CPC 6128 Fix - An Amstrad Adventure (Not a game) 

I used to have Amstrads as a kid, and never bothered with them. Now I'm trying to claw it all back, and this video will be a godsend if I hit any issues with the disk drive! Thank you!

Well done Steve, I had exactly the same situation with a 6128 plus I bought a couple of months back, I bought the Retro-Shack belts too and they worked a treat! By the looks of it, you felt the same disbelief I did when the thing worked!

Good to see you got it working in the end the cpc 6128 is the nicest looking of the amstrad cpc machines. The one cpc i think most people forget is the CPC 664 it was sold for only one year.and replaced by the 6128 .

Great stuff. Can not wait for all the Amstrad gaming videos especially after seeing how much work you put in to get it working..

That tool you didn't know what it was for is actually a tool to open an xbox360 case. It pushes all the plastic tabs in at the back at the same time so you can open it easier.

Great to see you rescue this one matey - I've got to do something similar on my 6128... only had it around 2-3yrs and never got around to opening it up and getting the belt replaced... eek... lol

Excellent job Steve - I used the CPC religiously from Christmas 86 up until Christmas of 1990 so it's a hugely nostalgic bit of kit for me. Looking forward to seeing some gameplay vids :)

just want to give you a huge thank you... we found this in my parents loft and after following your instructions and hilarious commentary we fixed it and now my kids are having the time of their lives right now!

forget the tutorial or advice, i carried on watching you just for entertainment, you are something else. instant fan

You did pretty well there Steve with a good result! The coffee and 2 sugars inside seemed to have little effect on the hardy 80's electronics. Try that with a laptop from today and it's good night Vienna!

Its a great feeling to get something which is not working, working again! Im going to have to do a little work with my sears tele-games console. Great work!

A separate power supply for the disk drive? Sega must've seen that when designing the Mega CD and thought to themselves, "Wow, that's a great idea!" :-)

For people who no longer have a working monitor or have been looking for a replacement. You can save yourself a lot of hassle if you're able to solder a cable or know someone with the skills. The CPC can easily be connected to a modern TV via SCART and the picture quality will be a lot better than on Amstrad's CRT's. :)

Its what retro computing's all about. Good job. Never give up! Never Surrender!

Great vid. Unexpected, but great. All these years and that's the first time i've ever seen the inside of a disc drive, Was quite interesting.

Congratulations Steve!!it is such a great feeling when you succeed a task like that!!well I remember the problems i had with my A600 but when a friend of mine managed to plug her in a PC power supply works like a dream!!now to get he some SDrom to replace the dead drive!!good job mate!hope all is well and you are healthy :)!Greets from Greece :)!

Congrats Steve. I really thought it wasn't going to work. You sounded elated at the end. Best video for a while.

Thanks for this very informative video. I am in th process of getting an old eBay cpc6128 back online. I don't think the weird character effects you were getting are anything to do with the 12v power as I cannot replicate the error with just the +5v connected. Probably a bad cap or something to do with that coffee lol. Btw, if anybody is trying to power an Amstrad via non-monitor psu,pls make sure the power supply is regulated as The CPC HAS NO VOLTAGE PROTECTION INSIDE. The easy way to check is to use a multimeter and see if the power supply is putting out either 5v (for the cpc) or 12v (for the disk drive) when there is no load on the power supply. To do this tape the output of the psu to a table, tape your multimeter leads to contact the centre and outside connectors (try not to touch as the psu is taking live A/C current), switch on the psu and see what it reads. If it reads 5v or 12v with no load it is regulated. If it is unregulated it will read a lot more and you risk over-volting your cpc. All the best.

I done the same as you! Bloody pin fell out! I was watching some one else on RU-vid doing it when he said by the way watch out for the write protection pin, then shit! Down it falls. Cheers to you I found out where it goes!

Great Job :D My first Computer was a CPC464 and I still love the CPC series. I replaced the DriveBelt think on my external DiskDrive too but at the moment I do not have the storage to use the system now. However, great machines :)

And the crowd goes wild! What a horrible fiddly job - but you did very well. People will be sending their gear to you for servicing :) It's nice to see the insides of a retro computer like the Amstrad, they did do alright in Australia, but just not in the circles I was in at the time. If you ever come across the instructions for servicing a Sprectravideo 318/328 tape drive (SV-903) let me know :) belt slipping I think.

awesome vid - and congrats on getting the drive working ! hopefully you'll put up some 6128 game reviews now ? the 6128 was my first computer.

Huge congrats on fixing that lil AC problem and disk drive Steve, I know you are flying on cloud 9 after you got it up and running. This is an informative video indeed and for what you paid to get it, well worth it. = )

I don't own one of these, but I did have a CPC 464. I threw it away many years ago and I regret it, I occasionally fire up the emulators to replay some of the fun games. Cheers for the video.

You say its not your forte but you appear at ease with it and so fast too. ^_^ The name you're looking for is Torx (star shape) fresh in my memory because of my research into RROD repairs. Damn, the ad people got you with the hate it but remember it trick they use. Antistatic hah, none of us live in a chip manufacturing plant. Those wire entrapments, what a bugger. You couldn't possibly be as bad at soldering as you think you are. Helpful stuff, most entertaining and smart troubleshooting. :D

Contrats Steve! If I had recorded a video about me changing the drive belt on my Speccy+3 it would have looked quite similar to you doing this. :) Persistence pays off!

interesting video. I had a 6128 as well, although with the "old" amstrad logo. For your reference, commands are not case sensitive in amsdos. And it's not guaranteed that all programs run by run"disk .. just depends. Oh, and btw: my drive belt failed as well, but in the time before the Internet. So I took it apart and fixed it with a small stripe cut from a bike tubing. Just need to get the width right. My CPC ran for 10 years with that bike tubing no problem, until I sold it for £150

Well done Steve, tinkering and experimenting is the best way to learn :D

Congratulations !! I was really hoping for it to work !! I'll wait for the games "reviews" ! cheers

Awesome job repairing the beast. I get more than three screws out of a console and I start to panic. lol

Oh I forgot to say. isopropyl alcohol is probably one of the best substance to clean out my disk drives + heads and computers it does a great job. I get the spray variety. Ah yes that damn read/write pin. The same thing happened to me on my Spectrum +3 when I changed my belt, I turned the drive upside down and the pin fell out luckily I knew where it went as explained in my +3 drive fix vid. I agree it is a fiddly job and the wires are so tight you can't really get in there.

Retro Computer Shack is awesome I get my ZX Spectrum +3 belts from them a bloody good service and they provide good quality scarts for most of the retro computers. Nice pick-up 6128's are hard to come by on eBay these days (or at least it seems to me) I remember searching for this particular model one on eBay and you don't seem to find a lot these systems around for some strange reason.

@SteveBenway Yes, you do have to lift it a bit but need not take any wires off. You push the belt around the central wheel with the tip of the screwdriver, then you pull it around the outer one. You can't do it with the first try, but it won't take more than a couple of minutes... And I'm not an artist in this :D

Well done Steve, that is a result and a half mate.

Well...this isn't my usual type of video but I found it quite interesting and it was great seeing your documentary of how you got it working. :) You had more patience than me, though. I'm inept at that kind of thing too and I'd have been like: "ah, sod it! I'll just buy another one!" :P Anyway: awesome stuff, glad to see you got it working and that you now have yet ANOTHER system to build up a library of gaming vids for! :)

You could get a TV Tuner for the CPC monitor which was powered by that 12v DC jack socket on the front! It's on my 464 monitor too... The TV Tuner sat underneath the screen. :)

That was entertaining. Really! Glad you got it working! It's a great feeling, that first time you turn it on and it works, eh?

I just replaced my first ever belt in one of these drives, although I started with my Sinclair ZX Spectrum +3 128K. I read the guide here but I actually followed another one here www.dataserve-retro.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d92.html Despite getting the impression from others on the internet the last few years that it is difficult, I actually found the whole process to be very simple and straightforward. The only thing I had any trouble with was pulling the white plugs on each side of the drive; for a moment I thought I had broken the board connector and snapped one of the four pins off but upon closer inspection, I had done neither...phew! My Spectrum drive has an Amstrad logo with a model number ME56PB31, part number Z70312. So I now feel far more confident when it comes to doing the same with my CPC6128 drive. :)

Ah yes, the pin that fall out is pretty classic (chuckle) all amstrad people does that one the first time they replace the drivebelt :) Anyways, quite brave of you to make your own psu for the drive as the cpc has zero protection (yup ive tried frying one myself too). Anyone out there in the same situation i strongly suggest instead buying a prebuild psu (like the ones on ebay). Also quite easy to get a prebuild scart cable there as well as getting a monitor/mp2 can be really hard. Nice job :)

Great video Steve, really enjoyed it, cheered me right up :) I was rooting for you to save the machine so glad its working now and for £15 you cant go wrong. This is the kind off stuff I love doing making somthing work again :) Whats next servicing you PET ?

Retro Computer Shack is yer man for the power supply kit for the Amstrad CPC ;-) I bought one last year.

A gaming tool kit, wicked. Gosh your 10 times better than me, last time I opened a console a PS2 I buggered it up :-(

Oh my oh my oh my, glad to see you fixed it. :) Happy gaming (and recording :p )

awesome video, it's great when you get somethink working :D i reamber some time back when i fixed my psx disc drive i was realy proud of my self

@SteveBenway aah dont know i though you were living on Scarborough. I've seen some retro stores here in Leeds but everything is very expensive. Worksop is near here so I'll go there as well, I think England has great places to visit, everything seems wonderful. Thanks for your info my friend!

I'm a diy guy myself and absolutely enjoyed the video. Luke better watch out lol.

I gotta say Steve, I felt quite emotional by the end of all that. ;-) Nice work.

this is something i had when i was a young kid, and now seeing it, i will probably look for one on ebay nice the old 6128

Hi Steve, congratz on fixing it... On another note, I think those shiny plates you don't know what are they for, I think those are some kinf of pliers to open the XBOX 360

@SteveBenway Well 3 hands is the norm, that is why those clamp stands were made. And as far as a 4th hand you'll just have to ask assistance from your lady love. :)

@SteveBenway Just checked and it is actually at Maplin, not CPC.co.uk as I previously said. Order Code: RS87U and it costs £2.79 I think I will get a couple more as they are so handy!

when I need a good larf I always watch this

ITS ALIVE !!!! congrats that was a mint video mate

The tool thing you didn't know what was is a Xbox 360 case opening tool, they're quite handy :)

Congrats on getting it working again. :)

Cheers Steve just fixed my belt by watching you do this badly .. Great work ;)

Steve great video! And great detective work! I was like hurrah when it started working. Also reminds me of what a twit I was in the past ! In about 98 I bought one of these and a gx4000. Can't remember how long I had em for but I ended up taking them apart to see what was inside and then chucking em out ! Idiot that I was !

That’s the write protect pin that fell out and you have a variant from the drive pictures in your instructions

That thing on boot screen is something with that spill inside of cpc , on motherboard, well you should do a total fix of the whole thing, cleaning , etc.. :)

LOL @ the fast speed bit!! Congratulations for fixing the computer!! Awesome video!! Have a thumbs up!! :D

congratulations well done but you could have saved a whole lot of head ache if you had a multimeter and do the basic tests. no disrespect you got a result which is awesome . good on ya totally enjoy your post :-)

There is a seller on ebay that is selling a psu and an after market modulator for the amstrad it might even be the same seller that has the drive belts .

I wish id never destroyed my cpc 464, i loved the keyboard on it, you could never get them to break by running coins across the expansion port lol. Just one point, you can magnetise a screwdriver by running a magnet down the stem to the tip in a single directional stroke a few times ;) Cool Vid ;) thx

finally getting to finish watching this. yes, I have one of these on the way, got the belts already waiting for it. Now I'm scared after watching you do this, but I don't use instructions, I just strip things lol :o) Ooh bugger, I was double scared when you'rs would not work :o( Wow, you did it, amazing, doesn't it feel great when you fix things, why I love doing it :o) At replay, I'm picking up an almost dead cpc monitor so will have fun seeing if I can get that going :o) Well done :o)

Its like watching Kenny Everett's handyman, you're just waiting for Steve to lose a finger or a hand ;)

So does the 6128 have 2 power supply connections? One for the computer and one for the disk drive?

Looks like Mr Steveo his own friendly game system doctor may be able to fix his 7800 problem now. lol.

+ Retro Computer Shack Very helpful guy too when you need to speak with him, or ask advice on setup stuff.

I glad you got it working, and I enjoy this vid.

Hey watching this video again as you do :-) So errm.....who are the Auntie Static band and have they been in the charts and are their friends electric? ;-)

What a marvellous video. Really enjoyed watching this one. I am now inspired to sort out my 6128 which probably has the same problem. Or can I just send it to you? :D

You are an absolute tech mastermind. :D

27:40 awesome win! kudos

@CoolDudeClem Yeah the computer runs off a 5v supply and the disk drive runs off a 12v supply.

@SteveBenway That's all well and good, and I understand that the disk drive news 12 volts, so really Amstrad should have designed the whole system can be powered by just one cable that powers the computer and the disk drive, I mean they had to make a new monitor for the 6128 anyway didn't they? The older monitors wouldn't have had that extra power cable, it really sounds like a mess. Hmm, interesting, maybe it's just as well I never owned one of these things.

i have that tool kit and hate it. all the heads wore out on the driver bits, that metal fold out plate is an opening tool for a XBOX 360

Thanks a lot. I have the same problem.I'll try fixing it. BTW, my kids do play with super nintendo and sega master system. Next stage is to have the amstrad working. I also have a ZX spectrum +..but it really doesn't work...at all.

steves gone all lukemorse1 on us. hes a genius

Hmmm...I have been that busy with my Atari Falcons and STE machines that my Amstrad CPC6128 and addons have not had a look in for over a year. I even bought a 3.5" external floppy drive (home made and immaculately done), but did not get it working straight away, but the seller said to contact him if I got stuck. Regards the polarity thing, that is something I always check carefully.........except that last year I made the mistake of doing something while being tired which = dead Spectrum + 128

Its for opening an XBOX 360 I believe (The chrome tool) Bit late to the party on this one.

needle nose pliers bro ! You can never go wrong with a pair of them. ;) Get into tight areas easily.

I think I've only used a CPC once in my lifetime, and I think it had an external disk drive with an internal tape recorder, I'm assuming it was a 464 or something. I've read about the power supply arrangements with the 6128, why on earth did Amstrad design it like that? It just seems really stupid to design it with 2 power cables for one box. The error symptoms with the random characters are a bit strange as well.

Congrats!!

yay an amstrad 6128 my childhood computer

An Earlier IBM PC Disk drive will fit in that system. Just replace the drive ;)

Good video, very useful. But you have placed the write protect check pin in a wrong hole!

Lol this was hilarious. I don't think you could have Jerri-rigged this anymore than you did. I thought for sure it wasn't going to work, I mean pins were falling out, you were just pulling screws out left and right. You were yanking on power-cables that you weren't sure if you could get back in. It was just crazy the whole way through. If I were a betting man I would have put all my money against you.

Hi I had the same problem years ago, in my case was sticky contacts on the motor and Possibly stepper motor the bit the moves the head, I just moved it back and forward and it started to read the disk again, it always happen when standing for long time Hope this helps all the best Richard

brilliant!! you made me laugh so much cos have the same probs as I did, thank you

type cat when you put a dsk inside the drive ^^ you have to put a disk insie before lol that is not a hard drive !!

@SteveBenway I bought a very handy tiny polarity testing device from cpc.co,uk for less than £1. It was just a basket filler but has been used a lot; just plug in the PSU and the led lights show + or -. Thing is, I had this when I blew the Spectrum+ 128 but due to being tired forgot to use it! Think retro....think roads......tiredness kills so put it down and watch TV or go to bed! Hahaha!

most of the chips might be 74LS series so static won't kill them.

Hi Steve, I've just moved to the uk, but I'd like to know some places where I can get some retro games, the retro gamer magazine and maybe some arcade places. Do you know how to find it here in Leeds? (I'm definitely going to your town, I've heard so many great things about it)

@CoolDudeClem yes 1 for drive and other for computer

someone's getting braver :p good stuff

Actually you don't need to take the PCB off; you can change the belt quite esasily by lifting it a bit and with the help of a fine screwdriver... Gryzor CPCwiki.eu

Oh forgot to say nice ring :-)

Would the same process for the drive belt work for a Speccy +3? I'd really like a +3 or 6128 but the problems you experienced with the drive belt seem far too common.

type cat when you put a dsk inside the drive ^^ you have to put a disk insie before lol

EXCELLENT !!!!!