tse@PacBell.COM (Tom Edwards) (11/30/89)
I have a friend that has a Vic 1541 drive approximately 5-7 years old (she's
not exactly sure), that all of a sudden will not read disks. The statement is
"file not found" when trying to load the directory or any of the files.
I've read the disk on a 1571 without any problem, but to no avail on the 1541.
I tried cleaning the head with alcohol but that didn't help any. There is chat-
tering in the drive when it tries to read, green light is on, red light flashes
at first, goes out when it tries to read, then steady flashing when it comes
out with "file not found".
Any suggestions?
Thanks much,
Tom
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Tom S. Edwards {att,bellcore,sun,ames,pyramid}!pacbell!pbhyd!tsedyson@boa.cis.ohio-state.edu (mark l dyson) (12/01/89)
In article <1463@pbhyd.PacBell.COM> tse@PacBell.COM (Tom Edwards) writes: >I have a friend that has a Vic 1541 drive approximately 5-7 years old (she's >not exactly sure), that all of a sudden will not read disks. [re-hash of most common Commodore problem known deleted] You have a classic case of 1541 head mis-alignment. The pulley attacted to the stepper motor is pressure fitted, and can (and will) slip, causing the head to try to read 'between' tracks, You have two solutions: one good, the other bad. One: Get a commercial alignment package, available for many prices from many companies (read the Gazette). The re-alignment process is relatively simple, if you are in the least mechanically inclined. Many packages also talk about something called 'the fix' wherein you can permanently attach the stepper pully to prevent further slippage. I'll save bandwidth and leave the exact procedure for you to read when you get it. (I personally use a program from an old issue of 'Ahoy,' I don't remember offhand which one.) Two: pay someone else to do it. This is 'bad' if you're cheap (like me), or if (as is usually the case) the cost exceeds the price of a replacement drive! It is 'good' if you don't mind the $$, and doing it yourself gives you the willies. NOTE 1: A good check is to format an unneeded disk with the mis-behaving drive. The tracks on this disk should now be aligned with the head's new position. If it reads/writes okay on the new disk, but not old (or commercial) ones, the head alignment is certainly the problem. NOTE 2: I once had a drive which could not be aligned. The stepper motor itself was bad. Happens. NOTE 3: Try software-resetting the drive. Send 'I' through a command channel. (open 15,8,15,"@0:I":close15). Sometimes this will force the head back to the proper initialized position, and can coax a reluctant drive into reading properly (but only if the misalignment is slight). I have encountered/used all three notes above in my years of Commodore-philia. Hope this is of some use. I'm sure others will have as much or more to pass on. As I said, this is _THE_ classic Commodore problem. Peace -Mark-
john@mintaka.semi.harris-atd.com (John M. Blasik) (12/09/89)
In article <74590@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> mark l dyson <dyson@cis.ohio-state.edu> writes: [stuff about the mis-aligned 1541 deleted] > >I have encountered/used all three notes above in my years of Commodore-philia. >Hope this is of some use. I'm sure others will have as much or more to pass >on. As I said, this is _THE_ classic Commodore problem. Naw... "The Classic Commodore Problem" is the "sparklers" on the old 64's -- john rutgers!soleil!blasik