Loading from disk issue

[Kaiju]

So I got my c64 up and running with the 1541. Even Got back the first game I ever owned for the c64, commando.

 

After turning it all on inserting the disk and typing the command. Load* ,8,1

 

It starts loading screen goes black disk drive makes noise and the red light blinks with long stated on being on, followed by rapid red blinks, then the screen returns to the c64 basic screen with Ready displayed and the curser.

 

Its been too long for me to remember how to trouble shoot. Any ideas?

[+OLD CS1]

Maybe a bad disk? Drive out of alignment? Is this a known-good disk and disk drive?

 

What happens if you do this:

 

LOAD"$",8

 

then

 

LIST

[Kaiju]

Disk was a boxed copy from eBay. It wasnt sealed however. Sold as is but worked when last used.

 

(As per usual E-Bay listings..)

 

Just didnt have another disk to test

 

Ill test what you suggested

[Kaiju]

Load $ ,8,1 results in

 

Searching for $

Loading

Ready

_

 

But the top of the screen has some garbled characters

 

This is with drive on and disk in

 

Without the disk I get file not found error

Edited February 1, 2018 by Kaiju

[carlsson]

Only type LOAD"$",8 without the extra argument ,1. It will load the directory into BASIC, otherwise it loads it into the screen matrix which is why you get garbage on screen.

[+OLD CS1]

If you have access to a blank disk, you could also try formatting it and then see if the drive can read a directory.

 

OPEN15,8,15,"N0:EMPTY,00":CLOSE15

 

If it completes without flashing the drive light, then the format completed properly. You can then try to read the directory.

 

LOAD"$",8

LIST

 

If it can read the directory, either the original disk is bad or your drive is out of alignment. You will need more test subjects.

[Kaiju]

Oh I see my mistake adding the ,1 thanks guys I will check when possible.

 

Unfortunately I dont have any blank disks at the moment

[Kaiju]

Okay tried it again correctly. I get :

Searching for $

Loading

Ready

 

Then typed list can got:

COMMANDO

ready

 

I have some other games ordered and should be here next week or so

Edited February 2, 2018 by Kaiju

[+OLD CS1]

If the directory will load but the game will not, it seems parts of the disk have gone duff. That is a good sign, though, as it means the drive is reading disks.

 

I would not continue trying to read that disk, however. If the failure is physical, parts of the disk recording media layer could come off onto the drive head. (I killed a 1571 drive recently like that. When it happens, the drive makes the most God-awful screeching. Not a happy sound at all.)

 

This can also happen with disks which have mold on them. The surface of a disk usually has a dull-ish appearance but will have some sort of reflective property, like a shine or gloss. If it looks dull and subdued, I hit it with a light blast of compressed air to see if anything comes off the surface. The other problem is sometimes these kinds of contamination can be hidden within the jacket. I will carefully turn the disk within the jacket to examine the entire disk surface before I use a suspicious disk, like the once I have kept in storage for a long time or do not know the history.

 

If the disks are packaged, like factory wrapped new-old-stock (NOS,) they should be perfectly fine. As well, if the seller has tested them.

 

I apologize if that was a little paranoid rambling. I have been bitten recently and it was not fun to write off both a 1571 and a 1541 drive for bad disks when I should have known better.

[carlsson]

One single file on the disk? I suppose it means it isn't an original disk, and also that LOAD"*",8 or LOAD"*",8,1 would be equivalent since it will have its own BASIC stub to start the game.

 

If you try to load the file but only get noise and blinks, you could try to type in this program right after the drive failed:

 

10 OPEN 1,8,15:INPUT#1,E,E$,T,S:PRINT E;E$;T;S:CLOSE 1

 

It will read the error channel and display an error code, a message, which track and sector it occurred on. Most likely the message will be READ ERROR with error code 20-24 or 27.

 

if you got some wedge or utility cartridge, you can use it to read the error channel directly. I'm assuming here that you have just the minimum equipment.

[Kaiju]

Tried your command for the error channel and I just get a row of @ across the top of the window and the c64locks up

 

Its an official disk as stated came cib just wasnt sealed, disk has the label and all.

 

Im worried by what Old said, so for now Ill just wait till the other games show up and see how those go.

 

Thanks for all the help thus far

[+OLD CS1]

If the drive is not squealing I would not worry too much about my rant at this point. Can you give us some pictures of what you are seeing? Some of this does not fully make sense and I would rather not keep making shots in the dark.

[carlsson]

I agree with OLD CS1, it sounds strange if you manage to get a directory listing but the drive acts up badly upon reading the error channel.

 

While I don't have access to an image of the original disk for Commando, I compared with Ghosts 'n Goblins also by Elite. That game has about a dozen smaller files, and normally I would expect most commercial packages to be similar. A small loader, a few chunks and perhaps a large main part. That is why I found it odd that the directory listing only displays one file. If possible take a picture of the listing, or write it down more in detail.

 

Technically I've seen dozens of counterfeit disk games on eBay, though most of the time they're sold as loose disks, not complete in packaging. Several of those are games that never were released on disk in the first place... However that isn't to say that your wouldn't be legit. Perhaps it is the disk or your drive acting up, only presenting part of the information that should be on the disk.

[Kaiju]

K so I got some disks. First opened was Battle Chess. Loaded up and played fine from disk.

 

Now I went to play another, Dig Dug, and the drive, upon loading started to make clicking noises and the light flashed red rapidly, returned to prompt with error, then the red light continued to flash. This happened with every disk from that post forward, including battle chess again.....

 

Frustrating

[+OLD CS1]

K so I got some disks. First opened was Battle Chess. Loaded up and played fine from disk.

 

Now I went to play another, Dig Dug, and the drive, upon loading started to make clicking noises and the light flashed red rapidly, returned to prompt with error, then the red light continued to flash. This happened with every disk from that post forward, including battle chess again.....

 

Frustrating

 

Battle Chess or Dig Dug could have been dirty. Open the case, take a cotton swab in 90% isopropyl alcohol and gentle swab the head, gently dry it with the other side. Try any disk other than the first two.

[Casey]

Tried your command for the error channel and I just get a row of @ across the top of the window and the c64locks up

 

Its an official disk as stated came cib just wasnt sealed, disk has the label and all.

 

Im worried by what Old said, so for now Ill just wait till the other games show up and see how those go.

 

Thanks for all the help thus far

 

Strange things can happen if you loaded the directory, then entered the 1 line program given above, and ran it without a NEW in between. "Line 0" in the program will be the disk name and I could see that causing issues and crashes.

 

2 suggestions for reading the disk error channel on the 64:

1) enter the program line given above, but tack a :END on the end of it and then run it with RUN 10 - this will make sure you run only that line if you forget to NEW before you enter it.

2) This is a bit trickier, but works great. You can check the error channel in BASIC, without entering a program (I saw this in a RUN magazine).

In direct mode, enter the following:

OPEN1,8,15:POKE58,0: {enough spaces to get the cursor on the next line - should be 20}
INPUT#1,A$,B$,C$,D$:?A$,B$,C$,D$:CLOSE1

This will let you run INPUT# from outside a program.

[Kaiju]

 

Battle Chess or Dig Dug could have been dirty. Open the case, take a cotton swab in 90% isopropyl alcohol and gentle swab the head, gently dry it with the other side. Try any disk other than the first two.

They were sealed copies but still..30years old is 30 years old. Ill try cleaning the head as you said thanks

[+OLD CS1]

I am still not convinced there is nothing going on with the drive itself. It could need a good bit of TLC, as many of them do.

[Kaiju]

alright so , I opened the drive and cleaned it up a bit. Cleaned the heads as suggested.

 

Now I dont get that horrid rapid clicking sound however disks arent loading. Screen goes black Drive flashes and audible smooth tracking sounds then it just returns to prompt.. happens for all disks even battle chess, the one I did get working.

 

 

It did make me remember; my atari800s drive actually did this same thing, was working fine then one day games wouldnt load, sometimes the audible loud painful sounds, I opened it cleaned it up and the same no change... went to bed not knowing what else to do st the moment. The next morning I went to test it and all was fine..... guess these older machines are just cranky these days