Atari st520

[Pharo]

Hi all i know some of you are into old computing so I'm looking for some help.
I picked up an atari st today untested with a load of games got it home and to my surprise it actually loaded to the desktop and I thought I can't be this lucky and sure enough I wasn't, went to load a game and I get what I would describe as two bombs on the screen after about 20 seconds.
Is this a problem with the disk drive or something else and more importantly is it an easy fix.
Cheers Brian

 

[Vorbis]

Sorry for the AI

On an Atari ST, an error displaying two bombs means a Bus Error has occurred, indicating the Motorola 68000 processor tried to access an invalid memory address or experienced a hardware failure. [1, 2]
For a visual reference of a typical Atari ST display layout during system tasks or diagnostics:

Common Causes

• • Faulty RAM / Memory Upgrades: Poor soldering, damaged traces, or failed RAM chips/SIMMs often trigger bus errors.
  • TOS ROM Issues: Defective, unseated, or mismatched ROM chips (such as improper jumper settings when upgrading TOS versions).
  • DMA / Floppy Subsystem: Problems with the DMA chip, missing pull-up resistors, or disk controller communication failures.
  • Loose Custom Chips: Shifting or corrosion in socketed motherboard chips like the GLUE or MMU. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Troubleshooting Steps

• • Reseat Chips: Carefully press down on socketed chips and ROMs to ensure proper contact.
  • Remove Peripherals: Disconnect all external ACSI hard drives, cartridges, and floppy connections to isolate the base unit.
  • Check Modifications: Inspect recent RAM or TOS upgrades for bridged solder joints or incorrect wire placements. [1]

 

[Pharo]

Hi thanks for the post I read that one myself but didn't understand much of it 🤣 but it looks as if it needs opening up.
Hoping maybe someone has had this problem before and got it sorted.
Cheers Brian

 

[Vorbis]

Yeah, me neither sorry 😁

 

[Macro]

I once had an offical Atari bulletin about the ST that said (with it switched off) "lift it 3 inches off the desktop and then drop it."

I always found it easier to just open it up and reseat the chips myself, it was usually the multi pinned square ones rather than the roms.

 

[Pharo]

🤣 I'm a bricklayer 3 inches is just as good as 3 feet.

 

[Pharo]

Well I opened it up hoping to see something obvious but nothing it was remarkably clean to be fair, pressed all chips and roms put all back together and still showing the two bombs when trying to load a game 😡

 

[Double_dragon]

Had an Atari ST when I was younger and I loved it, didn't know anyone else who had one though, they all had Amigas 😆

 

[agent4125]

I had both at one point or another. Amiga was best of course but the ST had some great games too. Oids springs to mind.

 

[Pharo]

I've not had another try at loading a game as I'm on holiday just now but I've been advised to get a disk cleaner and a system info disk before doing anything stupid.😂

 

[tin]

How many different games have you tried to load? Could be that the disks are a bit corrupt or that they're not compatible with that exact model of ST. Again... before you do anything else more drastic!

 

[Pharo]

I've tried about 5 a mixture of ones boxed and taped shut and one's that were in a disk holder 2 bombs every time,got a disk cleaner coming should be there by the time I get back from holiday so will give that a go.

 

[Pharo]

Well back from holiday and the cleaner disk was here and the system info disk used the cleaner disk twice then put in the system info disk and still got the two bombs on the screen, tried another 10 games and got two bombs every time so at a bit of a loss,does anyone know someone who fixes these or have any ideas on what I should try next.
Cheers Brian

 

[DanP]

I remember back in the day (I used to work in an Atari distributor) there was a diagnostic cart available which could be used to help fix broken machines. Maybe get hold of one of those if they are still around or have been reproduced?

 

[kingtreelo]

if its just the drive that is a bit broken, you could get a gotek, i have one in mine and its great, i also have a working drive somewhere

 

[Pharo]

Hi will look into one of the diagnostic carts thanks for help never new there was such a thing.
I don't know if the drive is broken or something else when I put the cleaning disk in it made all the right noises a drive should but when I put a game in it goes to read it then 10 seconds maybe less the two bombs come on the screen.
Cheers Brian

 

[Shipwreck Arcade]

 

[Shipwreck Arcade]

Outstanding documentary for you Atari ST and Amiga guys, if you haven't seen it already. I guarantee you won't be able to stop watching it until the end!
Good luck with the fix Pharo. 🤞

 

[Pharo]

Hi kingtrello might be interested in the working drive even just to tick the box that's the problem,was thinking about a gotek as my Dreamcast has one but a part of me wants to keep the st stock just for the memories and with the gotek I think if I had the choice of every game I would never finish any of them just keep on picking different games, I have about 40 games for the st alot if them big box games so would be great to go back and play some of them.