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Apple IIe Disk Load Error

L

lackofcolor

Member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
12
Hello,

I have an Apple IIe that will not load from the Disk Drive. When I turn on the computer it attempts to load but I get a message on the bottom on the screen that says

9604- A=04 X=60 Y=00 P=35 S=F0

The input also is an * instead of a }.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Russel
 
Hi Russell,

It looks like the machine has thrown you into the monitor program. Others here will know more than me, but I think this indicates some kind of hardware fault. As the machine does boot and seems to try and load, I'm picking it could be a RAM issue. The program starts to fill up RAM, gets to the faulty RAM chip then throws you out into the monitor program.

There may be other explanations. Other, more knowledgeable types will know more..

Tez
 
I have two extra Apple IIe computers but they are not in great shape. However, I know one boots up from the disk and plays. Can I switch out the RAM from that computer and put it in my better computer?
 
lackofcolor said:
I have two extra Apple IIe computers but they are not in great shape. However, I know one boots up from the disk and plays. Can I switch out the RAM from that computer and put it in my better computer?
Click to expand...

If they are the same type of motherboard, yes defintely. It's easy to do if they are socketed on both machines. If it requires soldering/desoldering I would wait until you get some more replies. I'm not a Apple II guru like some others here and you wouldn't want to go through a lot of work if it's obviously something else.

Tez
 
Yes, that is the monitor program. Shows the "instruction address", also know as the "program counter" and the various 6502 register values.
 
Right. So what are my options? Could bad RAM be the issue? I have two other Apple IIe computers. Would it be easier to switch RAM or switch the entire motherboard? Are there any other problems that could cause the computer to start up in the monitor program? Thanks.
 
lackofcolor said:
Right. So what are my options? Could bad RAM be the issue? I have two other Apple IIe computers. Would it be easier to switch RAM or switch the entire motherboard? Are there any other problems that could cause the computer to start up in the monitor program? Thanks.
Click to expand...

If the program loads and runs in one motherboard but not on the other, the problem must be somewhere on the motherboard (as opposed to the drives or disk). I don't think a power supply issue would cause this problem but you never know (a spinning disk drive does put a load in the power suppy)?

If you want a quick fix, swapping the motherboards should do it. It wouldn't tell you what was wrong though. If it was me I'd want to diagnose the fault. However, that may not be of interest. If you just want to get the machine up and going, substitution is a good method.

Tez
 
Hmm, first thing I would do is switch the floppy controller cards around. Take the known good one out of the working Apple and put into the suspect computer. The old "one step at a time" trip.

Also see if either computer has the 80 column memory card added. Goes into the farthest left slot (with keyboard toward you). It is in a special place, if I remember correctly. Motherboards are easier to move around that ram chips. I had a motherboard that had new ROMS on it. I just swapped the motherboards so I could use more of the "enhanced" features on the IIe.
 
Well, I switched the motherboards and I can now boot from my disk. Yay. I wish I could fix the other motherboard or diagnose the problem.

Anyway, on to my next question. Can you run more than one disk controller card in the Apple IIe. I mean, I see people running two single 5.25 drives on their computers. I have four separate 5.25 disk drives and one duo disk. I would like to have the two separate 5.25's hooked up though.

And while on the topic, is there any specific port to hook the Datalink 2400 hundred into and which port for my Super Serial II. Does it really matter which ports they go into? Thanks.
 
It's better to start off simply.
Remove all the expansion cards.
Then gently reseat all the socketed chips on the motherboard
and see if that doesn't improve anything.
 
Drive controllers belong in slot 6 (if you have one controller) and slot 5 (if you have two controllers).
 
And, seems to me, you can usually put 2 single drives on just one controller. At least the one I have in a box has 2 drive cable connection spots on it.

The Duo needs a special controller card.
 
STOP!

Before you do anything else on the computer, power it up then press ctrl-open apple-closed apple-reset to run the IIe's built in diagnostics.

There are 2 types of IIe ROM set diagnostics programs. One plays a shrill tone and paints the screen over & over with highres graphics then says Kernel OK if all tests well. The other paints the screen with multicolor lowres blocks then says System OK if all tests well.

If a pattern of 8 "0 and 1"s show up on the screen then you have bad RAM. If the pattern has a * by it then you have a bad ram on the 80 column card.

RJ
 
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