PROPHET64 & MSSIAH Userforum

Are you using an old disk or a new disk? Perhaps if it is an old disk, there may be problems with it. If you need new disks, I have a bunch. I can share a box with you.

Is the disk write-protected? If it is you will see a piece of tape or a tab over the notch.

If these two are not the issue, try this:

Without any disk in the drive type the following:
OPEN15,8,15 (Make sure to press the RETURN key after each line)
PRINT#15,"V"
CLOSE 15
After you have typed the PRINT#15,"V" line the disk drive should turn on and make a ratcheting type sound for a few seconds and then turn off. Occasionally the read/write head has a hard time finding its way back to the directory track and therefore will not load successfully. This procedure helps send the read/write head on the disk drive back to the directory track.

IF this doesn't work try try moving the drive further away from the T.V. or monitor which you are using in order to reduce magnetic fields which may be interfering with your disk drive. Note: It is usually best to not have the Commodore disk drives directly above or directly below the monitor, even if they are on a shelf. The magnetism from most televisions and monitors tends to radiate in an outward direction from the center of the monitor. Therefore, because the read/write head is in a horizontal plane a Commodore drive directly above or below the monitor tends to have the electromagnetism from the screen hit the read/write head at a 90 degree angle which tends to induce interference into the read/write head.

If these suggestions don't work, maybe the drive needs service?  If the red light on your disk drive blinks excessively during the time when the program fails to load it is a probable sign that either the disk is bad or the disk drive is out of alignment. If the red light blinks excessively while trying to load several different disks, it is a good sign your disk drive may need to be taken to a qualified service person to have the alignment checked. If it only happens with one or two different disks then it may be a sign that those particular disks are defective or problematic.

I pulled this info from the following site:

http://www.oldsoftware.com/Commtips.html

Last edited by frailn (2008-08-13 02:34:50)

Thanks guys!!! I'll give these suggestions a try tonight!

hey people, i tried everything
when i try to format, the header comes to the center (i mean where it creates the "ratatat" sound)
i think it does something
i see "ready." in my tv, seems like everything's ok and ended
but i noticed when i do this, the red led blinks continously
and after this when i try to load"$",8 there's sometimes "?file not found" (i guess it's about cleaning the header) but most of the time i can see the contents of the disk! and can still run and play last ninja III!

the problem is, i can save stuff with p64 to the disk, i can save stuff on standard basic to the disk, but i can't friggin ERASE A WHOLE DISK!
gonna go crazy, please help me!

i don't have such utility under my hands
plus, i have wrecked my pc's rams, so i don't have a chance to use my parallel port with a xe1541 cable also..
whatsmore, i'm just after a "solution on c64 itself"
because i can read data, i can write data too, flawlessly, all i can't do is to DELETE THEM!
aaaaarrghhhh

Well i am sure your disk is not 100% ok anymore then.

OPEN 1,8,15,"N:NAME,D1":CLOSE 1
needs something like 1 minute until the ready appears i think ( not sure anymore, so long ago) and then the LED just should turn off.
So get another disk
and you also don't risk
to lose data

OK, lets begin from start:
I guess you are using a (not modified) 1541. And if yes, your C64 Rom is also not modified? No fastloaders etc??
Then i assume that your 1541 is not good anymore. Probably also a bad connection on the line can cause problems like this.
Don't forget to put the Disk drive away from your monitor/tv

i formatted all my disks with another 1541 and another c64 which runs retroreplay at a demo party
so i now can succesfully use all the disks i can't before!

Last edited by boorch (2008-12-30 19:44:35)