Re: Help! Apple IIc+ with no working diskettes

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

star_fire@hushmail.com writes ...
> 
> Years ago, an Apple IIc+ was given to my grandma for opening a bank
> account.  It sat boxed up for ages, then was passed around the family.
> My sister and BIL had it for a while, called it "junk", and now it's
> made it's way to me.  I have one of three books (an essentially
> useless "Owner's Guide"), and 2 disks labeled "system" and "tour".
> Niether one will boot.

     Using a 'Head Cleaner' disk in the built-in drive may help. (See
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2FDRIVE.html#004 .)  And/or you could try
doing a Reset (press Control-Reset) after you get the error message and
entering PR#5 to retry booting the System disk.



> All I get is ***UNABLE TO LOAD PRODOS*** on
> the screen.  I'm a Windows junkie and have tinkered with Linux a bit,
> but this Apple Basic stuff has me utterly lost.  I'm trying to find
> the files I need for ProDOS (I've found dos3.3, but don't have a 5.25"
> drive) to eventually transfer them via PC null modem to the Apple.
> 
> Most of the info out there is just above my grasp.  I *feel* like I
> should be able to understand it, but it's not quite there.
 ....

     Know what you mean. The problem is that you do not have the hardware to
use any of the usual means for starting from scratch. It's pretty hard to grasp
what's going on when you don't get to _do_ something and have no way to
experiment.

     The usual from-scratch route is to first transfer DOS 3.3 via a NULL modem
connection using a plain Text send at a low baud rate (300 baud) from the PC
running a telecom utility such as Hyperterm. No Apple II telecom program is
needed because, with IN#2 the send from the PC just 'types in' the code.

     IN#2 says get character input via an input device associated with Slot 2.
On Apple II's, Slot 2 is usually associated with either a serial card plugged
into Slot 2 or (on the //c, IIc+, and IIgs) with a built-in serial port. (The
info for setting up the transfer is included in the DOS 3.3 transfer docs.) 
For a IIc+, you can use 

     Of course, to transfer DOS 3.3, you need to have a 5.25" drive connected
to your Apple II with a 5.25" DD (double density-- HD will not work) diskette
in the drive. Unlike ProDOS, DOS 3.3 is tied to 5.25" media.

     With a bootable DOS 3.3 disk, you can create more bootable DOS 3.3
diskettes using the INIT command. (See info about DOS 3.3 INIT in the FAQs at
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2DOSMM.html#007.)  One of these new DOS 3.3
disks can be used to receive ADT v1.22-- the transfer process is like the one
used for DOS 3.3.

     Once ADT is running on the Apple II, it can talk to ADT running on the PC
(adt.exe) and you have a fairly fast way (e.g. 9600 baud or 19,200 baud) to
transfer 5.25" .dsk disk image files from PC to Apple II. Everything you need
to bootstrap up to a system running ProDOS which can transfer all kinds of
files is available on 5.25" .dsk image files.

     Whether or not you want to try the from-scratch method outlined above, at
least one 5.25" drive is very nice to have (if not quite an absolute
necessity).  A good person to contact in order to purchase a drive that will
plug into your IIc+ is Steve Buggie:

Stephen Buggie (505-863-2390; buggie@unm.edu) sells the famous Buggie Power 
Supplies, Buggie Drives, and does disk drive conversions

Be sure to specify that you want a 5.25" drive that will plug into a IIc+.
 


     The simplest way to get a diskette or two which can boot ProDOS and give
you access to important disk management and telecom utilities is to visit a
local Apple II club. If you can't find one, the next best bet is to contact
someone here via email and offer to pay the costs of sending the disks. 


> Are there any REALLY newbie sites that I should check out?
 ....

     There are some newbie sites listed in the FAQs at
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs5MAINHALL.html#022 . Actually, though,
you probably need stuff more than really newbie info. 



> Also, I think I have the modem wired up right to my PC's serial port,
> but everything I've read about setting the Apple's modem up
> (baud, parity, stop bits, etc.) refers me to a manual that I don't
> have.
 ....

     Wouldn't much matter. Having a PC is, all things considered, considerably
better than having a Mac; but, you still need a way to boot DOS 3.3 on the IIc+
or a way to boot ProDOS and start a telecom utility. One or the other is pretty
close to 'Square One' in getting started.



Rubywand