Famicom Disk System error 27

[LadyLyndis]

Hi all, I've Googled and Googled this and can't seem to find any consistent answers. I just bought an FDS off ebay and it works for the most part. However, I have a few games for which it gives error 27, and one gives error 23. I've read about adjusting the motor, the drive head, etc. etc. and really am quite confused by the deluge of information. Is it more likely a problem with the discs themselves, or should I really adjust something, and if so, what exactly do I adjust?

By the way, the games that give the error messages appear to be official, Nintendo-licensed discs. I've also cleaned the metal reader head with rubbing alcohol, though it wasn't very dirty.

[todesengel]

Here's a complete listing of what all the error codes mean http://famicomworld.com/workshop/tech/disk-system-error-messages/. The two codes you're getting basically mean the disks are bad - Error 23 = Disk card header block #$02 unrecognized, Error 27 = Block end mark seen but ends prematurely.

[LadyLyndis]

It occurs to me now that I should have posted this in the "Technical and Restoration" forum. Oops.

[Tempest]

Sounds like a bad disk. If the data is corrupted they can give all kinds of weird errors even if the drive is in working condition.

[FABombjoy]

I have an FDS that works fine somedays, and spews out all of those error codes on other days, I assume due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Same game, different results from day to day. Proper tuning seems to be critical for proper operation.

It's not for the faint of heart, but there is a guide available here:

http://www.famicomdisksystem.com/tutorials/fds-repair-mod/belt-replacement-adjustment/

I have no personal experience aligning FDS drives (yet), but this guide seems to be very comprehensive.

[LadyLyndis]

I have an FDS that works fine somedays, and spews out all of those error codes on other days, I assume due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Same game, different results from day to day. Proper tuning seems to be critical for proper operation.

It's not for the faint of heart, but there is a guide available here:

http://www.famicomdisksystem.com/tutorials/fds-repair-mod/belt-replacement-adjustment/

I have no personal experience aligning FDS drives (yet), but this guide seems to be very comprehensive.

Thanks for the link! The pictures look very helpful.

The weird part is, I took the system partially apart to clean the inside because it seemed pretty dusty, and when I put it back together, one of the games that gave me error 27 before magically worked (Doki Doki Panic). But, the others still don't. Really I don't care about the nonworking ones too much except for Zelda 1... I really want to play it :(

[b1aCkDeA7h]

Every disk system behaves differently. That's one of the most annoying things I've learned about them as I own three of them. A game that works flawlessly in one may spew an error out in another and so on. I got to the point where I just cut out the middleman and set up a FDSLoadr system to run FDS games. I still buy FDS games but its purely from a collection standpoint now more than anything else.

Here's a video I made last year showcasing my FDSLoadr setup:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnMbbV55t8A&feature=related

[rbudrick]

FDS Maintenance is a chore, but a must if you don't have any means of using FDSLoader.

The site mentioned above is very new, but very comprehensive. A fair amount of the info on the site I gave the author or wrote it (the vast majority by far is his). He did an absolutely excellent job on the site and I'm still perplexed why no one had done it before him. I wanted to for years, but didn't have the time or ability.

-Rob

[ericj]

Nice to see that someone found the FDS repair page on my site. I hope it helps you out and you find the info useful.

Rob helped out with a lot of great stuff for the site while I was building it. There's tons more to be added, so keep checking it out.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you have anything you'd like to add to the site.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

FDS Maintenance is a chore, but a must if you don't have any means of using FDSLoader.

The site mentioned above is very new, but very comprehensive. A fair amount of the info on the site I gave the author or wrote it (the vast majority by far is his). He did an absolutely excellent job on the site and I'm still perplexed why no one had done it before him. I wanted to for years, but didn't have the time or ability.

-Rob

I have the old guide form JFGoods.net on my HDD (sent it to countless DP members on request including the OP of this thread) and it's served me well, but this guide seems to be on par with that if not ever so slightly clearer.

Nice job!

[rbudrick]

Good to hear, Frankie! I was afraid that only a maximum of three to eleventeen people had ever seen it. Good to know it got passed around. Glad it served you well, seriously! :D

And keep an eye on EricJ's site. He was able to make the site I always wanted to but never had the nerve to. He did it way better than I would have anyway, and it's really great to finally see someone compile all this info in a place where the FDS aficionado can get a hold of it, rather than being stuck on several different folks' hard drives, never to be seen. I really am happy to see it.

-Rob

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Good to hear, Frankie! I was afraid that only a maximum of three to eleventeen people had ever seen it. Good to know it got passed around. Glad it served you well, seriously! :D

And keep an eye on EricJ's site. He was able to make the site I always wanted to but never had the nerve to. He did it way better than I would have anyway, and it's really great to finally see someone compile all this info in a place where the FDS aficionado can get a hold of it, rather than being stuck on several different folks' hard drives, never to be seen. I really am happy to see it.

-Rob

You wrote that guide? Nice.

It helped me a bunch, and more often than not was enough to get any FDS I worked on running.

[rbudrick]

Actually, come to think of it, I must confess, I didn't write the JFGoods article. The one Iwas thinking of was a Japanese article I translated on how to make FDS dubbing cables and how to hack the FDS for write ability. Or maybe I was thinking of a FDS head-tuning doc I wrote (a far better and well-edited version now on EricJ's site). Either way, I initially thought Frankie was referring to one of these docs, which were both posted on another site almost no one saw, but NOT JFGoods. I must have had a brain fart, as rereading this thread shows I took credit where I shouldn't have, but not on purpose. Sorry folks! A bit embarrassing. D'oh!

I do have the JFGoods guide, and it was quite good in that it covered great repair elements I did not cover in my writing.



-Rob

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Actually, come to think of it, I must confess, I didn't write the JFGoods article. The one Iwas thinking of was a Japanese article I translated on how to make FDS dubbing cables and how to hack the FDS for write ability. Or maybe I was thinking of a FDS head-tuning doc I wrote (a far better and well-edited version now on EricJ's site). Either way, I initially thought Frankie was referring to one of these docs, which were both posted on another site almost no one saw, but NOT JFGoods. I must have had a brain fart, as rereading this thread shows I took credit where I shouldn't have, but not on purpose. Sorry folks! A bit embarrassing. D'oh!

I do have the JFGoods guide, and it was quite good in that it covered great repair elements I did not cover in my writing.



-Rob

Karma will indeed reward you for this public display of honesty.

And the Video Game Gods will reward us all for repairing so many FDS systems.

;)