Page 1 of 2
Gotek Problem.
Posted: 22 Jun 2026 18:56
by Monotamp3
Hi Everyone. I have a problem with my Gotek.
I apologise in advance for any stupid things that I may say, but I am very new to the ATARI world.
I was trying to install a Gotek drive on my 1040 STF, but I faced the old terrifying message "lba change test failed! Write issue ?"
I looked around, and I found a couple of very old posts that give no real solutions.
I tried two different Gotek, one with HXC firmware and the other with flash floppy.
I tried jumpers on S0 or S0 and M0 or S1 or S1 and M0.
I tried 5 different USB keys (1,2,4 8 GB).
Both the Gotek work great with my two amiga.
Only two times I was lucky to see it boot the file manager, and the first time I selected the .st file with F7 to boot and the second time I put the .st in position 001 and saved the list. In both cases The gotek get corrupted.
Has anyone found a solution?
Thanks
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 22 Jun 2026 22:24
by rubber_jonnie
The only jumper required is S0.
Before condemning the Gotek did you test the ST with a real floppy first?
If not you should.
The Gotek should be a drop in replacement for the normal floppy.
Also consider the floppy/DMA pull ups in the mandatory fixes section
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 23 Jun 2026 10:36
by DoG
ribbon cable up-side-down?
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 23 Jun 2026 14:38
by rubber_jonnie
DoG wrote: 23 Jun 2026 10:36
ribbon cable up-side-down?
Usually Goteks do detect upside down cables and will tell you on the display, but I'm not sure if that is FF only and not HXC.
Always worth a check.
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 23 Jun 2026 15:12
by DoG
rubber_jonnie wrote: 23 Jun 2026 14:38
Usually Goteks do detect upside down cables and will tell you on the display, but I'm not sure if that is FF only and not HXC.
Yes, true. Apperently it says "RIB" if that is the case and you use a 7 segment display and not the OLED. For both HxC and FF.
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 23 Jun 2026 15:38
by rubber_jonnie
DoG wrote: 23 Jun 2026 15:12
rubber_jonnie wrote: 23 Jun 2026 14:38
Usually Goteks do detect upside down cables and will tell you on the display, but I'm not sure if that is FF only and not HXC.
Yes, true. Apperently it says "RIB" if that is the case and you use a 7 segment display and not the OLED. For both HxC and FF.
I'd forgotten HXC did that TBH, all my own Goteks are FF and have an OLED display that tells you in a bit more of a friendly manner.
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 23 Jun 2026 19:10
by Monotamp3
Hi, thanks for all the answers.
I will test with a real floppy, hoping that the floppy works.
The FF and HCX were also tested with S0 only.
I will check what the DMA pull-ups fix is, and I will apply it.
The cable is original, all wires are fine, and the red strip is aligned with pin 1 on mb and Gotek connectors.
So the behaviour of autoboot.hfe is not normal.
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 23 Jun 2026 20:16
by DoG
It seems that you already checked a lot of stuff to eliminate. So it shouldn't be a USB/gotek drive fault. But anyway...
The fact that the file menu showed up suggest that you have run the AtariST "autoboot.hfe" and not the Amiga one. The fact that that it gets corrupt seems odd and might suggest some hardware fault as pointed out earlier. A test with a real floppydrive to make sure it is working would be great to eliminate that it's actually the gotek and not something on the motherboard. Do you know if it worked with a real drive previously? You wrote in previous post that you are testing this.
You also seem to have tested several different USB so I guess they are new/wiped and runs a new "FF.CFG" (flash floppy). Atari shouldn't need any specific settings really. But drive could be set to "shugart". But that is default anyway so it shouldn't matter.
Are you using a new utility/"autoboot.hfe" with a old firmware perhaps? Or mixing "autoboot.hfe" with HxC firmware? What firmware on FF are you using?
Could it be cold boot related? Tried pressing the reset button on the back?
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 23 Jun 2026 21:16
by rubber_jonnie
DoG wrote: 23 Jun 2026 20:16
It seems that you already checked a lot of stuff to eliminate. So it shouldn't be a USB/gotek drive fault. But anyway...
The fact that the file menu showed up suggest that you have run the AtariST "autoboot.hfe" and not the Amiga one. The fact that that it gets corrupt seems odd and might suggest some hardware fault as pointed out earlier.
A test with a real floppydrive to make sure it is working would be great to eliminate that it's actually the gotek and not something on the motherboard. Do you know if it worked with a real drive previously? You wrote in previous post that you are testing this.
You also seem to have tested several different USB so I guess they are new/wiped and runs a new "FF.CFG" (flash floppy). Atari shouldn't need any specific settings really. But drive could be set to "shugart". But that is default anyway so it shouldn't matter.
Are you using a new utility/"autoboot.hfe" with a old firmware perhaps? Or mixing "autoboot.hfe" with HxC firmware? What firmware on FF are you using?
Could it be cold boot related? Tried pressing the reset button on the back?
Some good points there.
@Monotamp3 have you tried running without autoboot.hfe just using flashfloppy?
Re: Gotek Problem.
Posted: 24 Jun 2026 18:43
by Monotamp3
rubber_jonnie wrote: 23 Jun 2026 21:16
DoG wrote: 23 Jun 2026 20:16
It seems that you already checked a lot of stuff to eliminate. So it shouldn't be a USB/gotek drive fault. But anyway...
The fact that the file menu showed up suggest that you have run the AtariST "autoboot.hfe" and not the Amiga one. The fact that that it gets corrupt seems odd and might suggest some hardware fault as pointed out earlier.
A test with a real floppydrive to make sure it is working would be great to eliminate that it's actually the gotek and not something on the motherboard. Do you know if it worked with a real drive previously? You wrote in previous post that you are testing this.
You also seem to have tested several different USB so I guess they are new/wiped and runs a new "FF.CFG" (flash floppy). Atari shouldn't need any specific settings really. But drive could be set to "shugart". But that is default anyway so it shouldn't matter.
Are you using a new utility/"autoboot.hfe" with a old firmware perhaps? Or mixing "autoboot.hfe" with HxC firmware? What firmware on FF are you using?
Could it be cold boot related? Tried pressing the reset button on the back?
Some good points there. @Monotamp3 have you tried running without autoboot.hfe just using flashfloppy?
Hi, yes. I also renamed the the .st file autoboot.hfe but no luck