Re: [ql-users] Bad line 8

[RWAPSoftware]

In a message dated 11/10/2003 15:26:12 GMT Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Dear All, Any help welcome! My 87-year-old Dad in Caerphilly has an antique QL, on which I have to advise occasionally. Recently Quill, Abacus, Archive and Easel have all failed on every startup. With the program cartridge in the LH microdrive slot, and a data cartridge in the RH slot, we reboot. The program startup screen appears as usual, and the LH microdrive whirrs away for ages as usual, but then all four programs crash with the following error message..... "At line 8 bad or changed medium". Please can anyone enlighten me about this? Is it a disastrous failure of the microdrive drive mechanism, or what? It's remarkable that the crash occurs at the same place in all four programs. Can anyone tell me what's in line 8? TIA for any advice. If I can't get it going again for him, it may be curtains for his computing. I'd like to get him a cheap s/hand Windows PC (�250 got me a powerful machine for student daughter last year), but he's adamant he won't be able to learn it, and anyway I can't offer direct on-site support very often as I'm 150 miles away. Regards, Alan T (Chester) Line 8 is the line which calls the main program executable for each of the Psion programs - with this being the largest file on each, it is prone to corruption.   I can provide replacement copies if your father wants to send me his original programs (I will then test to see if it is the cartridges or his microdrives).   It could be that the drives themselves need a good clean (as with all tape heads) - cotton bud and meths (Tony is that the best thing to use??) is required.   The other option would be to get hold of a disk interface and some second hand disk drives to go with the QL - at least it would be a lot more reliable and allow him to run more modern software (including Xchange - all 4 Psion programs in one).  Also, it would enable you to access his data for him if you got hold of QPC or bought him a Gold Card, SMSQ/e and HD disk drive.   I do have some second hand disk drives, and all sorts of interfaces, including bare disk interfaces, Trump Cards and even Gold Cards - see:   http://hometown.aol.co.uk/RWAPSoftware/sinclairql2.html         -- Rich Mellor RWAP Services 35 Chantry Croft, Kinsley, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF9 5JH TEL: 01977 610509 Visit our website at: URL:http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk In need of adventure? URL: http://www.rwapadventures.com Stuck with ordinary dial up internet connection ?? Read our review of internet accelerators and broadband at: URL:http://www.rwapservices.co.uk