Trackstar 128 Problems - Please Help

[Mike <moose@rocknet.net.au>]

I finally got around to having a proper go at installing my Trackstar
128.

I read the 52 page manual thoroughly (which raises more questions than
it answers), connected up my Apple ][ drive to the Trackstar 128 card,
and inserted my bootable Trackstar v6.2 5.25 inch disk into my PC's
floppy drive, and switched on my PC.

When I run the Trackstar program STAR, all I see is the following :

*****************************************************
Trackstar 128   Program Version V6.2
(C) Diamond Computer Systems, Inc., 1986

Please Wait !!


*****************************************************

And, after 5 minutes nothing happens - the program doesn't load any
further.

I have 3 original 5.25 inch Trackstar disks, and have tried all 3 - no
luck.

I have tried reseating the chips on the Trackstar card - which do have a
tendency to rise out of their sockets over time just like the good old
Apple ][ chips did - and tried again - no luck.

I read the manual again to make sure I hadn't missed anything and tried
again - no luck.

I tried pulling the card and re-inserting it again and tried again - no
luck.

I tried running the INSTAR utility, and changed the settings so it used
the PC drives only and tried again - no luck.

I tried running the INSTAR utility, and changed the settings so it used
the Apple drive only and tried again - no luck.

Does anybody know what's wrong ?

Can anybody help ?

Is the card faulty ?

I am desperate to access / transfer some of my old programs that I wrote
in 1980-1984.

BTW, does anybody know how to hack the Trackstar STAR program so that it
doesn't try and run itself from the A: drive - this is a pain as well.

Hope somebody can help.

Mike O'Malley