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Amstrad PCW 9512 problem two beeps

Started by filipsnk, 14:40, 13 February 21

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filipsnk

Hi All,


This is my first post here. If I wrote something wrong please correct me.
Patient: Amstrad PCW 9512 - diagnosis: needs repair :)
The computer turns on, the floppy drive reads something, then there are two beeps and that's it. Please help. <- sorry is 4 beep on the end!!!
Links to movies (youtube) below.

link 1

link 2

link 3


Please advise what might be broken.

Regards,
Matt

GeoffB17

I've watched the videos, no sound.

I've not seen the diagonal markings on the screen at startup.   My PCW (8256) has a blank screen at this point, but the 9512 may be different?

The floppy drive seems to be trying to do something, the head is seeking, but repeating, so maybe it's not finding?

I assume the disk is spinning?

Where is the disk from?   Have you any means of testing the disk on another machine.   Can you confirm that the disk has the system file on (regardless of what any label says).

Geoff

filipsnk

Hi


Thank you for a quick reply.
1. I checked on youtube, I have a video with sound.
2. Diagonal markings is done by the camera (image refresh). At first my screen lights up (lights up, you can see that it is on), when I put the floppy disk it turns black.
3. Disk is spinning - yes, new belt.
4. I got the floppy disks with the computer, there are two. And it is the same for both. Original CP/M PLUS and copy LOCOSCRIPT START-OF - DAY DISC.
5. I am not able to test the floppy disks on another computer :( Unless someone wants to help me and lives close to United Kingdom, Croydon.
6. I can not to confirm that the disk has the system file on :( sorry.

Regards

GeoffB17

#3
Sorry, the 'no sound' is my fault, sound not switched on.   If I need the sound on, I have to switch some extra things on, put headphones on, etc, and I'd not done.

Right, things seem normal regarding screen.   The floppy disk could well be trying all the right things.   If it's spinning, it is certainly trying to seek, and with some intent, like it's looking for the EMS/EMT system file, and not finding it.

The disks pictured do NOT look like the original supplied System Disks, I guess they're copies, or Start-of-Day disks.

I'd say that the first thing to do is get the didks checked, or find at least one other that DOES work.   Once you've got one disk that works, and get the system running, then you can check your disks and get them right.   I cannot help easily, as I'm some distance from Croydon, and I don't have an 80t drive, although I think I do still have a 9512 system disk somewhere but I keep it safe somwehere as I've no means to copy it.   If I remember rightly, the 9512 will not boot from a 8256 boot disk, but it CAN read one once the system is active.   And you get a prog called 8000COPY which helps copying files between the two formats.

depending on how disks are stored, they can go wrong, but it's more likely, on the basis of the evidence of the head seeking, that the disk is OK but there's no system file there.  If you're in contact with whoever you got the system from, I'd ask what files they put on the disks, and/or do they still have a correct system disk (or disks, being one for CP/M and one for LocoScript).   Someone could even have put the wrong system file on, i.e. the boot sector needs an .EMT file but they've used an .EMS file.

Aha - watched video again, and yes, the CP/M disk does appear to be an original disk, although I don't see the usual serial number in the box on the right hand side of the label.

Geoff

filipsnk

#4
Hi All,
I took a risk and purged floppy drives. I set attempts and mistakes method the Floppy Disk Drive Stepper Motor Alignment.
As in the video in the
link.

Everything works correctly - video
LINK.

If you have any comments, please write.
I consider the subject closed.
Regards,

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