OK, so seemingly stable again and all drives accessible. The SCSI boot drive does have the correct boot options enabled, but stubbornly refuses to boot from the SCSI drive.
If I click on the main drive after booting it does load my desktop background, however I need the drive to boot from the get go as it loads things like the network drivers, not something I really want to install again!!
I'll keep an eye on it for stability for a bit and then go down the route of 'Why are you not booting?'.
A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
- rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
- rubber_jonnie
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- Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2017 7:40 pm
- Location: Essex
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
So, I suspect we have a corrupted CMOS. I just did a reset (Hold down D on boot) and set the IDE drive to be bootable. It didn't have the !BOOT folder present and I started getting an error message saying that !BOOT wasn't found.
So I pulled the battery, rebooted and it's now booting from the IDE drive with all of my drivers present. Next I'll set the drive to be non bootable and hook up the SCSI drive to see if that plays nicely again.
For now though, I've pulled the battery and I'm leaving it for a while for CMOS to fully clear.
So I pulled the battery, rebooted and it's now booting from the IDE drive with all of my drivers present. Next I'll set the drive to be non bootable and hook up the SCSI drive to see if that plays nicely again.
For now though, I've pulled the battery and I'm leaving it for a while for CMOS to fully clear.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
- HigashiJun
- Posts: 1649
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:21 am
- Location: Tokyo
Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
Fingers crossed again !
- rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
Well, it later stopped booting from my IDE drive, so I think the finger is pointing again at the CMOS, so I ordered replacements.
You can see as the boot starts it should try to load !BOOT, but it's currently only attempting to boot from floppy. The !BOOT file won't fit on a floppy, but most of it does and it tried to lad that, obviously unsuccessfully.

Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
- HigashiJun
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- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:21 am
- Location: Tokyo
Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
@rubber_jonnie
Let's hope it's just the CMOS.
It started to be a never ending story with my A5000, and that's why I sold it for parts.
I really hate when you fix something and then it fails again for another reason that wasn't an issue before the previous repair.
Not to mention the time wasted on repairs, financial bottomless pits are definitely over for me.
Let's hope it's just the CMOS.
It started to be a never ending story with my A5000, and that's why I sold it for parts.
I really hate when you fix something and then it fails again for another reason that wasn't an issue before the previous repair.
Not to mention the time wasted on repairs, financial bottomless pits are definitely over for me.
- rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
Yeah, I hear ya. The trouble is with battery damage is that it can so easily come back to haunt you later. It's be good if there was a replacement PCB for it as I'd certainly go for one.HigashiJun wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2025 10:15 am @rubber_jonnie
Let's hope it's just the CMOS.
It started to be a never ending story with my A5000, and that's why I sold it for parts.
I really hate when you fix something and then it fails again for another reason that wasn't an issue before the previous repair.
Not to mention the time wasted on repairs, financial bottomless pits are definitely over for me.
It's definitely painful for things to keep failing and as you say, it can get costly.
Mine may end up being sold for parts. God all that effort to set up the network adapter... And the cost

Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
The hardest bit with retro stuff is knowing when it's time to call it a day.i have a Mega ST like that which works most days but no matter what I do, I can't get the floppy to work. So it's now back in the loft till I gain some more enthusiasm.
If it ain't broke, test it to Destruction.
- rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
Yep, that's very true. Do I say 'enough' or does the time & money I've already spent justify further investment...
The CMOS IC's are pretty cheap, so that is worth a go, but after that may require further thought.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
- HigashiJun
- Posts: 1649
- Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:21 am
- Location: Tokyo
Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
That's the reason I sold mine quickly: not to regret anything.rubber_jonnie wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2025 10:24 am Mine may end up being sold for parts. God all that effort to set up the network adapter... And the cost![]()
Battery damage was such a mess in my A3000 but it works reliably after being repaired. However, I bought the replica PCB since it looks really better than a repaired motherboard.
The A5000 was failing randomly, while the battery damage wasn't as bad as it was in my A3000. Each boot was a new surprise and I didn't feel like repairing it indefinitely...
- rubber_jonnie
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Re: A5000 - diving in at the deep end!
I know what you mean about each boot being a new surprise...HigashiJun wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2025 11:09 amThat's the reason I sold mine quickly: not to regret anything.rubber_jonnie wrote: ↑Mon Jan 27, 2025 10:24 am Mine may end up being sold for parts. God all that effort to set up the network adapter... And the cost![]()
Battery damage was such a mess in my A3000 but it works reliably after being repaired. However, I bought the replica PCB since it looks really better than a repaired motherboard.
The A5000 was failing randomly, while the battery damage wasn't as bad as it was in my A3000. Each boot was a new surprise and I didn't feel like repairing it indefinitely...
The main issue I have is that if I set booting, so *configure boot, all it'll try to boot from is the FDD and not the IDE or SCSI drives. Though yesterday it surprised me by booting properly from the IDE drive...
Ho hum.
Collector of many retro things!
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...
800XL and 65XE both with Ultimate1MB,VBXL/XE & PokeyMax, SIDE3, SDrive Max, 2x 1010 cassette, 2x 1050 one with Happy mod, 3x 2600 Jr, 7800 and Lynx II
Approx 20 STs, including a 520 STM, 520 STFMs, 3x Mega ST, MSTE & 2x 32 Mhz boosted STEs
Plus the rest, totalling around 50 machines including a QL, 3x BBC Model B, Electron, Spectrums, ZX81 etc...