OS wont write to Flash memory

So, I have 1.20 (& 1.14) OS disks (5 of each). Somehow, about a year ago, I went to turn on my XL and the OS was no longer saved into the Flash ROM. To save, you just load the OS from disk on boot up, then load it again through the load menu. No Problems. Saved it into the ROM again, all good.
A few weeks ago I turned the MP on and the OS was gone again. This time after I booted from the floppy disk and tried to load the OS to ROM, the MP asks for the MPC2000XL disk. Is this fixable?
Im thinking that ROM chip isnt seated properly, however, I bought the MP new in '02 and I NEVER move it. It has been in the same spot for 5 of the last 7 years!! I dont know how or why this might happen. I guess mashing pads on the thing for the greater part of a decade will do that, but is it even possible to find a replacement if this one is bad???? The only time I opened her up was to upgrade the RAM, but that was 5 years ago as well. I have no problems opening it up, but does anyone have any pre-op troubleshooting procedures I could attempt??

Honestly, I dont really mind loading from disk, but I could use those precious 15-20 seconds working on chops or reducing the time it takes to timestretch from half an hour to 29 min. 40 sec.

If the ROM is effed.......
anyone willing to part with a 3000??

sorry,
knowledge on flash rom isn`t that common I think....i had also an issue with that part.
posted some time ago that I defraged my flash rom and wasn`t able to use it thereafter.had to put it out the machine cause it freezed every time starting.will try to erase and format the whole rom if I find a way to connect it to a computer.
sad nobody could help as it did cost me 90 euros.....

jonestown massacre wrote:So, I have 1.20 (& 1.14) OS disks (5 of each). Somehow, about a year ago, I went to turn on my XL and the OS was no longer saved into the Flash ROM. To save, you just load the OS from disk on boot up, then load it again through the load menu. No Problems. Saved it into the ROM again, all good.

The MPC2000XL has a bad flash ROM boot block.

Note ... this flash ROM boot block is nothing to do with the "FLASH-ROM" sample expansion board.

The flash ROM boot block I am talking about here is to do with a faulty section of code within the MPC2000XL boot flash ROM.

jonestown massacre wrote:A few weeks ago I turned the MP on and the OS was gone again. This time after I booted from the floppy disk and tried to load the OS to ROM, the MP asks for the MPC2000XL disk. Is this fixable?

Yes ...

On this very forum there have been other threads that discuss the concept of a recovery chip.

Discussed here:

viewtopic.php?t=40575

Some near misses where necessity of a recovery chip might have been needed:

viewtopic.php?t=41177
viewtopic.php?t=58068

I have supplied these for minimal cost to several users on this list where their machine's flash os has become corrupt. ( beyond booting )

... and example where one user needed the recovery ROM:

viewtopic.php?t=70297

BTW: He had success with the recovery ROM and identified another problem with his MPC2000XL too.

The recovery chip is the only way to perform a complete and clean re-flash of the corrupted os where such corruption may present a no boot scenario for the MPC2000XL.

The F-ROM/P-ROM jumper on the MPC2000XL main board next to the empty blue 32 PIN DIP socket switches between launching from the recovery chip, or the main board FLASH.

The BOOTLOCK or BOOTPROTECT jumper locks/unlocks the main board boot loader area to allow the recovery chip code to be written.

A particular process is then performed to initiate the recovery process.

jonestown massacre wrote:Im thinking that ROM chip isnt seated properly, however, I bought the MP new in '02 and I NEVER move it. It has been in the same spot for 5 of the last 7 years!!

If we are talking about the MPC2000XL boot flash ROM then I don't think so.

Said factory boot flash ROM is soldered to the main board.

jonestown massacre wrote:I dont know how or why this might happen.

Bad design by AKAI.

Hope this whole response is of some help to you.

PM me if you need to obtain a recovery chip to "properly" fix your machine.

Rohan.

mpc3000le wrote:
Note ... this flash ROM boot block is nothing to do with the "FLASH-ROM" sample expansion board.

The flash ROM boot block I am talking about here is to do with a faulty section of code within the MPC2000XL boot flash ROM.

ok.

but.....does anybody use the flash rom expansion and knows how to clear and rewrite to it without the mpc ?



and wouldn`t it be possible to write the os to the boot chip?

Maxillaa wrote:

mpc3000le wrote:
Note ... this flash ROM boot block is nothing to do with the "FLASH-ROM" sample expansion board.

The flash ROM boot block I am talking about here is to do with a faulty section of code within the MPC2000XL boot flash ROM.

ok.

but.....does anybody use the flash rom expansion and knows how to clear and rewrite to it without the mpc ?

Without a compatible MPC or S Series sampler ?

Yes. A FLASH MEMORY programmer, appropriate target cables and know how.

Loose concept in this regard ?

Connect target cables directly to flash chips on sample memory flash expander board, select the chip type in the FLASH MEMORY programmer software, write zero's to each chip on the flash memory expansion board.

On next insertion back into the sampler the card will appear as fresh and need re-initialization.

Maxillaa wrote:and wouldn`t it be possible to write the os to the boot chip?

From where ?

Where possible ...

Writing an OS to the OS FLASH ROM BOOT CHIP is best done via the floppy disk drive.

Second best option is a SCSI or IDE storage device.

The FLASH MEMORY SAMPLE expansion option is NOT a good place to store OS files... for loading or OS FLASH ROM BOOT BLOCK re flashing.

Note ... if none of the above methods allow OS restoration to the OS FLASH BOOT ROM then a recovery chip is the only reliable choice.

Rohan.

Maxillaa wrote:sorry,
knowledge on flash rom isn`t that common I think....i had also an issue with that part.
posted some time ago that I defraged my flash rom and wasn`t able to use it thereafter.had to put it out the machine cause it freezed every time starting.will try to erase and format the whole rom if I find a way to connect it to a computer.
sad nobody could help as it did cost me 90 euros.....

MUTEC SAMPLE FLASH ROM EXPANDER ?

Send it back to them for repair.

Rohan.

ooh,that`s some in-depth information...

don`t know if I can figure it out to work with the FLASH MEMORY PROPGRAMMER.
I`ll have to get some background information and skills with it first.....

Wow, Rohan, you really know your ish! Okay, so out of frustration, I sat at my MP and literally tried booting and restoring the os to flash for an hour. Insert disk, os loads, try to load into flash drive, repeat. After probably 25 attempts, FINALLY saved!! Ive powered the MP down for a few hours and turned it back on.....autoload!!! WOO-HOO... I am sooo glad I didnt have to try and mess with your fix Rohan, but it might be a good idea to get a recovery chip, just in case. Could you PM me with some more info? I have no idea how permanent my fix will be.....