Microdrive can't load but can copy correctly

[Cristian]

Easel (v. 2.35 from Dilwyn's website, microdrive version) can not be loaded from mdv cartridge. The problem is the file Easel itself (bad or changed medium at line "exec_w mdv1_easel").
Incredibly, without touching nor moving the cartridge, the same file can be normally copied into a floppy.
And even more unbelievably the same file is normally loaded from floppy and executed.
Am I in the "twilight zone"??
Sinclair QL, TK2, TrumpCard, Minerva 198

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi Cristian,

I have a version of Easel v2.35, which load OK with MDI on SMSQmulator, Q68.

See attached file, just unzip it and mount with:

MOUNT_MDI 1,"win1_easel_img"
MDI_USE "MDV"
LRUN mdv1_boot

gets it and running.

[Cristian]

Thank you Derek, but... sorry if my description of the problem was not crystal clear. I'm sure the Easel version I downloaded is perfect. The easel executable does load normally from floppy or from qemulator folder indeed. The oddity is in the behaviour of my (real) QL.
Update:
I did several attempts, and after an extremely long loading time (the tape ran for 4-5 minuts without any pause) Easel finally has been loaded from mdv.
Still, if I copy the file from mdv to floppy, the process seems normal: reasonable reading/writing time, with several tape pauses as usual. I found only one "bad or changed medium" copying from mdv to floppy till now, but I suppose it's statistically normal.
I'll perform further tests and let you know.

[tofro]

Was the mdv cartridge freshly formatted before you started to use it? Stuff like you describe can happen on formerly copy protected microdrives you don't reformat and that have nasty stuff like duplicate sector IDs on it.

Tobias

[Cristian]

Was the mdv cartridge freshly formatted

Yes sure it has been formatted more times. Thank you for your information about duplicate sectors etc.
Another important update:
I prepared a modified BOOT in order to read the executable from mdv and copy it to RAM1, and then exec_w RAM1_easel and.... bingo! Now it always loads and starts.
This looks incredible to me, and still I can't understand why. Some possible Minerva incompatibility or software version bug?

[Cristian]

it's Minerva indeed
For some bloody reason that rom doesn't want to execute that file from mdv.
I've just tried with a JM QL and the loading is extremely quick too. If I hadn't already wasted so many time, I would try to swap the Roms to be absolutely 100% sure.
Who could imagine that the latest Easel mdv version can't run with Minerva!?!

[Cristian]

POKE!!53,128
with this magical command, everything apparently returns to normality.
Easel (and Quill too) loads and starts normally (and quickly) also from mdv cartridge.
I remember a discussion about the necessity of this annoying POKE (needed for Minerva198 only if I recall correctly). Still I can't understand its utility.
Should I modify all the BOOTs of all my softwares adding that POKE? Then will it affect the behaviour of non-Minerva198 roms? What a nuisance!