Help Needed: Kaypro 10 HDD Problems

From: Marty <Marty_at_itgonline.com>
Date: Tue May 12 07:53:28 1998

 If all else fails you may want to try a low level format on the hard
 drive. Boot with a MS-Dos ver 2.10 or later, run debug. At the '_'
 prompt type in g=c800:5 which should access the controller rom and
 enable you to low level format (it is <crudely> menu driven). Your
 Tandon has 306 cylinders, 4 heads and 17 sectors per track. After the
 low level format procede with the high level partitioning and
 formatting.
 
 -Marty


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Help Needed: Kaypro 10 HDD Problems
Author: classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu at internet
Date: 5/11/98 9:27 PM


 I recently added a Kaypro 10 to my collection, but it seems to have met with
 some rough handling
 in shipping. If anyone can shed some light on the problem described below, I
 would REALLY
 appreciate it (any Kaypro experts out there?)
 
 When I first fired it up, it booted from the hard drive right away. However,
 as soon as I tried
 to access the HD further, all I got were "Bad Sector" errors. Since then, the

 computer will no
 longer boot from the HD, and I can't access any information on it ( not a
good
 
 sign :-( ).
 
 Using CP/M, I have tried to re-format the drive with no luck; all I get are
 "Verify Errors" as it
 tries to format. So much for the theory that the heads may have gotten
knocked
 
 slightly out of
 alignment!
 
 Re-seating all connectors on the drive and controller didn't help either.
 
 I have pulled the drive from the computer and hooked it up outside the case.
 It does spin up to
 normal operating speed, and I can see the head stepper motor responding in a
 normal fashion when I
 attempt to access the drive (formatting, parking the heads, pulling a
 directory, etc.). None of
 the linkage to the heads seems damaged or broken; in fact the entire computer
 is in excellent
 shape and has not been abused. The hard drive activity light (which is
 controlled from the drive
 itself) also seems to respond normally.
 
 No untoward noises seem to come from the unit when it is operating, although I

 do hear some
 metallic "singing" during the last second or so just prior to the drive coming

 to a complete stop
 on power down. I'm not sure if this is just the brake mechanism, or if it is
 the heads against
 the platters (I do park the drive prior to powering off, though).
 
 Based on the above, I am assuming (wrongly so?) that the controller is
probably
 
 working OK. It is
 a Western Digital WD1002-HDO. My hunch is that either the drive electronics
or
 
 the drive itself
 have failed.
 
 Are there any other tests I should by trying? Am I correct to assume that it
 is the drive which
 has failed?
 
 The drive is a Tandon TM502 (10MB, MFM, 5 1/4" platters). If the drive cannot

 be salvaged, I
 would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a replacement drive, or knows of
a
 
 source for same.
 I would like to keep the same make and model drive if possible, but an
 equivalent model would be
 fine too (as I'm sure Non Linear Systems used more than one make of drive in
 the Kaypro's).
 
 Any help is much appreciated!
 
 Grant Zozman
 gzozman_at_escape.ca
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 From: Grant Zozman <gzozman_at_escape.ca>
 To: "Discussion re-collecting of classic computers"
 <classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
 Subject: Help Needed: Kaypro 10 HDD Problems
 References: <199805112323.TAA12647_at_mail.cgocable.net>
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