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dead floppy drive

bibilit

Well-known member
Have you tried lowering the upper tray without a disk and booting the Macintosh ?

should eject at startup.
If not either the motor is dead or the floppy board is faulty.
 

MacTopus29

Active member
This is the sound it made. I forgot to mention, this is an 800k floppy drive inside a macintosh 128k.
 

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MacTopus29

Active member
Have you tried lowering the upper tray without a disk and booting the Macintosh ?

should eject at startup.
If not either the motor is dead or the floppy board is faulty.
How would I lower the upper tray? Do I just force it down a bit with a screwdriver or another hard tool?
 

bibilit

Well-known member
How would I lower the upper tray? Do I just force it down a bit with a screwdriver or another hard tool?

No hard tool required, on the right of the upper tray, you will find a locking pin, on the left side a small lever and a spring, disengaging the lever will lower the tray.

You can also use a blank floppy, or any floppy without a system, it will be ejected as a matter of fact.
 

MacTopus29

Active member
No hard tool required, on the right of the upper tray, you will find a locking pin, on the left side a small lever and a spring, disengaging the lever will lower the tray.

You can also use a blank floppy, or any floppy without a system, it will be ejected as a matter of fact.
Thanks, looks like the motor is dead or it has a faulty board.
 

Phipli

Well-known member
Thanks, looks like the motor is dead or it has a faulty board.
Is the 128k set up to work with an 800k drive? They shipped with 400k? I don't have anything that old, but can you just drop in an 800k or do you need software / ROMs / cables or anything?
 

MacTopus29

Active member
Is the 128k set up to work with an 800k drive? They shipped with 400k? I don't have anything that old, but can you just drop in an 800k or do you need software / ROMs / cables or anything?
I bought the mac off of ebay, so I dont know what its been through. Im guessing you can just drop an 800k in there, I did switch the cable from the older one from the newer one though.
 

BustedCap97

Well-known member
I can empathize with how badly you want the floppy to work, but this might be a case where you just buy a floppy emu and call it a day
 

bibilit

Well-known member
I can ear the drive spinning for sure.
Have you tested the drive removed from the Macintosh ? (but still connected to the board… just protect the lower drive board to avoid a short)
 

MacTopus29

Active member
I can ear the drive spinning for sure.
Have you tested the drive removed from the Macintosh ? (but still connected to the board… just protect the lower drive board to avoid a short)
No, I was thinking on doing that but I don’t know where I can and can’t touch. I don’t have much experience with macs. I would need a tutorial.
 

bibilit

Well-known member
Just protect the lower board with a cardboard to avoid any short with the metal frame, the drive will hang from the back with the rear case removed.
You will be able to see the drive operating for troubleshooting purposes.
 
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