23 June 2010, 09:55 | #1 |
Zone Friend
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Tampere
Age: 41
Posts: 600
|
External floppy problem - Toshiba drives
I've just bought 2 pieces of identically same kind of external floppy drives for Amy. They both have Toshiba's drives and they both have the same problem:
The X-Copy detects the drives. When you insert a disk (DD or HD, no difference) the drive starts to tickle and idle the motor so the drive is constantly trying to read a disk. When I try to get disk info X-Copy tells there's a disk inserted and the disk's name is correctly presented. After this every single time the drive refuses to read any disk. It only claims that no disk inserted. The drive just constantly tries to read the disk. I have also two other external drives and they work correctly. Funny thing is that when there's no disk inserted the drive allways try to read a ghost disk and of course gives nothing but bad sectors. Is there anyone who would have a clue what might cause this problem? I've allready tried cleaning with cleaning disk with no luck. Also I have couple of questions: I noticed that these external floppies have a structure that you can just remove ide cable and power connector and then the external drive looks almost like internal one. So can I use these external drives as DF0: inside the A500? Or can I replace the external floppy drive mechanism as an internal one just by switching the drives and connecting ide and power cables? But first of all: Can I do something to try to fix these Toshiba's drives? |
23 June 2010, 10:05 | #2 |
Zone Friend
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Gargore
Age: 44
Posts: 17,789
|
My internal DF0 saw ghost disks when drive was dirty inside. I'm not sure why but when I placed big white sticker on metal circle of floppy disk there were a lot of black dirt on sticker after ejecting from drive. It worked after that and no ghost disks anymore.
|
23 June 2010, 10:11 | #3 |
Zone Friend
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Tampere
Age: 41
Posts: 600
|
Thanks for the quick answer. The other Toshiba drive is in parts on my table and I checked the white little pads that read the surface of a disk and they all look clean. I also tried the cleaning diskette with cleaning fluid but I could drive this disk again maybe twice or so. But it sounds too easy solution to the problem...
|
23 June 2010, 13:06 | #4 |
R.I.P Smudge 18-08-16
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Leicester/UK
Age: 66
Posts: 3,968
|
I can remember the trouble i had with my internal df0: always showing disks df0:???, it turned out to be a sticking switch where you insert the disk.
|
23 June 2010, 13:31 | #5 |
Zone Friend
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Tampere
Age: 41
Posts: 600
|
Thanks for the tip. I earlier googled some information and found also some external drive that have the same problem with the autodetect switch. I used precision cleaner spray to the switches on the left side of the drive. I'll try the drive later in the afternoon...
|
23 June 2010, 23:49 | #6 | |
Global Moderator
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Sidcup, England
Posts: 10,300
|
Quote:
However, there are two problems with swapping the A500's internal drive unit with that from an external floppy drive: (1) The A500's internal drive is taller than those fitted in external drives due to its integral housing, and (2) The external drive unit has a fascia which would need to be removed, and also the top of the drive housing would need to be removed or cut back at the front to clear the A500's built in floppy drive fascia. Nevertheless, you may find some Chinon units, as fitted to some Cumana external drives, which are mounted in housings which are interchangeable with the A500's internal drive housing. |
|
24 June 2010, 12:15 | #7 | |
Zone Friend
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Tampere
Age: 41
Posts: 600
|
Quote:
Yeah I noticed too that they not gonna fit just like that because of the different size of the units. But nice to know that basically with some modification they will be mixed. By the way I tested the other drive that I was repairing yesterday and something was happened: Now the drive won't spin the motor at all. Everything else is the same. Maybe I just give up cause I might get two working units soon. |
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | |
Thread Tools | |
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Need help fixing external floppy drives. | trydowave | support.Hardware | 14 | 27 February 2013 00:33 |
Anyone got experience in repairing external floppy drives? | mfletcher | support.Hardware | 15 | 30 July 2012 16:24 |
Amiga 600 problem with external disk drives | SailorSat | support.Hardware | 8 | 25 August 2009 01:24 |
Toshiba external floppy connector | rkauer | Hardware mods | 0 | 22 September 2008 23:45 |
external floppy drives are..? | gracie | Retrogaming General Discussion | 5 | 04 March 2007 03:47 |
|
|