Disk Tools floppy that can boot a TAM

[ClassicHasClass]

All of the Disk Tools floppies (7.6, 8.0 and 8.1) I have tried on my TAM crash it. Does anyone have a *floppy* image that boots a TAM or know of one? Yes, I can boot it from CD, but I want to create a boot floppy for a project.

[Dennis Nedry]

That is quite strange, the TAM is basically a 6500 and those boot fine from the 8.1 boot floppy I think. Have you ensured that the system folder is blessed on your 8.1 floppy? It should have a Mac logo on its icon, and if not, it can be blessed by opening and closing it on a classic Mac.

[ClassicHasClass]

I'm not THAT clueless.

What happens is the machine boots, gets to the B&W Mac OS splash screen, and then drops into a system error. The disk boots the 7300 just fine. It's entirely possible there is a hardware fault, but it runs 9.2.2 just fine.

Can those with TAMs confirm they can boot Disk Tools 8.1?

[Dennis Nedry]

There are people here who would benefit from that suggestion - I'm not using it to try to suggest something about you. It's not that I assumed you needed that info, it's just that I don't mentally keep track of very many usernames. I recognize a few mods, dougg3, a couple others, but other than that, I really don't have a clue.

[mcdermd]

Have you tried the "Disk Tools.image" included in the "Disk Images" folder on the TAM install CD?

[ClassicHasClass]

D'oh! No, I haven't. I didn't think to look there!

I'll report back.

[mcdermd]

I just tried that Disk Tools disk on mine and it boots the machine with both the original L2 Cache card and the Sonnet G3 card installed. It is System 7.5.3 with System Enabler 1.0.

[spiceyokooko]

...It is System 7.5.3 with System Enabler 1.0.

Surely 1.0 is the version number, what is the enabler number? That's curious it boots with 7.5.3 given that the pre-installed system was 7.6.1!

The 6500/250 came with System Enabler 411 and 7.5.5, is that the same enabler number?

[mcdermd]

Right you are -

It is "Minimal System Enabler 411" in the System Folder on System 7.5.3.

[ClassicHasClass]

Excellent. I'll test that tonight. I want to boot from floppy for an experiment I want to do, and if that works, I'm going to use that floppy as the basis for a most awesome and extremely appropriate use of a TAM.

[phreakout]

Wait a minute...the TAM has a floppy drive? I thought those only had CD drives. Am I missing something? Sorry to sound like a n00b.

73s de Phreakout.

[ClassicHasClass]

As indicated above, the Disk Tools image on the TAM CD does boot it. So now I have something to build on.

Yes, it does have a floppy drive (on the right hand side of the computer).

[mcdermd]

the TAM has a floppy drive?

yep.

[phreakout]

"L I B! M R Ducks!"

Okay, looking at the pic, doesn't that seem to be the worst place to put a floppy drive, right behind a loudspeaker?

73s de Phreakout.

[Dennis Nedry]

I've always thought that too - when I had just a 6100 and I took it all apart, I discovered that the speaker was right under the floppy drive. And the best place to get really strong magnets is from INSIDE of hard drives. Go figure. Floppy drives have fairly powerful magnets in their motors too.

I think it has to do with the distance the magnet is from the actual magnetic disk. Compared to a head actually touching the disk when it reads and writes, a big magnet must not do as much when it is a short distance away. Then again, floppies are horribly unreliable, maybe this is why!