Please Help. I can't get my mpc2000 to boot.

Hi,

Its been a few years since I used this forum, I'm sorry if this topic has been covered before but I couldn't find a thread to answer all my questions so;

I fired up my mpc2000 after years of no use, it wont boot from floppy.

I tried two other new OS floppys, everything gave me disk read error.

I installed a new disk drive (out of my PC) and I still received the same error, I did notice a tiny tear in the IDE ribbon cable connecting the floppy drive to the motherboard of the MPC. I suspect this is the problem and have another IDE cable (from my PC) that I would have attempted to use in the originals place until I noticed that the motherboard end of the cable is connected in a way that seems un-removable. hmmm

I just bought a USB zip drive for my PC and FAT formatted a disk, copied the OS onto it and bunged it in my scsi zip connected to my mpc. it wont boot and says input mpc2000 disk.

I searched and have been told that this method wont work because the mpc2000 will only recognise a mpc2000 formatted disk. I obviously cant do this because I cant boot the thing.

I have heaps of zips with all my old productions on and my project was to record them all into my DAW and sell my mpc on but now I cant access any of my work, which was countless hours. Is there anyway I can boot my mpc without the use of another mpc2000, thinking of it, does anyone have an mpc that could send me an mpc2000 bootable zip disk for a fee? It would literally blow away the storm clouds and thunder!

Thanks in advance,

Paul

you can use a floppy formatted in a usb floppy drive (formatted to fat on the pc) .. you download 1.72 from the website, unzip the contents... and drag/drop to the floppy... put it in the mpc and power on...

if that isn't working then by what I read in your post... you need to change the ribbon cable. I dont know how that cable got torn, but I think that is probably the problem. I am not sure if the cable is some sort of hard wired ones but I somehow doubt that. Be careful and try to take the cable out of the connector and replace the cable. Maybe show a pic of the part you think isn't removable.

Hi,

thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I tried various disks and two floppy drives but I still get 'disk read error'

where the ribbon cable attaches to the board it seems 'hardwired' and un removable, when i pull on the connected it feels like it is breaking it.

I think the only solution would be for me to pay someone who owns an mpc 2000 with a zip drive and get them to send me an mpc 2000 formatted zip with the os on it to boot from. the only problem is finding someone like this.....

powlo wrote:Hi,

thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I tried various disks and two floppy drives but I still get 'disk read error'

where the ribbon cable attaches to the board it seems 'hardwired' and un removable, when i pull on the connected it feels like it is breaking it.

I think the only solution would be for me to pay someone who owns an mpc 2000 with a zip drive and get them to send me an mpc 2000 formatted zip with the os on it to boot from. the only problem is finding someone like this.....

first of all, I dont suggest relying on zip disks... they will fail... (google search the zip click of death)

If I had a power plug for my scsi zip drive I would gladly connect it to my computer's scsi card and make you a copy though.

mr_debauch wrote:first of all, I dont suggest relying on zip disks... they will fail...

I swear you and me post this like 5-10 times a week

@powlo
Don't go the external route, your just putting off the inevitable replacement of the ripped IDE cable. Very cheap, and easy to replace. Do it, and get it over with.

m56p87 wrote:

mr_debauch wrote:first of all, I dont suggest relying on zip disks... they will fail...

I swear you and me post this like 5-10 times a week

@powlo
Don't go the external route, your just putting off the inevitable replacement of the ripped IDE cable. Very cheap, and easy to replace. Do it, and get it over with.

honestly, it needs to be said... zips are a bad design.... iomega had lawsuits over that



and second... I have had the xl and 2000classic... I know for a fact that the XL has a removable floppy cable, and I am pretty sure the classic does too... I just have not ever removed it because I never needed to.

the XL's cable comes out, I installed a CF drive in it and removed the cable.

mr_debauch wrote:
honestly, it needs to be said... zips are a bad design.... iomega had lawsuits over that

Yeah for sure, whack as hell. I didn't know they got sued over it though!

know for a fact that the XL has a removable floppy cable, and I am pretty sure the classic does too... I just have not ever removed it because I never needed to.

I can confirm the classic has removable cables as well. The cable is just gonna be harder to get at because the 2000xl internals are mounted upside down for easy access. I suggest the OP getting a few upgrades you planned on doing all at once, so you only have dive in one time. You pretty much have to completely dismantle the entire mpc2000 to get at anything. Also get a peice of paper and tape so you can label and keep track of all the different screws..

Thank you everyone for your responses. I have been busy with other things but this job has reared its ugly freakin head. I need to conquer it!

on my mpc2000 classic, where the ribbon cable attaches to the motherboard, it is permanently attached. i cannot pull it off, its almost as if its stapled on.

Do any of you own a mpc2000 classic and a scsi zip drive? the easiest solution I think would be to boot from zip, I know they are bad but its only temporary. I wish to sell my mpc but first I need to salvage my beats!

powlo wrote:Do any of you own a mpc2000 classic and a scsi zip drive?

yes... I dont use the zips though because I dont like them..

I guess try and find a cheap one.. get your beats off the machine...

I would ask you to make me a zip boot disk and send it to me for a fee but you live in Montreal? Im in the UK.....

any UK users own a mpc2000 classic and a scsi zip??

powlo wrote:I would ask you to make me a zip boot disk and send it to me for a fee but you live in Montreal? Im in the UK.....

any UK users own a mpc2000 classic and a scsi zip??

they dont need to even own an mpc.. all they need to do is download the 1.72 from akaipro... unzip the package... drag the unzipped stuff to the zip disk's root.



and apparently I only have zip 250 disks... and a few zip 100 drives... not sure where the zip250 drive disappeared to (or the zip 100 disks)... who even knows if they still worked anyways.

hey, maybe one of the UK guys has a usb zip drive (or one on their computer) sitting around ... and maybe one of them will make you one.

If not that a "mom and pop" pc store would likely do it for a small fee if you brought them the file on a USB stick. May even be able to sell the blank zip to you. Those shops are filled with old tech on the regular.

thanks for your replies but the mpc2000 classic will only boot from a zip formatted on an mpc2000 classic.

copying the boot file onto a pc formatted zip and putting it into an zip connected to the mpc2000 classic doesnt work.

I need someone with an mpc2000 classic and a scsi zip drive to make me a boot disk!

powlo wrote:thanks for your replies but the mpc2000 classic will only boot from a zip formatted on an mpc2000 classic.

copying the boot file onto a pc formatted zip and putting it into an zip connected to the mpc2000 classic doesnt work.

I need someone with an mpc2000 classic and a scsi zip drive to make me a boot disk!

Yes you are right I forgot that sorry. I don't have a zip in my XL anymore, and the other one is so lined it's kept as a potential parts machine. Yeah I used to have all kinds of issues if I formatted on the PC. (to the extent I could never reformat in the MPC after a PC format, the discs were henceforth useless).

Maybe bite the bullet cost wise and contact MPCStuff and sse if Mike will put it on a zip. (He has OS floppies for $25+shipping) I mean sometimes this stuff reaches a point where it's just best to overpay and be done with it.

PM to powlo