MPC2000 Zip Boot question

I need help in a hurry, so someone please respond quick.

I have a mpc2000xl, never messed with the classic mpc2000 so I dont know much about it. I know you need to boot the classic 2000 with the OS disk everytime, but Ive never done it.

Here's my question: MY boy has classic 2000, and his floppy drive is shot. I just bought an internal and an external zip.

1) If we install the internal zip in his, will he be able to boot up the MPC if he puts the OS on a zip disk? OR must the OS be on floppy for the classic 2000 to boot?

If not, I'm just gonna swap him out my floppy for his, since I never use mine anyway. Then I'll just install the internal zip into mine.

Can the classic 2000 boot from an OS on zip (internal or externally through SCSI) or must it be on floppy?

Yes, yes, yes........... You can boot a 2000 from a zip. It is a good idea to put the OS on the start of every zip disk, so you can boot from whatever is currently in the drive.

next question:

can you put an internal zip in a classic 2000? I know you can in the XL.

And, if not, can you boot from an external zip? Or does the OS need to be already booted to even attempt to read a SCSI external device?

2k doesn't have a port on the motherboard for an ATAPI/IDE drive like the xl does.

Only way to get a zip on there is via SCSI.

...can you boot from an external zip? Or does the OS need to be already booted to even attempt to read a SCSI external device?

Yes....My zip is external.

Basically, you switch the 2000 on & it searches for what to boot from. If there is nothing in the floppy drive it goes through its SCSI options until it finds your zip (or CD ROM or hard drive.)

The only problem you might have, which depends on what is wrong with the floppy drive, is that the machine will be stuck on looking for the floppy drive & won't get past that.

Do you know what is wrong with the floppy drive?[/quote]

like I said, its my boy's. He just said it stopped reading disks.

It just says "disk read error". He tried the OS on 8 different floppies and got the same response. He took those same floppies and booted up another MPC at Guitar Center without a problem. So the issue is obviously with the floppy drive.

Big up for the help though.

It might be worth him trying out one of those floppy drive cleaners.

If you get that "disk read error" on just one disk, sometimes just shaking it.......... just the floppy disk, not the MPC..... loosens up the recordable disk inside the plastic shell & it works next time you try. If all his floppies get the "disk read error" it could mean the drive just needs cleaning.

So he should be fine booting from your external zip....but how are you going to get the OS onto the zip to start with?