Disable Disk Drive Clicking on Amiga 2000

Tempest 2084 · 22 July 2015, 15:08

Where can I find a program that will disable the disk drive 'click' noise on an Amiga 2000 running WB/KS 1.3? Also, is it true that these programs can damage the disk drive?

klokwirk · 22 July 2015, 15:14

I use a small program called 'Noclick'. You will find it on Aminet.

liviux76 · 22 July 2015, 15:14

There are many programs that stop the click.
You can use this: http://aminet.net/package/util/boot/NoClick_1.6
I never heard that this kind of programs can damage the drive.

Tempest 2084 · 22 July 2015, 16:12

Thanks I'll try this and see how it works.

BTW what causes that click? Is it just the Amiga polling the disk drive to see if there's a disk in it? That's what causes it on my Apple IIgs when the 5.25" drives are connected.

mark_k · 22 July 2015, 18:10

NoClick_1.6 requires Kickstart 2.0 so won't work on 1.3.

For 1.2/1.3 I recommend TrackSalve. In addition to allowing you to disable clicking that fixes bugs in trackdisk.device, makes data storage more reliable and can allow more data to be recovered if there are any bad sectors on a disk.

The clicking is how the Amiga checks for disk changes. From memory, the disk change signal is only updated when the heads are stepped. So trackdisk.device steps the heads back and forth every few seconds.

No-click programs work by telling (or patching) trackdisk.device to always step the heads in one direction, outwards. With most drives, once the head reaches track 0 the drive won't attempt to step any further. However some (older?) drive models apparently don't have circuitry to do that, and the head keeps moving past track 0 and eventually hits some kind of physical stop. On those drives then, the drive will still make a noise after running the no-click program. In which case you should reboot and not use the program on that drive again.

liviux76 · 22 July 2015, 20:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark_k

NoClick_1.6 requires Kickstart 2.0 so won't work on 1.3.

For 1.2/1.3 I recommend TrackSalve. In addition to allowing you to disable clicking that fixes bugs in trackdisk.device, makes data storage more reliable and can allow more data to be recovered if there are any bad sectors on a disk.

The clicking is how the Amiga checks for disk changes. From memory, the disk change signal is only updated when the heads are stepped. So trackdisk.device steps the heads back and forth every few seconds.

No-click programs work by telling (or patching) trackdisk.device to always step the heads in one direction, outwards. With most drives, once the head reaches track 0 the drive won't attempt to step any further. However some (older?) drive models apparently don't have circuitry to do that, and the head keeps moving past track 0 and eventually hits some kind of physical stop. On those drives then, the drive will still make a noise after running the no-click program. In which case you should reboot and not use the program on that drive again.

I didn't know that noclick needed KS 2.0, thanks for the info and for the explanation!

Jope · 22 July 2015, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by liviux76

I didn't know that noclick needed KS 2.0, thanks for the info and for the explanation!

The trackdisk.device that is supplied with 2.0 and up contains the noclick feature, thus it is a very small program that enables it. Many noclick programs are 2.0+ only as a result.

If you're using 1.3, you need a noclick program that actually patches trackdisk.device, as mentioned above.

Tempest 2084 · 22 July 2015, 20:52

Thanks. Hopefully this will make things a bit quieter.

stevsurv · 23 July 2015, 13:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempest 2084

Where can I find a program that will disable the disk drive 'click' noise on an Amiga 2000 running WB/KS 1.3? Also, is it true that these programs can damage the disk drive?

Try this attached version..

Works in 1.3, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 ECS or AGA

It was written for WB1.3 and works in any KS

hooverphonique · 23 July 2015, 14:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tempest 2084

BTW what causes that click? Is it just the Amiga polling the disk drive to see if there's a disk in it?

yes, that's the reason.. for noclick to work, the amiga needs to step the head past track zero (basically aiming for track -1), instead of going back and forth. Apparently some very old drives did not protect against going past track zero and could thus be damaged..

Tempest 2084 · 23 July 2015, 15:07

I tried the DiskSalve app and it worked just fine. Is there a way to make it run automatically when I start up (run the command through the CLI)?

Is there any reason to use NoClick instead?

Jope · 23 July 2015, 23:05

add

run >nil: disksalve

to s:startupii

Naturally if it wants options, add those. Is it's not in c:, write the full path.

Tempest 2084 · 25 July 2015, 14:56

what would the whole path be? The program is on the main hard drive (DH0) in a directory called DiskSalve. I've tried run >nil: dh0:disksalve\disksalve n0 but it says it cant find it that way.

thomas · 25 July 2015, 15:07

only Windows uses \
every other operating system uses /

Tempest 2084 · 25 July 2015, 15:16

That did it. I feel like an idiot now.

22 July 2015, 15:08	#1
Tempest 2084 Prototype Historian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: SE MI / USA Posts: 420	Disable Disk Drive Clicking on Amiga 2000 Where can I find a program that will disable the disk drive 'click' noise on an Amiga 2000 running WB/KS 1.3? Also, is it true that these programs can damage the disk drive?

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22 July 2015, 15:14	#2
klokwirk klokwirk Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Perth Australia Posts: 89	I use a small program called 'Noclick'. You will find it on Aminet.

22 July 2015, 15:14	#3
liviux76 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: BO/Italy Posts: 711	There are many programs that stop the click. You can use this: http://aminet.net/package/util/boot/NoClick_1.6 I never heard that this kind of programs can damage the drive.

22 July 2015, 16:12	#4
Tempest 2084 Prototype Historian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: SE MI / USA Posts: 420	Thanks I'll try this and see how it works. BTW what causes that click? Is it just the Amiga polling the disk drive to see if there's a disk in it? That's what causes it on my Apple IIgs when the 5.25" drives are connected.

22 July 2015, 18:10	#5
mark_k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Posts: 3,343	NoClick_1.6 requires Kickstart 2.0 so won't work on 1.3. For 1.2/1.3 I recommend TrackSalve. In addition to allowing you to disable clicking that fixes bugs in trackdisk.device, makes data storage more reliable and can allow more data to be recovered if there are any bad sectors on a disk. The clicking is how the Amiga checks for disk changes. From memory, the disk change signal is only updated when the heads are stepped. So trackdisk.device steps the heads back and forth every few seconds. No-click programs work by telling (or patching) trackdisk.device to always step the heads in one direction, outwards. With most drives, once the head reaches track 0 the drive won't attempt to step any further. However some (older?) drive models apparently don't have circuitry to do that, and the head keeps moving past track 0 and eventually hits some kind of physical stop. On those drives then, the drive will still make a noise after running the no-click program. In which case you should reboot and not use the program on that drive again.

22 July 2015, 20:52	#8
Tempest 2084 Prototype Historian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: SE MI / USA Posts: 420	Thanks. Hopefully this will make things a bit quieter.

23 July 2015, 15:07	#11
Tempest 2084 Prototype Historian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: SE MI / USA Posts: 420	I tried the DiskSalve app and it worked just fine. Is there a way to make it run automatically when I start up (run the command through the CLI)? Is there any reason to use NoClick instead?

23 July 2015, 23:05	#12
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,863	add run >nil: disksalve to s:startupii Naturally if it wants options, add those. Is it's not in c:, write the full path.

25 July 2015, 14:56	#13
Tempest 2084 Prototype Historian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: SE MI / USA Posts: 420	what would the whole path be? The program is on the main hard drive (DH0) in a directory called DiskSalve. I've tried run >nil: dh0:disksalve\disksalve n0 but it says it cant find it that way.

25 July 2015, 15:07	#14
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,001	only Windows uses \ every other operating system uses /

25 July 2015, 15:16	#15
Tempest 2084 Prototype Historian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: SE MI / USA Posts: 420	That did it. I feel like an idiot now.

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