Cloeaning and repairing

[christineka]

I've got out my 1200xl. The game cartridges work if I wiggle them a bit. Well, the ones I've tried anyway. The option button is hard to get to work. Can I just take the computer apart and dust out the keyboard? Any other tricks? How about the cartridge slot?

 

My disk drive has not worked for four years. It is an 800 something. Is it possible to fix it? Might a good cleaning do the trick? How do I know what to fix? The drive makes noise, but nothing actually loads.

 

Christine

[Bryan]

1200XL keyboards are notorious for failing, and fixing them requires quite a bit of disassembly.

 

http://retrobits.net/atari/keyboard.shtml

 

The cartridges should work fine after they've been inserted a few times, or contact cleaning kits are available (usually some kind of solvent and q-tips).

 

If you have a 810 disk drive, any number of things could be wrong with it. What does it do? Does the power light come on? Does it spin? Can you hear the head moving?

 

-Bry

[christineka]

1200XL keyboards are notorious for failing, and fixing them requires quite a bit of disassembly.

 

http://retrobits.net/atari/keyboard.shtml

 

The cartridges should work fine after they've been inserted a few times, or contact cleaning kits are available (usually some kind of solvent and q-tips).

 

If you have a 810 disk drive, any number of things could be wrong with it. What does it do? Does the power light come on? Does it spin? Can you hear the head moving?

 

-Bry

 

Thanks!

 

The disk drive does all that it did when it worked. It just doesn't load. It "loads" forever. It spins, makes noise, and the light goes on.

[Bryan]

Thanks!

 

The disk drive does all that it did when it worked. It just doesn't load. It "loads" forever. It spins, makes noise, and the light goes on.

Hmm... could need something as simple as a head cleaning, or it could be something more serious. Since cleaning disks are hard to find (and single-sided ones even harder), the best approach is to do it manually. This involves removing the top of the case, lifting the pressure pad above the head, and gently wiping the head with an alcohol moistened q-tip. Then try loading a disk before you put the case back together.

 

The top case screws are under the round decals that should be carefully lifted with a sharp object so they can be reused.

 

-Bry

 

edit: A couple other things I thought of...

 

1. Make sure you try more than one disk, since you might be trying to boot one that doesn't work.

2. Some disks have deteriorated over time (or rather, the adhesive holding the magnetic coating has deteriorated) and these disks will dirty the head almost immediately. Sometimes a groove can be seen in on the surface of the disk where the coating is coming off.

Edited February 11, 2009 by Bryan

[+Guitarman]

Look at the 'sticky message' area at the top of the 8 bit forum. This has a lot of nice 'how-to' for fixing and restoring. Here is the link, with pictures, to the keyboard repair entry.

 

1200XL Keyboard Repair

 

 

I've got out my 1200xl. The game cartridges work if I wiggle them a bit. Well, the ones I've tried anyway. The option button is hard to get to work. Can I just take the computer apart and dust out the keyboard? Any other tricks? How about the cartridge slot?

 

My disk drive has not worked for four years. It is an 800 something. Is it possible to fix it? Might a good cleaning do the trick? How do I know what to fix? The drive makes noise, but nothing actually loads.

 

Christine

[christineka]

Thanks! I've got the main computer all working. The keys are responding well and the games work. (I cleaned those too.)

 

I've open up the disk drive, which I've never done before and wow! was it dusty!!! There was a paper stuck in there from atari that was some sort of printout from testing. Does it need to be in the disk drive or can I remove it? Sorry, I'm a little techno disabled (probably should be taking apart computers, but the atari isn't too, too technical...) What part of the roundy part is the drive head? Is it just the round part? I have a bottle of alcohol around here, but don't know where it is at the moment. The nintendo can't be cleaned with alcohol (I was cleaning that tonight too), so I had to use the windex stuff. Can I use windex on the atari drive or does it have to be alcohol?

[christineka]

Okay, so my husband came home and pointed out the drive head. I'll have to look for my disks tomorrow so I can try them out after a good cleaning.

[+Guitarman]

The drive head is the black thing in the middle of the drive, mounted on the 2 railed. Use a small Q-tip with alcohol and very lightly clean.

 

 

Instead of trying to clean it that way, try and find a cleaning disk. It will have a slot that you put the cleaning solution (or alcohol) on. Then you put the disk in the drive and let it seek. I will clean the heads for you.

[+orpheuswaking]

if you can't get your drive working I have some spares (an 810 and a 1050) PM me and I'll work something out with you

[Bryan]

Glad you're making progress. The head is usually a shiny white (or light color) object with a line pattern on it and a felt pad is located directly above it which presses the disk against the head. It's all part of a larger head assembly that slides on rails.

 

The pieces of paper aren't important. You can do what you want with 'em.

Edited February 12, 2009 by Bryan

[+orpheuswaking]

The other thing that happens is the felt pad gets worn down over time, sometimes roughing it up a little with the end of a paperclip can help, ALTHOUGH BE CAREFUL NOT TO DAMAGE THE DRIVE HEAD...