How to Load a Game on the ZX Spectrum


You can use a ready-to-run software tape or your own tape containing your programs. The procedure is exactly the same in both cases. Switch on the cassette player. Make sure the spectrum is powered up and insert
the cassette into the player. If there is already a program in the computer, wait for it to end or stop it by pressing the BREAK key. You can then enter NEW or press the reset button to remove the program from the Spectrum’s memory, but this is not essential as loading a new program clears the memory first. It is important to remember that if you load a program, the previous program will be erased from the memory. Now follow the numbered instructions.

Insert the cassette and rewind it to the beginning.

Set the volume and tone controls on the cassette player to the required levels. Try the volume at about two-thirds maximum and if there is a tone control, set it to maximum treble,

Press J and LOAD should appear on the screen.

Then key in the program name in quote marks, for example LOAD “Prog 1”

Press ENTER. The screen will go blank.

Start the tape. The border of the screen should go red or blue or flash red and blue. This indicates that the Spectrum is searching for a program.

After a few seconds red and blues stripes should begin to move up or down the border of the screen. This indicates that the ZX Spectrum has begun to receive a signal from the cassette.

The Word Program: followed by the program name, or Bytes: followed by a name or letter appears on the screen. This indicates that the computer has successfully located the program.

The red and blue stripes appear again as the computer waits to load the program.

A pattern of yellow and blue lines appears in the border. This indicates that the Spectrum is loading the program. Loading can take several minutes if the program is very long.

The program should begin running automatically when it has loaded. Remember to stop the tape.

If the program does not begin automatically when it has loaded, the screen goes blank and the report 0 OK, 0;1 appears. Stop the Tape.

Press R (Run) and ENTER, and the program will now begin.

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