🚀 go-pugleaf

I installed a switch in my PC to deliberately open the write gate signal,
and damned if it doesn't prevent the controller from scribbling on the disk.
I never understood why PCs don't normally supply real write-protect switches,
but they don't and this is one reason viruses are so rampant...  Anyway,
the fun thing about this hack is that the controller has no clue whether
the write succeeded or not, and due to disk buffering, MSLoss really thinks
the new file is there, and you can even type it; but the next time you do a
DIR or something the buffers get flushed and the file mysteriously disappears.

If you do use one of these, make sure you don't flip it in the middle of some
disk operation, or you'll REALLY be up the crick.  Oh, yeah, as someone else
said it's pin 6 on the larger ST506 connector.

At any rate, your stumper's behavior sounds exactly like your write gate
isn't going low when the controller wants.

_H*