Hi,
I have a problem with my //c: It mostly shows the message "Check Diskdrive" when trying to boot.
After swapping the ROM FF with a ROM04 Eprom this behaviour changed and the //c work some better. But after inserting a "special" disk from my collection, the //c got back to the above behaviour. Even if the disks where written the same day on this //c. The disks are working properly on my ][ europlus.
I have already tried to clean the drive, but with no change. Seldom it reads the disks, so I am guessing it is not a completly hopeless case.
Which components, besides the drive itself, could be affected? - Unfortunally I have no parts at site to run try&error.
Capacitors are known to fail over time.
How did you clean the drive? Sounds like READ errors possibly due to dirty head. Especially if it started after you put in that"special" disk?
I had to clean the head again... I was not aware, that a single try of reading an old disk (I guess it was the "wrong" one) could bring this much dirt to the head so that it cannot read a disk anymore.
I also followed another advice and relubricated the the moving parts.
Now the diskdrive works fine again (and the Apple //c got a 4X-ROM, so it can now also boot from external drives). Now I am awaiting the arrival of my recently aquired original //c external drive ;)
BTW: Does anyone of you ever tried to swap the magnetical Disk inside a 5,25" floppy disk? - The "dirty" disks are the orignal system disks... and I'd like to try the restore them ;)
I cleaned my Disk ]['s some time ago and they still work fine. However I've binned a disk whose magnetic layer was clearly "peeling off" and I didn't want to use it in the drive as it would have likely left debris everywhere.
I had some luck using 99% IPA to clean some old disks that didn't want to read right. It's rather difficult if you don't have some kind of frame though to hold and spin the disk. I bought this to clean mine: https://www.floppycleaner.co.uk/ I blew air inbetween the disk and jacket to help the IP flash off.
Of course as noted, this only works on an actual dirty disk and not one where the magnetic layer is physically wrecked. Many of mine had mildew/mold on them and this worked well.
Fantastic, I didn't know the magnetic media could be wiped clean with IPA - I'll bear that in mind!