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Sharp MZ-100 - Will not boot

smeezekitty

Experienced Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2010
Messages
460
Location
Washington U.S.
I bought this Sharp MZ-100 for $15 at the local thrift store.
I wasn't aware of the specs so I grabbed a 1.44MB DOS 5.0 boot disk and it showed a bad system disk error.
So I found the specs and found it only has two 720 K drivers. I then wrote a boot disk image to a 1.44MB disk with the DD hole covered in Windows Vista and a USB floppy drive. It said that it wrote successfully but once again it did not boot.

Then, I booted up my 486 thinking maybe vista or the USB floppy drive did not support 720 K. I covered the hole in another diskette and
ran
format /F:720 /S
It showed that it wrote sucessfully but once again it did not boot.

Is this computer broken or am I doing something wrong?
 
What version of DOS was your boot disk image, and are you sure the image is good ?
Can you tell if the heads are seeking and the floppy motor spinning ?
patscc
 
Wow! Thanks for the fast response.

I cannot say for sure the image is good. I guess I will try to boot it on my 486 which I assume will boot a 720K floppy.
It is dos version 5.0

Both floppy drives I can hear spinning and the center thing changes position. I cannot hear the heads seeking though.
 
I have a 720K image of a DOS 3.2 boot disk for the MZ-100. If you can use something like RAWRITE to create a 720K disk, it might be what you need.
 
Update: Both disks successfully boot the 486 but fail on the MZ-100

I have a 720K image of a DOS 3.2 boot disk for the MZ-100. If you can use something like RAWRITE to create a 720K disk, it might be what you need.
I will try that if you have a place to upload it to.

The specs on the MZ-100 are
640K ram
8088 clone @ 10MHz
2 * 720 K 3 1/2 floppy drives
 
Doesn't the MZ-100 have a setup key on it ? Have you been able to get into the BIOS ?
patscc

Yes and Yes.

Chuck:
I tried that disk image.
Rawrite2 gave a strange error when writing the 80th track: Address mark not found.

The made diskette successfully boots the 486 but the MZ-100 says Not a System Diskette.
 
I suspect that it's time to look at cleaning the drive heads on that beast. Cylinder 80 shouldn't matter on that disk as it's not used. The disk is definitely an MZ-100 boot, however.
 
I suspect that it's time to look at cleaning the drive heads on that beast.
It would seem strange that would effect both drive A and B. Also, how do you clean them?
Cylinder 80 shouldn't matter on that disk as it's not used.
OK
The disk is definitely an MZ-100 boot, however.
Is it possible it only reads actual 720K disks, not 1.44MB formatted as 720K? Otherwise I am out of ideas.
 
Like Chuck(G) said, I would try cleaning the heads.
Also, I dug out my manual for it, and it does mention that in the BIOS, you can specify if the internal floppy or external floppy is set to A: ;that might be worth checking.
I think it should read a down-formatted 1.44.
If you don't have a cleaning disk handy, you might try gently moving a piece of paper back and forth with the heads engaged.
I'm trying to remember without tearing mine apart if the floppy is a belt-drive or direct-drive. Anyone ?
patscc
 
Like Chuck(G) said, I would try cleaning the heads.
I suppose I will have to obtain a cleaning diskette.
Also, I dug out my manual for it, and it does mention that in the BIOS, you can specify if the internal floppy or external floppy is set to A: ;that might be worth checking.
It is fixed to internal floppy.
If you don't have a cleaning disk handy, you might try gently moving a piece of paper back and forth with the heads engaged.
I would be concerned that that might misalign the heads.
I'm trying to remember without tearing mine apart if the floppy is a belt-drive or direct-drive. Anyone ?
Belt driven floppy drive?

Thanks for help.

--edit--
I just popped the case and tried reseating the floppy connectors with no effectt.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, that occurred as well, so I thought I better not assume anything.
Another thought, but this requires opening up the beast, is that the rails the head assembly moves on needs to be cleaned and re-lubricated.
patscc
 
Yeah, that occurred as well, so I thought I better not assume anything.
Yeah, I am not that stupid.
Another thought, but this requires opening up the beast, is that the rails the head assembly moves on needs to be cleaned and re-lubricated.
I already had it open, it wasn't that hard. I could not get the floppy drive apart though (didn't try that hard).
 
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