[Coco] Coco Digest, Vol 152, Issue 44

[Barry Nelson]

I have had the issue with oxide residue on the drive heads as well. It will cause a squealing sound from the floppy drive, and additionally frequently damages any other disk (besides a cleaning disk) that you might insert into the effected drive until the drive heads have been cleaned. This sounds like it could be what happened to you. This typically happens after one bad disk is inserted, and after that all other disks fail to read. You can clean the drive heads with a Q tip with alcohol, or by multiple applications of a cleaning disk doused with a liberal dose of 91% or better alcohol or disk cleaning solution.

On Jul 14, 2015, at 5:59 PM, coco-request at maltedmedia.com wrote:

> Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2015 09:20:33 -0400
> From: Robert Gault <robert.gault at att.net>
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] drive issues
> Message-ID: <55A50CA1.202 at att.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
> 
> Bob Devries wrote:
>> Actually, it is my experience that there is oxide residue on the drive heads. I
>> also have a dual TEAC drive set and frequently when trying to read old almost
>> worn out disks, the oxide comes off the disk and accumulates on the drive heads.
>> Isopropyl alcohol and a Q-tip will remove the residue.
>> 
>> Regards, Bob Devries
>> Dalby, QLD, Australia
>> 
>> On 14/07/2015 12:38 PM, Bill Nobel wrote:
>>> Based on the fact you mention squealing, I would think the bearing/bushing is
>>> done.  I have kept drives going with a bit of teflon oil, but they will fail.
>>> 
>>> Bill Nobel
>>> 
>>>> On Jul 13, 2015, at 8:34 PM, Josh Harper via Coco <coco at maltedmedia.com> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> hi guys
>>>> I have a dual teac drive system
>>>> my issue is
>>>> <snip>
>>>> disk in  there was weird noises and squealing
>>>> <snip>
> 
> An even more likely occurrence is that your 5.25" disks have had their jackets 
> squashed on the edges which will increase the friction inside the jackets to the 
> point where squealing is heard and the disks essentially do not spin.
> 
> You can break the seals on the jackets, carefully remove the media, spread the 
> edges, reinsert the media, and the disk should spin freely and be readable if 
> not damaged by friction. It is critical that you DO NOT FLIP OVER THE MEDIA 
> RELATIVE TO THE JACKET!! It must return to the jacket just as it came out.
> I have "repaired" some of my own disks by this method. However, if you try to 
> repeatedly read a disk with high internal friction, you can damage the media and 
> erase/destroy the iron oxide coating.
> 
> Robert