1040 STe - vertical stripes on screen when loading disk

[dustar]

Hi all,

 

Years ago, I was given a 1040 STf with color monitor from a friend, for free. The computer was to be thrown away, so I guess you could say I saved him :-) .

Unfortunality, the thing did not worked very well. The mouse did not responded well, disks were not loading and I was bombed with..ehr..bombs.

The Atari was been put in a box for serveral years.

Recently, I started to be more and more interested in old hardware and retrogaming. I bought a 520ST with external diskdrive, software and an Atari printer. No luck for me: the diskdrive was not working (or it was working too hard, keeps on spinning ). Luckily, the seller gave me back the money and... let me have the Atari.

Recently I bought myself a third Atari, a 1040STe with some software. I came home and connected the computer to my old monitor. The TOS screen came alive. So far, so good, I though, but then it happened: when I want to load a disk, the screen changes and the only thing I see are vertical stripes. I tried several disks, try to start the computer with disk, tried to open the language disk from the disk icon on the desktop, but very time, I have the same result: vertical stripes ( see photo below ).

 

 

So, at the moment I got a 1040STf, a 520ST and a 1040STe. None of them are working correctly. Guess Atari and me, we don't go along.

Is here anyone who knows what this problem could be?

The seller told me that, if the Atari wasn't working, I could have my money back, but first I would like to try to fix the computer. Perhaps it's just something small...

Edited March 13, 2012 by dustar

[+DarkLord]

Umm, did you try swapping the P/S out, like was discussed at AtariForum?

 

HTHs.

[Charlie_]

There is not much you can do if your not going to open the machine up. I'm not sure if they are the same, but I would try what DL suggests.

Put the 1040STf power supply in the STE and see if it works with that.

 

While its open give all the socketed chip a good press to make sure they are seated well.

That could be hard though, I think to get to the chips you need to remove the shielding. To remove the shielding you have to remove the floppy....

Still, old computers, might need a little time invested in things like this.

Edited March 14, 2012 by Official Ninja

[atarian63]

reseat the square mmu and glue chips, be very careful the sockets are brittle,gently edge out the curved pins on each one and reinsert being careful to put them back in the same way they came out. Usually this is the problem.

[dustar]

So, just opened both ST's, exchanged the PSU, but with the same result: vertical stripes when loading a disk.

I also swapped the disk drives, but still the same problem. At last I took the SIMM's out of the mainoard and plugged them back in.

 

@Atarian63: what do I have to take off? There are multiple square chips. And what do you mean with the glue chips?

Here's a picture of the mainboard:

 

[Zogging Hell]

They'll be the two chips at the front (top centre of your picture) in sockets, held in by clips. The glue is just a name for one of the Atari custom chips, so called because it 'glues' a number of other chips functions together (iirc).

[dustar]

They'll be the two chips at the front (top centre of your picture) in sockets, held in by clips. The glue is just a name for one of the Atari custom chips, so called because it 'glues' a number of other chips functions together (iirc).

 

I just opened up the atari again and removed the clips. But how do you get the chips out of their sockets?

I already tried with using 2 small screwdrivers, but I'm afraid that I would damage the chips...

[Charlie_]

They'll be the two chips at the front (top centre of your picture) in sockets, held in by clips. The glue is just a name for one of the Atari custom chips, so called because it 'glues' a number of other chips functions together (iirc).

 

I just opened up the atari again and removed the clips. But how do you get the chips out of their sockets?

I already tried with using 2 small screwdrivers, but I'm afraid that I would damage the chips...

 

I use a small jewelers screwdriver. Going from one corner to the opposite corner, back and forth lifting the chip little by little.

Be very careful because these sockets are really cheap and will crack when your using them as leverage to lift the chip.

[dustar]

Thx Ninja, I 've managed to get the chips out of their sockets. Even managed to put 'm back were they belong :-) . They are indeed very fragile.

Alas, it didn't do anything on my problem. The Atari is still crashing every time a disk is loaded.

Edited March 22, 2012 by dustar

[Zogging Hell]

Might have been worth cleaning the contacts while the chips were out? Have you tried just selecting the disk icon then trying to format a disk, rather than trying to access the disk? Sounds like something fairly deep rooted though..

[dustar]

The contacts were not oxidized, so I think they were fine.

I also tried to copy a disk, or to format the disk. When want to copy a disk, the vertical stripes - screen appears. When I try to format the disk, the screen just freezes.

Both times, the diskdrive was reading the disk for a short period of time ( you can hear it ) and then the screen freezed / stripes appeared.

[Zogging Hell]

Okay how about a back to front way of doing things? Try swapping the keyboard and disk drive with your STF, and then try and use the STF! (keyboard and disk drive will be compatible). If these were the main problems with that and assuming the disk drive/ keyboard are ok from the STe, you might get one working machine out of it... The mouse problems on the STF were probably due to the mouse port coming loose on the keyboard, it's an easy fix with a soldering iron if you have an hour or two to spare (most of which will be taking the keyboard apart and putting it together again). You could even try swapping the disk drive with the one on you external floppy on the original ST. Again this should work (might have to adjust the jumpers on the drive between id 1 and id 0, but if it is an original Atari drive it should do this automatically iirc).

[dustar]

Just swapped keyboard and diskdrive. Still no luck. First, in the green desktop, the mouse is moving smoothly, like it should be. But then again, it sometimes did with the old keyboard.

I've inserted the game "Predator" and start it from the floppy icon on the desktop. The game title appears, but then it's over. I see a glimpse of 3 bombs and the ST reboots. Disk is being read again, again the title screen, and again the reboot. An endless loop :-)

 

i tried again with another game, but I think that disk is corrupt. Start the STf without disk, but in the green desktop, the mouse is acting weird again... I think it is getting hopeless...

[Zogging Hell]

Predator would probably need to be auto booted maybe? I.e. not started from the desktop, but inserted straight after turning on. The bombs you are getting could be due to a dirty/ duff disk however, if there is a read error while the game is loading the game will often crash (games aren't as hardy as GEM). A trick I use with duff disks is to put a couple of spots of disk cleaning fluid (i.e. the stuff you use with the floppy disk cleaning kit) directly on the disk itself (pull back the metal tab and drop two small drops on either side of the disk). Then insert the disk and try to run. If it fails with a crash again, repeat process a couple of times. I've found this seems to 'fix' about 90% of the duff disks I've had, at least temporarily. The disk cleaning fluid is a mix of Isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. I haven't tried it neat, but think that might be too harsh. I hasten to add the disclaimer try this at your own risk. There is a video on youtube iirc of some guy literally scrubbing his 5 1/4 floppy with a similar mixture and a cotton bud, to remove gunk. Seems to work though.Occasionally if you stick too much on the disk will jam slightly, I think there is a cloth type thing inside the disk that soaks up the alcohol on some, which then creates friction. It makes a horrid noise, but just remove the disk and leave it to 'dry' for a day and things should be fine. Waiting a day can also help with the normal process, as sometimes it takes a while for the alcohol in the disk cleaning solution to clean stubborn stains!

 

As for the keyboard, sounds like it has the joystick ports problem or your mouse needs a jolly good clean. The former is a case of dismantling the keyboard and resoldering the joystick port pins. The latter could be down to a dodgy cable, or, more likely gunk around the mouse ball. Open her up and give the rollers round the ball a good clean.

[dustar]

Hi Zogging Hell,

 

tried two mouses, with both of them I have the same issues. Guess the problem has to be searched somewhere else.

Also tried Predator with auto boot; same result. There is another game which I actually could play, but sometimes it works, sometimes I get the same problems as with Predator. Must be something really nasty in the Atari.

 

Anyway, I gave up with my STE and contacted the seller again. Already received an answer in which he told me I can bring the atari back; he will refund me.

Still, if he is going to bring the Atari to the junkyard, I'm going to ask him if he can give it to me. Could be handy for replacement parts or so....

[Zogging Hell]

This will be the keyboard fault then. The joystick ports are soldered to the main part of the keyboard circuit board. The silly way the ports are implemented means the pins from the joystick ports break loose from the main circuit board after too many yanks to get the joystick out. You could test this by plugging in the mouse and then applying a small amount of downward pressure by pulling the cable near the port downwards (do this by putting the edge of the computer near the edge of a desk). If with the downward pressure the mouse responds normally then that is your problem. Basically this is the same sort of problem you get if the headphones on your walkman/ ipod etc goes a bit wonky and you find that pulling the cable seems to make it better.

 

To fix you'll need to remove the keyboard from the ST (bearing in mind you will need basic soldering skills for this), unscrew all the tiny screws from the back, place the keyboard keyboard side down and then gently remove the back. You'll probably find as you pull away you'll end with loads of rubber 'cups' everywhere (if you're careful you can avoid this, try and keep tabs on where the cups go), these fit on the backs of the keys and will need to be put back in place as you re-assemble the keyboard. There is also one less cup than you think so don't be alarmed if you appear one short! Locate the mouse port and re-do the soldering where the pins go into the main board. Reassemble the keyboard and test. It's quite an easy one if you have a soldering iron (it was the first time I attempted soldering and even I found it easy at the time ).

[dustar]

I went back to the seller. Before, he told me that if there was anything wrong with the Atari, I will get my money back.

So I did. Better, he also gave me the Atari since he couldn't do anything with it anyway and I told him that perhaps I still could use it for spare parts.

 

And the STE did saved me. This weekend I got myself a STF with SF314 and a Megafile. The SF314 and the megafile are working OK, but the diskdrive from the STF was broken; so I replaced it with the drive of the STE.

Also, the SF314 worked fine with my 520ST ( from which the external drive was defect ). Got myself 2 working ST's thus!