Disk drive damaged?

[Galder]

I have a question: today I received UFO from ebay. The disks looked fine and when I loaded the first one in workbench, I saw that it had only install... I clicked it, selected the folder to install and I heard a terrible screeching sound, error message appeared on the screen... I tried to load games after that that used to be fine and it seemed that it damaged them too as it now cannot run them. I turned it off and on again and the drive then after having some slight noise and graphical issues (I even experienced power blinking led and reset...) seemed that it worked again normally with the rest of the games I had but not with the UFO and the other games that it damaged after that. I am running now other games and everything seems to be fine. Can the disk drive still be damaged and load selectively some of the games or utilities and others not? Does the fact that it still loads (and sounds ok now) means that it is ok now? Any opinion / advice is welcome.

[prowler]

The UFO disks from eBay are afflicted with mould growth, which has contaminated the floppy drive's read heads and now your other floppies won't read properly either.

The solution is to clean the floppy drive's heads and any floppy disk recording surfaces that are affected.

[Galder]

Jeez, that's crazy. Thanks prowler. I remember from the old days that I had a cleaning disk (used a fluid on it) to clean the drive's heads. Is this what you guys are still using? should I order it online or is there a better solution? Also, how can I clean the disks?

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Galder

Jeez, that's crazy. Thanks prowler. I remember from the old days that I had a cleaning disk (used a fluid on it) to clean the drive's heads. Is this what you guys are still using? should I order it online or is there a better solution? Also, how can I clean the disks?

You can manually clean the heads with low lint bud and IPA.
You have to be gentle though, as you can break the heads if your to forceful.

[Galder]

Thank you. I think I will go for the cleaning disk. Will this disk (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floppy-dis...item2ecc696712) be ok in the amiga's floppy disk drive? It is for PC's as far as I can tell.

[prowler]

Yes, you can use a cleaning disk. Isopropyl alcohol is an ideal cleaning fluid for both floppy drives and disks.

If the floppy drive is easy to disassemble so that you can access the drive heads easily, then you can apply the alcohol to the heads directly using cotton buds and a firm but steady rubbing action.

The disk surfaces can be cleaned in the same way by holding the shutter open and rotating the disk so that you can clean all areas of the disk surface.

Be careful to keep the alcohol away from the stainless steel hub in the middle, since the hub is attached only by a thin ring of double-sided stick tape and the alcohol may make cause the bond to separate.

The alcohol may be more effective at cleaning the disks if it is mixed 50/50 with distilled water.

Make sure the disks are allowed to dry fully before trying them again in the drive.

Spores of mould may become easier to see by using sunlight to illuminate the disk through the shutter aperture from behind. They will appear as black dots.

Edit: Yes, any cleaning disk which will fit a 3½-inch PC floppy drive will be okay in the Amiga's floppy drive as well.

[Galder]

Fantastic, many thanks

[FOL]

Originally Posted by Galder

Thank you. I think I will go for the cleaning disk. Will this disk (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Floppy-dis...item2ecc696712) be ok in the amiga's floppy disk drive? It is for PC's as far as I can tell.

Be careful, if thats been on the self for a long time then the fluid will have dried up.

[Jope]

Just refill the bottle with isopropyl alcohol. :-)

[mr.vince]

Indeed. Can't get cheaper. Cotton swabs do the rest if you really want to clean it. Open the top lid of the drive, blow out the dust and then _gently_ swipe over and around heads.

[Galder]

Thanks guys, I ordered a bottle of 50% iso-alcohol too to use on the disks and the drive.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by Galder

Thanks guys, I ordered a bottle of 50% iso-alcohol too to use on the disks and the drive.

That's just what you need!

[Galder]

I assume it is even better to use the iso-alcohol into the cleaning disk than the liquid that comes with it right?

[fitzsteve]

Originally Posted by Galder

I assume it is even better to use the iso-alcohol into the cleaning disk than the liquid that comes with it right?

It's normally the same stuff that comes with the cleaning Disk but as others said it might have dried up (mine did) but as also said I just refilled mine with IPA

I had the same issues in the past, sadly my Disks that I bought were contaminated with sand or grit (maybe from a flood) and all other Disks I put in after were destroyed by scratching

Of course after cleaning the drive heads and binning the effected Disks all was fine.

These days I don't play from any of my original floppy Disks, only backups or via WHDLoad. I only put new or trusted Media in my drives now.

[ElectroBlaster]

IPA is easy to obtain! Bought a big bottle of the stuff from fleabay. Got sick of those little bottles that come with tape and disk cleaners. They always bloody evaporate lol.