Problems With Atari Mega Ste

[Starlight]

Hi

My new atari ste mega does not show any memory test when i turn it on and only shows a white screen i don't know if this is normal, and in order to start the tos i need to insert a blank disk and it does not boot from the hard disk. Also i bough some games half of them halt my atari and some other got me a blurry and doubled screens Help i need somebody Help not just anybody Help I need someone

[+Guitarman]

Normally, the Atari may take a while to show the desktop if there is no disk in the drive. Try turning it on without the disk and let it set for a couple of minutes. See if you eventually get the desktop. It could also be that without the disk, it is recognizing the HDD but being unable to boot from it, it locks up. It may not be booting from the HDD because the HDD driver may not be installed or could be corrupt. You will need a disk with some sort of HD driver you can run to get access to the HDD and then install the driver to the HDD for booting to it. As far as the mem test on boot, I can't remember if the MegaSTe had a test. I may be wrong but I think the mem test wasn't until TOS 3 and the MegaSTe is TOS 2. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I don't have my MegaSTe set up right now so I can't verify.

 

 

BTW, welcome to the forums!!

Edited April 9, 2007 by Guitarman

[Christos]

TOS 2.06 has memory test but TOS 2.05 doesn't. Some older MegaSTE's were fitted with TOS 2.05

[Starlight]

But what about the doubled screens? and where can i find the hd drivers?

[+Guitarman]

The doubled screen could be do to the fact some, if not most, games programmed for the ST series didn't work so well on later models. Make sure the games you are trying are compatible with the MegaSTe. The HDD drivers can easily be downloaded from the internet. Below is a link to many ST system disks, including the STe HD Language disk. Just unzip the contents and copy to a 720k disk. The Atari will read it fine.

 

Atari System Disks

[Starlight]

where can i find a 720k disk? can regular high density disks be formated to 720k? and were i can find scematics for my atari to make modifications?

[+Guitarman]

I have had only marginal success using a high density disk formated to 720K but it's worth a try if you don't have any 720k disks. Just cover the hole with masking or electrical tape so your PC thinks it is a 720K disk.

Edited April 10, 2007 by Guitarman

[Starlight]

if i install tos 2.06 it will be able to use 1.44 disks?

[+Guitarman]

if i install tos 2.06 it will be able to use 1.44 disks?

 

For 1.44 disks, you will need a 1.44mb disk drive and the AJAX chip installed in the MegaSTe. I did this same upgrade to mine after I got it. Best Electronics has a MegaSTe floppy upgrade kit. It is something I would definitely do.

[Starlight]

yesterday my atari did not boot at all only showed a white screen then i removed one memory card and it worked fine, but after a while i installed again it boot fine after a couple of hours it stoped boot only showed the white screen it did what ever i could but it does not boot

[Starlight]

did not find any disk upgrade in best electronics but everythink they have is very expensive

[ggn]

Sounds like you need a memory test program then. I'll try to attach some I found lying around. NEWRAM.TOS seems like a decent one.

 

Just boot your machine with one memory module, run this program to test the memory, then stick in the rest of the memory and run it again. Let it run for some time to make sure that the memory is working ok.

 

HTH

MEMCHECK.ZIP

[Starlight]

it has 4 modules it does not show anything with 2 only a black screen and when i left it yesterday it didn't work with 3

i am thinking of throwing it to the garbage but i can't find another ste to buy

 

To atari den doulevi gamise ta

Edited April 11, 2007 by Starlight

[ggn]

Psyxraimia!!!

 

For starters it won't work with 3 modules, as they need to be paired. Also, if you use 2 modules then they must not be in 2 consecutive banks (iirc).

 

With that I mean that you can plug in 1 module at slot 1 and the other at 3, or use the pair 2 and 4, but I think you cannot use 1-2 or 3-4.

[Christos]

And please don't even think of throwing it away... I' d be very glad to take it of your hands :> if you can't make it work. But I am pretty sure we'll figure it out and you' ll be enjoying dbug releases very soon (I can't) .

Anyway since it just stays in the white screen it has to be the RAM modules, you can find RAMs like this very easily so it is worth checking for replacements...

[Starlight]

if you come to thes. send me a message

 

i will try what you said but i don't think it will do anythink cause when i bought it the seller send pictures of it working and booting from the hard disk and when i received it had all those problems

[ppera]

Today I got one Mega STE (paid not much).

It is in good condition, even good ol', slow ST157N works flawless.

But I need schematic for it.

Some sites where it should be are dead (or links are dead), so I did googling already...

 

I'm little surprised that not all Mega STE has HD floppy cabability...

Did not check it on mine, but if it has TOS 2.05 it probably has only DD...

No problemo - I have some spare STs with FDCs and HD drives...

[ggn]

BTW, if anyone is thinking of attending Outline, then there might be a chance of getting a free (as in "free" mste)

 

(not from me though, and I don't want to give away the identity of the potential owner, so you won't bombard him with pleads )

 

Chris: so it's totally impossible to use joysticks with your eiffel? Maybe you can get a spare ST keyboard and plug it back? Or maybe plug in your old Falcon keyboard?

[Starlight]

Today I got one Mega STE (paid not much).

It is in good condition, even good ol', slow ST157N works flawless.

But I need schematic for it.

Some sites where it should be are dead (or links are dead), so I did googling already...

 

I'm little surprised that not all Mega STE has HD floppy cabability...

Did not check it on mine, but if it has TOS 2.05 it probably has only DD...

No problemo - I have some spare STs with FDCs and HD drives...

 

its good that we all have mega ste but we have a rapair in process here so i don't wan't our posts to be mixed

although i am looking for scematics outlines and blueprints for my mega ste if anyone have them please send them to me

[ggn]

Schematics? here

[Starlight]

Good Phase

 

I will no go to test what you said for my atari hope it will work i gave 80 euros to have it

[ggn]

Well, if it's for 80 euros then we must fix it

 

P.S. kai svhse ayto to signature, mhn se pianei to parapono

[Christos]

BTW, if anyone is thinking of attending Outline, then there might be a chance of getting a free (as in "free" mste)

 

(not from me though, and I don't want to give away the identity of the potential owner, so you won't bombard him with pleads )

 

Chris: so it's totally impossible to use joysticks with your eiffel? Maybe you can get a spare ST keyboard and plug it back? Or maybe plug in your old Falcon keyboard?

 

I wish I could make it to outline and have fun with the Atari Scene but I am afraid I can't..Have fun there and release something! I guess there won't be live TV coverage (I watched some of Numerica and Breakpoint)

Yes those would be options but I use my Falcon for more than gaming and these new PS2 keyboards are way better than the ST ones. However I would love to play Another World on the Falcon instead of getting killed in STEEM.

There is something wrong with my Eiffel adapter and it accepts limited input from the joystick ports. For example in joystick 0 it accepts right up down and fire but not left and joystick 1 only fire. I checked the board with the schematics and I found no problems under visual examination so I guess it's the PIC chip but I have no tools to either reprogram it or program a new one.

[Starlight]

3 greeks today speaking English what a gentlemen we are, na 'oum

[ggn]

I wish I could make it to outline and have fun with the Atari Scene but I am afraid I can't..Have fun there and release something! I guess there won't be live TV coverage (I watched some of Numerica and Breakpoint)

 

:/ just be there next year

 

Yes those would be options but I use my Falcon for more than gaming and these new PS2 keyboards are way better than the ST ones. However I would love to play Another World on the Falcon instead of getting killed in STEEM.

There is something wrong with my Eiffel adapter and it accepts limited input from the joystick ports. For example in joystick 0 it accepts right up down and fire but not left and joystick 1 only fire. I checked the board with the schematics and I found no problems under visual examination so I guess it's the PIC chip but I have no tools to either reprogram it or program a new one.

 

Well, I cannot say much about the Eiffel, but if I were you I'd try this: locate the joystick's port +5V pin, then take a small piece of wire (or a metal paper clip) and start connecting the +5 with the other pins. I seem to recall that there are discrete pins for up, down, left, right and fire. So this should help verify if the port is actually working. Of course you'll have to have a game running or sth like that (I can make you a small program that reads both joystick ports and reports any actions if you like).