Re: stopping floppy drive seeks & what is happening

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

John writes ...
> 
> On a IIgs when certain programs start the loading process pauses while
> the IIgs seeks (drives make that loud "ratcheting buzz") on a pair of
> 5.25" drives (about 3 cycles).
> 
>   It happens with several programs. I think all of these are Prodos
> programs (not GSOS).
> 
>   For example, I copied all the files on the Santa Paravia disk to a
> folder on the HD. I go to that folder using the 6.01 finder, click on
> the basic1.system (?) file (I also tried clicking on the Prodos file
> in the folder) and get the Prodos blue screen as things load. Soon,
> the 5.25 floppies start seeking, and after 3 cycles they give up and
> the program loads and runs fine.
> 
>   I pretty much did the same thing (file copy to folder) on a Platinum
> 2e and don't seek this drive seek behavior when starting Santa
> Paravia.
> 
>   What is going on and how do I fix it or what should I check?
> 
 ....

     Probably, there's nothing broken. The IIgs disk seek behavior is a 
pet peeve. Like, you'd think if a drive is checked and it's empty or
the file is not there, that would be that. Instead, you may have to wait
for several cycles of drive checking. 

     Did a few tests starting the new version of Santa Paravia (2003
"Tournament Edition") from hard disk folders. Also tried several other
ProDOS programs. 

     It looks like there is practically always some scanning of 
floppies-- like one or both 3.5" drives may turn on briefly. Whether it's
one or both seems to depend upon the Slot locations of the volumes 
involved. Evidently, the Finder is looking through the drives for the 
volume name which has the program. If some other file, like BASIC.SYSTEM,
also needs to be launched and it is on a different volume, then, that 
requires another scan.

     Don't know why your 5.25" drives get involved and the 5.25" drives
on our IIgs do not. Maybe you have a lot more volumes on line; or, you
don't have 3.5" floppy drives connected?

     Something that will greatly reduce the hassle from scanning the
5.25" drives is to make sure they always have a ProDOS diskette inserted.
It takes a lot less time to find a ProDOS volume in those drives than it
does to decide there's no diskette present; and, you get a lot less
clatter.

     Also, if you haven't already, you may want to uncheck the 
Finder Preferences option to "Check 5.25" drives on Finder start".



Rubywand