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Kaypro 1 text issue

I didn't think to ask this earlier, but when you say you ordered some disks did you order "Kaypro format" disks? For the most part, Kaypros can only read diskettes that have been formatted for Kaypro. There is a program, I think "MFDISK", that allows you to temporarily read some other popular computers' disks.
 
durgadas311 said:
Normally, you don't need to type "B:" when inserting a disk in B:, you just do things like "DIR B:" or "ED B:HELLO.ASM". But if you're getting BDOS errors you probably have an issue with the B: drive needing servicing. When you type "B:" at the "A0>" prompt you are telling CP/M to start using the B: drive from now on, which gets you into trouble if there are problems with B:. It's better to do things like "DIR B:" so that you can just ^C out of the BDOS error and go back to "A0>".

But, no, that error is not "normal". It means that CP/M is having some trouble accessing B:. There are different types of errors, though, as the string following it tells you.
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My B: drive lights up though. My B: drive is empty and it lights up, I don't know if its broken or what but yeah it lights up.
 
Heres the code. BDOS ERROR ON B: Select. The drive lights for a bit, I hear something spin, then it gives this. To be clear. I don't have my disk yet, I'm not inserting any disk into B:.
 
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durgadas311 said:
I didn't think to ask this earlier, but when you say you ordered some disks did you order "Kaypro format" disks? For the most part, Kaypros can only read diskettes that have been formatted for Kaypro. There is a program, I think "MFDISK", that allows you to temporarily read some other popular computers' disks.
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I ordered kaypro yes.
 
xp0nentz said:
My B: drive lights up though. My B: drive is empty and it lights up, I don't know if its broken or what but yeah it lights up.
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If there's no diskette in the drive, you'll get an error trying to access it. That applies to typing "B:" at the prompt, or "DIR B:" or anything else that targets the B: drive. If you have no blank floppies that can be formatted, then I guess you'll need to wait for more to arrive. I don't know what the expense or availability of 5.25" floppies is these days, but I imagine they are getting scarce as no one has been manufacturing new ones for quite some time.
 
durgadas311 said:
If there's no diskette in the drive, you'll get an error trying to access it. That applies to typing "B:" at the prompt, or "DIR B:" or anything else that targets the B: drive. If you have no blank floppies that can be formatted, then I guess you'll need to wait for more to arrive. I don't know what the expense or availability of 5.25" floppies is these days, but I imagine they are getting scarce as no one has been manufacturing new ones for quite some time.
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They're pretty available. So my drive isn't toast?
 
xp0nentz said:
They're pretty available. So my drive isn't toast?
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We don't know yet, you'll need a second diskette, either a blank that you can format or a pre-formatted one to test. It is possible to boot to the "A0>" prompt, move the boot disk to B: and type "DIR B:" just to see if that part works. But if there is an error you'll need to move the boot disk back to A: in order to recover as the "warm boot" after error will require that.
 
durgadas311 said:
We don't know yet, you'll need a second diskette, either a blank that you can format or a pre-formatted one to test. It is possible to boot to the "A0>" prompt, move the boot disk to B: and type "DIR B:" just to see if that part works. But if there is an error you'll need to move the boot disk back to A: in order to recover as the "warm boot" after error will require that.
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I'll do the test when my disk arrives.
 
What I was trying to explain is that you can test drive B: now, using the one diskette you have:
1. Boot to the "A0>" prompt
2. remove diskette from A: and insert into B:
3. type "DIR B:"
4. move the diskette back to A: before doing anything else.
 
A word of warning, you will want to get some blank diskettes to make backup copies. If your only diskette right now is your boot copy of CP/M, anything could happen to that diskette and then you have nothing. You should make a copy of that boot disk and place the original in a safe place, never to be used again (except maybe to make another copy).
 
durgadas311 said:
What I was trying to explain is that you can test drive B: now, using the one diskette you have:
1. Boot to the "A0>" prompt
2. remove diskette from A: and insert into B:
3. type "DIR B:"
4. move the diskette back to A: before doing anything else
Click to expand...
I did this once, sadly my A: disk wouldn't come out because my A:'s eject mechanism is stuck and has to be pulled out. I have only 1 CP/M boot disk and I think the seller doesnt sell anymore.
 
Don't forget to examine the disk media surface for any concentric scratches or lines... They are an indication of shredding.

If you find them, clean the heads and lubricate the disk with cyclomethicone before reading it again... Then you will likely be able to read it long enough to copy it...

And make some copies onto a blank gotek disk if possible so you can boot electronically forever if needed :)
 
The Kaypro 1 is their last 8-bit version and AFAIK has double-sided drives. The Kaypro II was their first system. It is possible to copy SS diskettes onto new DS diskettes, but I'm not sure if you can use them directly. You certainly won't be able to boot a Kaypro II diskette on a Kaypro 1. Did you get a stack of blank diskettes to use for backups/working disks?
 
durgadas311 said:
The Kaypro 1 is their last 8-bit version and AFAIK has double-sided drives. The Kaypro II was their first system. It is possible to copy SS diskettes onto new DS diskettes, but I'm not sure if you can use them directly. You certainly won't be able to boot a Kaypro II diskette on a Kaypro 1. Did you get a stack of blank diskettes to use for backups/working disks?
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I bought kaypro 2x and kaypro 2 disks. Ones DSDD and the other is SSDD. I'm going to buy blanks soon.
 
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