ap515@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Tom Wilson) (03/23/91)
Just recently my 1541 has started acting up on me. It will work fine for a while, then, it will refuse to load anything from the disk. It searches the disk, but it's as if it's encountered a read error. The disks are not the problem as I've tested them on other drives and had no problems. My question is: Is one of the 6522's or the 6502 bad? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. -- Tom Wilson ap515@cleveland.freenet.edu twtick@corral.uwyo.edu
rknop@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Robert Andrew Knop) (03/23/91)
ap515@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Tom Wilson) writes: >Just recently my 1541 has started acting up on me. It will work >fine for a while, then, it will refuse to load anything from >the disk. It searches the disk, but it's as if it's encountered >a read error. The disks are not the problem as I've tested them >on other drives and had no problems. My question is: Is one >of the 6522's or the 6502 bad? This sounds very much like the infamous alignment problem. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, blaming it on alignment is sort of like blaming 64 problems on the power supply, but don't you agree that this sounds like that???) It is actually relatively easy to fix. There are some places you can send it away to get aligned, although for less than the cost of an alignment you can buy a aligment testing program that includes instructions to do it yourself- and it is only minorly frusturating to do so. The one I've got is Free Spirit's 1541/1571 alignment program, and I aligned my 1541 with it a couple of years ago and had good results. -Rob Knop rknop@tybalt.caltech.edu
yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Scott `The_Edge` Yanoff) (03/23/91)
My disk drive is 7 1/2 years old...and sometimes has that problem. The problem could be what you mentioned, or it could be something else, such as alignment prooblems or the drivemotor is going. To keep my drive aligned, I run a small program someone gave me called Hydro Aligner and that somehow bangs the head into place so thaat it runs faster and quieter. After 7 1/2 years though, I suppose I am ready for a new drive, especially since I cann't download with it, it doesnt seem to CLOSE files when downloading . The last block is supposed to be a * and it leaves the file open...that is a bummer when you've just downloadex a 200 block file and it is left open aand you can't use it any suggestions? -Scott -- () yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu /\ _/_ _/_ yanoff@miller.cs.uwm.edu / ) _. ____/ / /__/__(__(_) (___<__
taae8@CCVAX.IASTATE.EDU (03/27/91)
More than likely it is the alignment of the disk drive instead of a blown chip. Paul Cornett "The Hunter" Don't Blame Me, I Just Exist Here!
cs4344af@evax.arl.utexas.edu (Fuzzy Fox) (03/27/91)
In article <9103221704.AA09898@cwns10.INS.CWRU.Edu> ap515@cleveland.Freenet.Edu writes: > > >Just recently my 1541 has started acting up on me. It will work >fine for a while, then, it will refuse to load anything from >the disk. It searches the disk, but it's as if it's encountered >a read error. This is probably a heat problem. If your drive heats up too much, the parts will expand, and the drive will go out of alignment. When it cools off, it will return to its previous alignment. 1541's are not noted for their heat dissipation. Get a small fan to blow cool air across your disk drive, and see if that helps. -- David DeSimone, aka "Fuzzy Fox" on some networks. /!/! INET: an207@cleveland.freenet.edu / .. Q-Link: Fuzzy Fox / --* Quote: "Foxes are people too! And vice versa." / ---
emzx@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (03/27/91)
In article <10450@uwm.edu>, yanoff@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Scott `The_Edge` Yanoff) writes: > > My disk drive is 7 1/2 years old...and sometimes has that problem. > The problem could be what you mentioned, or it could be something else, > such as alignment prooblems or the drivemotor is going. To keep my drive > aligned, I run a small program someone gave me called Hydro Aligner and that > it runs faster and quieter. > After 7 1/2 years though, I suppose I am ready for a new drive, especially > since I cann't download with it, it doesnt seem to CLOSE files when downloadi > . The last block is supposed to be a * > and it leaves the file open...that is > a bummer when you've just downloadex > a 200 block file and it is left open > aand you can't use it > > any suggestions? > -Scott > For both of you, almost ALL problems related to loading and such may be blamed 99.9% on alignment for the 1541's. Either get Cardinal Software's "Drive Alignner" or a comparable program...fixing it is easy; all you need is a phillips screwdriver. For your problem, Scott, pick up another 1541. You can get one dirt cheap, used, for about 25-50 nowadays.
rlb@cci632.UUCP (Dick Barnard) (03/27/91)
Sometimes the problems experienced with a 1541 are not always due to misalignment or a defective component. My C64 is in the lower level of a raised ranch type house. Until recently when I had the house air conditioned, my 1541 would refuse to read my disks on damp days. If I left the 1541 cook for about 20 to 30 minutes to dry out, it worked perfectly.