News:

Printed Amstrad Addict magazine announced, check it out here!

Main Menu
avatar_Starglider

Amstrad PCW 8256 disk error with new drive belt

Started by Starglider, 06:58, 29 May 15

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Starglider

I'm assuming I need a new drive here but just in case... I replaced the belt which now causes disks to actually attempt being read. I hear a grinding back and forth several times whilst the screen dishes green then black. The about 5 horizontal lines drop down slowly from the top. Then I hear 4 beeps, and that's it.

Have tried 3 disks now.

New drive time?

Thanks!

"Recordar es vivir"

Starglider aka Perifractic
http://youtube.com/perifractic 

Amstrad PCW8256 with Gotek & HD Drive B

Dizrythmia

I have installed a drive belt only to have it slip immediately on its first try. You might want to recheck the belt.

These errors on the screen, I'm guessing, would suggest there's more to it then that.

Starglider

Before the new belt the drive just span. Now it moves back and forth and attempts reading so I'm assuming it can't have slipped...

Thanks!

"Recordar es vivir"

Starglider aka Perifractic
http://youtube.com/perifractic 

Amstrad PCW8256 with Gotek & HD Drive B

robcfg

Are you sure the disks you're trying are bootable?

Starglider

I'm trying the disk with CP/M on one side and Locoscript on the other. That's bootable right?

Thanks!

"Recordar es vivir"

Starglider aka Perifractic
http://youtube.com/perifractic 

Amstrad PCW8256 with Gotek & HD Drive B

CraigsBar

IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

Starglider

#6
So I opened up the drive again, and noticed the old 'licorice' belt had left residue on the capstan. I cleaned this off by turning on the drive and pushing an alcoholic cotton bud (burp) against it. Actually I needed to do this 8 times until all the licorice came off.

Magically the CP/M and Locoscript disk worked perfectly. Drives are very sensitive as you know so even this made a difference to the speed.

However the other disk that is the end game, an old childhood disk I found with my name written on it, refuses to be read in CP/M or by Locoscript.

I had written on the label "CF-2DD". Is there any disk that perhaps the PCW8512 we had can write that the PCW8256 cannot read? Did one machine have a double density drive and the other not perhaps? Or were all drives the same across all Amstrad PCW models?
Starglider aka Perifractic
http://youtube.com/perifractic 

Amstrad PCW8256 with Gotek & HD Drive B

FloppySoftware

8512 B: disks (& 9512 A:) can't be read by 8256 & 8512 A: drive, because they are CF2DD instead of CF2.
floppysoftware.es < NEW URL!!!
cpm-connections.blogspot.com.es

Powered by SMFPacks Menu Editor Mod