them in their little harness deally to "protect" them from damage, but when you keep putting them in and out, eventually -- snap goes the cable. The exact problem I had that corresponds to what I read here is pretty easy to understand. When I formatted, everything went OK, until the last track was written. I'd here a little click, then silence, the clkclkclkck I/O ERROR. It turns out there's a little stopper at the end of the track the head moves along (not the disk track, the metal bar it slides along) that was adjusted just a hair to short. I took a small screwdriver and fixed it right up. Haven't had a problem with it since. Note that a dealer might not comprehend this problem, and send it back o somesuch, for some $75, or whatever a a new drive assembly costs. In which case it can be cheaper to buy a new one. If you can't figure it out, and here that little click just before the I/O ERROR, send me e-mail and I'll be more detailed about it. Sean Kamath Hardware Guru of Boise St. -- UUCP: {decvax allegra ucbcad ucbvax hplabs ihnp4}!tektronix!reed!kamath CSNET: reed!kamath@Tektronix.CSNET || BITNET: reed!kamath@Berkeley.BITNET ARPA: tektronix!reed!kamath@Berkeley <or> reed!kamath@hplabs US Snail: 3934 SE Boise, Portland, OR 97202 (I hate 4 line .sigs!)
neil@dsl.cis.upenn.edu.UUCP (10/28/87)
In article <7565@reed.UUCP> kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) writes: ><Meet the DISK ][, the *original* headbanger!> > >In article <1130@puff.wisc.edu> schumann@puff.wisc.edu (Christopher Schumann) writes: >>In article <18249@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA>, (Steve Reiss) writes: >>> I need some help. I just got hold of an Apple ][+ and am having trouble >>> doing a disk initialization. I type INIT HELLO and i get the disk to start >>> it's noises, only to get I/O ERROR printed on my display. I can SAVE files >>> to disks that have already been initialized, so my disk is able to correctly >>> write files. >>> Steve Reiss I've had this problem too and it turned out to be a corrupted init command. I just booted up with a different system disk and had no trouble initing. |----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | "Better to remain quiet and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove | | all doubt" --- Abraham Lincoln | | | | neil@dsl.cis.upenn.edu.UUCP | |----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
dr@ski.UUCP (10/29/87)
In article <> kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) writes: ><Meet the DISK ][, the *original* headbanger!> >cable. They do go bad, especially when you put them in their little >harness deally to "protect" them from damage, but when you keep putting >them in and out, eventually -- snap goes the cable. Cables do become intermittent, especially at the connection pins. Same goes for the controller card - pulling it out and cleaning the gold contacts with something like alcohol is a good idea. Gentle pencil-eraser is also recommended, but some people say it rubs off the gold plating. >clkclkclkck I/O ERROR. It turns out there's a little stopper at the end >of the track the head moves along (not the disk track, the metal bar it >slides along) that was adjusted just a hair to short. I took a small >screwdriver and fixed it right up. Haven't had a problem with it since. I think this is the track-zero stop referred to. It would have to be pretty far off to influence formatting of the last track. In any case, to adjust things properly, you really need an alignment disk. The only one I know of that can be used without a hardware disk exerciser is D.A.D.S. Answer II, from ASKY, Inc. in San Jose. This is a disk custom written on a drive that allows off-center tracks, and off-azsmuth (sp?) tracks. It allows testing AND adjustment of many items, including track-0 and head alignment. It gives values in mils. It also tests hysteresis, head signal strength, noise. It costs about $150 !. It can be copied, but copies are worthless because the special tracking canot be duplicated. I dislike it because writing is tested by writing to the original disk, something that I frown on if the drive can ruin the disk. During a routine testing we disk overwrite a disk, but neither we nor the techs could figure out what caused it. A ruined disk is repalced once during the 1 year warrantee for $25 I believe. If you ruin it again, you pay FULL PRICE. -dave -- ==================================================================== David Robins, M.D. Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Foundation (previously known as: Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences) 2232 Webster St; San Francisco CA 94115 415/561-1705 (voice) {ihnp4,qantel,dual}!ptsfa!ski!dr The opinions expressed herein do not reflect the opinion of the Institute!