1541/1571 Dual-Drive System

It is not necessary to see this in print, but if you could help me, I would appreciate it very much. I have a 128 and currently two disk drives—a 1541 and a 1571.

My problem is how to set up the 128 so that every time I turn it on with two separate disk drives—my 1541 and 1571—the system will behave like my IBM PC, seeing the disk drives as separate devices. Do I have to run the DOS Shell program every time to set up a two-drive system? I am also thinking about buying a second 1571. How can I set up a two-drive system with two 1571s?

T.J. Bynum

Setting up a two-drive system with a 1541 and a 1571 is easy. You'll use the 1541 as device 8—its default—and configure the 1571 as device 9. It's easier to set the system up this way—with the 1541 as device 8 and the 1571 as 9—because one of the drive's device numbers must be changed to 9, and the 1571 is much easier to change than the 1541.

To change the device number of the 1571, first look in Appendix A of the 1571 Disk Drive User's Guide that came with your drive. This section describes how to change the device number. Briefly, to configure the drive as device 9, you move the left DIP switch at the rear of the drive down. After making this adjustment, make sure the drives are chained together, and you're ready to go. Your system should now boot up and recognize the two drives as separate devices.

If you buy another 1571 and want to configure the two 1571s as a two-drive system, simply use the new drive as device 8—its default—leave the other drive configured as device 9, connect the two, and your system's all set.