Disk Failure/Disk Not Found /Disk Errors

Notes for use on Floppy disk based systems. If you have an internal hard disk then this page is NOT for you.

When turning on the control after its been off for a while, over a holiday etc, on an older floppy disk based machine, you may get an error code that indicates the computer can't find a floppy disk or you have had a disk drive failure. This may indicate that the rechargable CMOS battery on the motherboard is going bad. Reboot the machine, and as it comes back up, press and hold the DEL key. This brings up the CMOS menu.

This menu tells the computer what type of hardware it has, and how to operate it. Go to the first menu, and look for Floppy Disks. Using the Tab key, tab down to the first one (A:) and use the "page up" and "page down" keys to change this to 1.44. Tab down to the second floppy drive and repeat. Press Escape, and tab down to the second menu choice, and look for the line where it asks for Boot From. This should be set to A:, C:. If not, change it.

Press Escape, tab over to the choice marked: SAVE and EXIT. Hit0000000000 return. The machine will save that information and try loading the operating system from the A: drive.

Be sure that your OmniTurn System Disk in in the bottom drive, and the User or program disk in in the top drive. The system should now boot normally.

If the computer is turned on for at least 8 hours, it should recharge that CMOS battery, but if it is failing, it may discharge or not charge at all. The solution is to have your service tech replace that battery, or do it yourself. On the older controls, this requires that you disassemble the control, remove the mother board, unsolder the old battery, and solder in a new one. Newer controls use a large non-rechargeable "watch battery" that is simply slipped out and the new one slipped in. You will then of course, have to go back and re-add the floppy disks in the CMOS menu.

If the CMOS menu shows that you do have both of the floppy drives, but you get a Reading DISK error, you have a disk that is damaged, or the floppy drive is dirty. Use a disk drive cleaning kit available from any office or computer supply store. Follow the directions and clean BOTH drives. Smog, oil and shop mang will, over time, leave a deposit on the reading heads of the drives, and they need to be periodicly cleaned. Depending on the amount of smog in your shop, the drives should be cleaned,.every three -six months or more often.

If the disk still can not be read, the disk itself may be damaged, or in rare cases, the drive may have failed.

Take your backup system disk ( you did make one, didn’t you?) and try it in the A: drive. If it still refuses to read the disk, the drive is bad.

If the system does boot up with your backup system disk, you must retouch your tools, as the offset tables are stored on the OmniTurn System disk and are gone. Failure to touch off your tools WILL result in a crash and broken tools.

The above tests also apply to OmniTurn program disks that fail to read or write in the B: or top drive. Cleaning the drives may clean the heads well enough to allow use.

We STRONGLY recommend that you make regular backups of your System and Program disks. Or be able to go to our website to down load new system disks as needed OmniTurn Software

Be sure to determine what type of machine you have, before downloading the software. Caxis software will not work in a 5hp machine or visa versa. Older machines that use the 2axis interp card will not run with any software designed for the MC-2 controller card.

Make a separate directory on your computers harddrive and download the proper software to that directory. Place a new floppy disk in you’re A: drive, and after the software is downloaded, use Explorer to run that program. It will make the new floppy into a working system disk.

Tools MUST be touched off again, as there will be NO offsets saved. Failure to do this will result in a crash and broken tools.