Inherited apple 2e

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Inherited apple 2e

Hi I have just been Given a Apple 2e computer with duo drive and monitor/software and manuals. I have set it up for the first time in probably 30 years. I am no expert on older computers. The Duo disk drive lights up for a second on both drives then doesn't do anything or load disks and also when I press keys on keyboard it keeps typing any letter I type. Any ideas why thank you 

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The key repeat might be a

The key repeat might be a stuck key.  The ][ can only read one key at a time, so it doesn't seem to matter which one is stuck, it just repeats the last one pressed if any key is stuck.  Or that's how it seems to me, anyway.

 

I had something similar happen when I cleaned mine.  I had some keys that wanted to stick, so I dribbled some rubbing alcohol down into the keyswitch and worked it for a while to try to loosen it up (which didn't really do much, so I guess I need to solder in new key switches, bleh).  I didn't let it dry out enough before hooking it back up, and had behavior like you are describing.  But the malfunction was gone the next morning once it had dried out some more.

 

Try unplugging the keyboard ribbon cable and turning it on.  It should enter a looping self-test mode that they used for burn-in at the factory.  If it's an enhanced //e, you see a randomly changing screen of color blocks.  If it's unenhanced, you'll see some horizontal white bars appear and disappear.

 

I am not sure what to tell you about cleaning out the keyboard.  I've run Model Ms through the dishwasher, blown them out with an air compressor, and let them dry for a few days, to get them working again.  But I dunno if that is safe with these keyboards.  The way the key switches are made, the water may get trapped in them and not be able to drain away, I dunno.  I would have thought that alcohol I was using to clean mine would have evaporated before I plugged it back in, unless it was pooling in there somewhere.

 

No idea what to think about the drive.  Mine's always just run and run until I put a disk in.  Maybe bad RAM could be making it crash as it tries to boot, I dunno.  That self-test above ought to reveal bad RAM.

 

If it's just dropping to Applesoft without pressing control-reset, there may be an issue with your floppy controller or something.  I think that's what it does when there is no floppy controller plugged in, just drops to Applesoft in ROM.  Maybe unplug and reseat the floppy controller (it should be in slot 6, and there should be nothing in slot 7), and inspect all the relevant connectors for damage.

 

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Thanks very much for your

Thanks very much for your reply and Help. I just looked at the controller card and it looked like one of the black Ic or microchips on the card was black darkened on the silver prongs and also noticed the controller was soldered before on a trace so maybe a replacement controller card is the Answer 

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