Conference hydra::amiga_v1

2743.0. "Problem booting a non-dos game in DF0:" by STAR::ROBINSON () Tue Jul 18 1989 21:59

I just bought a copy of Ballistix by Pysgnosis (I think those are the 
correct spellings), and I couldn't get it to work on my 1 meg A500.
Although I don't have a large collection of games, I have never had problems
getting something to boot before. At the WB prompt I insert the disk, the 
machine waits a second, as usual, and then the power light goes out and the disk
just spins with the the disk light glowing. 

Well, I figured the disk was DOA and brought it back to The Memory Location 
for a trade in. Unfortunately, it boots up fine on the A500 there. 
I didn't go for the whole discussion with the experts there, but the quick 
comment was that "if it runs on this one and not yours, you will find other 
disks that don't work and eventually have to replace the drive".  

Since they didn't have another copy to take home and try, I don't have the 
game and now I have suspicions about my disk drive. I know I have read
either here or on usenet about others having troubles booting games. I don't
recall the solutions though. 

Is it "common" for one of these heavy copy protection games to boot on one
Amiga and not another?  

If I get another copy is there 10% or 50% chance of it working? 

Is it worth it to open up the A500 and the external C= drive,
switch them in hopes that the other drive would boot the game(s)? Or can
I just set switches on the drives to make the AMIGA think the external 
drive is DF0? 

Can a floppy be realigned (assuming this is the problem)? If so how much $?

The system is about 14 months old and I cleaned the suspect drive with a 
floppy-based cleaner. 

As usual, thanks for your help.
Dave

 

Floppies can definetly be realigned, and I've seen programs to do just that
on Amiga (in mags, others PD?). Sounds like you do have an alignment problem.

John

In my search for info on this I found a variety of people asked the same 
question and neve gave an answer, so here is what happen to me.

I found a recent Amiga magazine review of an alignment program called
AmiAlign (list $49). The reviewer said that the program helps you figure
out if your disk needs alignment, or if some other problem is causing problems
reading disks. Two problems mentioned, as I recall, were power supply problems
and heat problems.

Since I knew I had tried the disk after running the Amiga for a few hours
on a hot evening, I tried it from a cold start on a cooler morning. Tah Dah!
The gruesome Psygnosis graphics appeared and the game worked as it was 
supposed to work. It has been fine ever since. So it was either a heat problem
or misalignment of the planets ;^}. I'll try it on Aug 16(?) the night of the
full lunar eclipse. If it doesn't work then ... 

BTW, the AmiAlign program received a good review. 

Dave