Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!reed!kamath From: kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple Subject: Re: INIT disk on apple ][+ Message-ID: <7565@reed.UUCP> Date: Tue, 27-Oct-87 14:04:39 EST Article-I.D.: reed.7565 Posted: Tue Oct 27 14:04:39 1987 Date-Received: Fri, 30-Oct-87 05:51:20 EST References: <18249@teknowledge-vaxc.ARPA> <1130@puff.wisc.edu> Reply-To: kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath) Organization: Reed College, Portland OR Lines: 58 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 reed!kamath@hplabs US Snail: 3934 SE Boise, Portland, OR 97202 (I hate 4 line .sigs!)