Emax HD not loading, stuck on "loading software"

[telluric]

I just purchased a Emax HD (as is), and am trying to trouble-shoot it.

The Emax will not load.  When I turn it on, it will go to diagnostics mode, then show "loading software".  I imagine the HD is dead, so I unplugged the SCSI connector and power cable, and I get the same message, with or without 2 different Emax formatted floppy (which worked in my other Emax).  When I first got it, I was once able to get into the menu, but I believe HD made a click sound and died, and the next time I turned it on it had this behaviour (loading software).  I don't have another SCSI drive to test with unfortunately.

I used another floppy, a SONY MPF-110-05, and set the ID to 0, and when I put any floppy in, it still says "loading software" but the drive continually spins (no clicks/stops).  If I change the ID to 1, it does the same thing.  I don't know if both floppies are bad, but I can't imagine they both are.  The SONY was salvaged from an older computer, but I can't be sure if it is dead or not.

Does anybody know what may be the problem? 

I am thinking that it may not be a drive problem - but I could be very unlucky and have 3 dead drives.  I have another Emax (non-HD) at another location I won't be able to access for a few weeks, so I may get it and try the 2 floppy drives I have on that unit, as I know that Emax works.  I would like to figure-out the problem with my Emax HD earlier than that if at all possible.

Thanks in for your help.  Maybe one of you have had this problem before.

[midipuppies]

What version of the Emax operating system are on those floppies?
Try using an non-HD O.S. to boot with. Emax samplers are picky about the floppy drive hardware as well. Chances are that one pulled from a computer will not be compatible.
But it does sound like the HD is dead. Most of them are now.

[telluric]

Thanks for your reply.  I figured the internal HD was dead (it seemed like it died the first time I turned-on the EmaxHD after buying it).

I made some small progress.  It's not saying "loading software" anymore.

I wasn't sure what version was on the floppies, so today I used EMX to format a floppy with the EmaxHD 1.1 OS (using Win98, booted into DOS 7), and when I load the DD floppy in the EmaxHD it now says "Disk not formatted" and makes an intermittent read/access noise (normal floppy noise) on both the original & the SONY floppy drive.  At least it's doing something now.  I then tried formatting the disk with the regular Emax 3.2 OS using EMX in DOS 7, and the disk is still giving the error "Disk not formatted" when I attempt to load it in the EmaxHD.  My other DD disks that load in my regular Emax are not loading either (they now give "Disk not formatted").

I saw that EmaxUtil can only run in DOS 6.22 or earlier (for the SE upgrade disk), but I'm assuming EMX can run under DOS 7 as this url describes: http://www3.telus.net/public/a4a91380/emaxfiles3.htm.

[midipuppies]

I suggest using Omniflop for this kind of thing. It is pretty simple and I have had good results with it.

It sure sounds as if the drives are not working as they should. I just went through the same issue with my HD/Plus Emax. In the end, I was forced to upgrade/modify the floppy setup because I was unable to find a compatible or original working floppy drive. I now use a Teac slimline floppy with a compact flash slot drive.
It is a slick setup compared to the original, but there were some problems along the way;)

If you choose to go that route, let me know and I will send you a parts list for the mod.

Jay