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From: cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Booting disk software on an 800XL reliably.
Summary: To be specific...
Message-ID: <1895@bsu-cs.UUCP>
Date: 19 Jan 88 08:57:53 GMT
References: <8480@pbhya.UUCP>
Organization: CS Dept, Ball St U, Muncie, Indiana
Lines: 35
Posted: Tue Jan 19 03:57:53 1988

Here's the scoop on booting disks on the 800XL:

1) Turn on at least Drive 1 BEFORE turning on the computer.  Wait for the
   little red light to go out (about 5-8 sec).

2) Place an autoboot disk (not ALL disks CAN autoboot, for one thing) in
   Drive 1.

3) Whether or not you have any cartridges in the slot is up to you; if you're
   gonna use, say, ACTION!, you need to have that one IN.  SPACE INVADERS or
   whatever, you'd want OUT...

4) If not using a cartridge, to boot WITHOUT "built-in" BASIC, hold down the
   OPTION key, and continue holding it down while you go to step 5.  If you
   want to boot WITH built-in BASIC, DON'T hold anything, just go to step 5!

5) TURN ON THE POWER TO THE COMPUTER!

   At this point, the disk should begin twirling, the light on the drive
should come on, and you should hear the bee-bee-bee-bee-beeps of the disk-
read operation.

   If you don't mind my asking, how'd you get to own an 800XL with all those 
drives, and NOT KNOW THIS stuff?  Seems well-nigh inconceivable to me; I'd 
think it'd not only be in the manuals, but would be just about the first
thing ANY computer owner would pick up in the first two hours of ownership...

   Oh well, maybe I'm biased; I'm quick with these things.  If it can be flow-
charted, I can comprehend it.


    Chris Chiesa
    Senior, CS Dept.
    Ball State University
    Muncie, IN