Hardware or Software Problem with df1

[curtis]

Okay, I'm pretty sure this is a software problem, but will bounce it around here for everyone to ponder.

When I boot WB 2.04 on my A2000 (6Mb RAM), df1 is available for reading, writing, and formatting.  However, when I boot up Faery Tale Adventure, the drive is not recognized.  I have to do everything via df0.  I know an A500 will recognize a df1 as I've used an A500 before with this game.

I also noticed the music isn't working which points even more strongly toward a flaky diskette along with random flickers on the screen.

So, if this is a software problem as I suspect, would anyone be willing to make a good copy and mail it to me?  I don't have CrossDOS yet, and my A2000 isn't on the 'net so I can't do a image download.  I would be willing to compensate for the cost of the diskette, postage, and your time (within reason!).

I'm located in Amarillo, TX USA.

Thanks.

Curtis

[curtis]

Well, I may need to move this over to hardware!

I finally got my A500 back together and tried the same game with entirely different results.
1.  Game loaded with no problems and the music came on!
2.  Tried to load a saved game from df1: and it worked like a charm!
3.  No flickers on the screen!

So, does anyone know of any incompatibilities with either the A2000 or the Amber board? Forgot to mention I'm using an Amber board for VGA output.  Also, I've only got 1 internal floppy drive and the external is an A1011.

Curtis

[curtis]

Ah, an external drive. Here's (part of) your problem: external drives on a 2000 are DF2: and DF3:. DF1: is reserved for the second internal one.

Hmm, I might go with that but for the fact that when I boot WB, it shows up as df1:.  It'll even let me format and everything with no problems.  Just in the game that it's not recognized at all!

And yes, the jumper on the motherboard is set for 1 internal drive.  That should alleviate the df2: dilemma, but it is not.

Next batter!

[curtis]

I do have a ICD Flicker fixer in the A500, but I'm using the 1084 on it.  Both the A2000 and A500 are using 1011's for the external drive.

The A2000 has a minimeg chip RAM expander.  The 500 does not.

The Amber board may explain the "block" flickering on the screen, but I don't believe it would interfere with the floppy drives, would it?

[curtis]

Almost forgot, the hd controller in the 2000 is a Buddha Phoenix Flash, but that shouldn't matter since the game is booting the computer.

[curtis]

I have an A2000, and the external drive (second drive in my case) always shows up as DF2. This is normal. Every A2000 I have ever owned acted like this. All my manuals are in storage right now - But this is normal. The second internal drive ONLY should show up as DF1.

Is it possible Curtis has a cable problem to the internal floppy??

But how would it manifest itself only when in one particular game?  Everything works just fine in WB 2.04.

[curtis]

No, when I was putting everything in, I double checked that jumper.  Only have the one internal drive and J301 is set accordingly.

I'm thinking after we get our new windows installed this Thursday, this beast is going back onto my workbench and taken down to parade rest and built up one component at a time until I find the culprit!

[curtis]

How is your internal drive jumpered and cabled? As I recall, it should be set to DS0 and connected before the twist in the cable.

Not sure about the jumper, but I do know it's connected after the twist.

[curtis]

Okay, was able to get the 2000 on the workbench and booting from a floppy.  Here's the results.

First off, the machine was stripped of ALL extra hardware.  NO Amber board, no extra memory, no bridgeboard, NOTHING extra.

Tried all sorts of combinations of J301 jumper, with and without the external 1011, and using 2 known good floppy drives.

Conclusion, df1: is NOT recognized in ANY configuration.  1011 is ALWAYS df2:

Anytime I boot the game, there is NO sound and ONLY df0: is recognized regardless of the J301 jumper position.

Am I looking at a bad CIA chip on the floppy problem?  Would this also affect the sound?

[curtis]

Okay, I'm a dummy!

I've been switching J101 not 301!  df1: is recognized.

Guess I can either live with disk swapping or utilize a dual 5.25/3.5" floppy drive on the PC side and 2 internal drives on the Amiga side.

Moving on to the no sound issue.

When I boot into WB, I can utilize the sound there, but nothing is coming out when I boot into the game.  Yet sound works perfectly on the A500.

Any suggestions on the sound.

[curtis]

Are the 500 and 2000 both using Kickstart 2?

No, A2000 is KS 2 and A500 is KS1.3.  

Could this be killing my sound?

BTW, I figured out the floppy problem.  The game doesn't seem to like df2:  Dumb, but that seems to be the way it is.

[curtis]

SON OF A B****!

f I just happen to have a 1.3 ROM laying around and when I switched the 2.04 with the 1.3, surprise, surprise, the sound came on!

So, here's the summary.

1.  Faery Tale Adventure doesn't like df2:  Doesn't even see it!
2.  Faery Tale Adventure doesn't like KS 2.  Kills the sound!

WTF!!!!!!

Guess I'll need to look into a KS switcher.

Ya know, this is getting to be more trouble than it's worth!  Sheesh.

Anyway, again, I want to thank everyone who contributed to this exploration into the vagaries of misbehaving game design.

Curtis

[curtis]

I'm really going to have to install CrossDOS aren't I?

Only computer I have hooked up to the 'net is my PEECEE.

[curtis]

If you've got WB 2.1, it's as simple as mounting PC0:

Sitting at 2.05 right now.  Guess I'll start looking around for the upgrade!