Can I upgrade my older Yamaha Disklavier?
This is such a common question that Disklavier upgrades and modifications now have their own page! Read about PianoStream, which brings internet and an app to even the oldest Disklaviers, or about the Nalbantov, which replaces the floppy disk drive. If you have a newer system, such as the E3 or Mark IV, read about all of your options on the upgrades page!
In short, if you have an early Disklavier from the 90s, Yamaha no longer has official upgrade options; however, there are third-party alternatives and much that can still be done, even if you want streaming piano over the internet!
My Yamaha Disklavier won’t turn on.
Well, first check to make sure it’s plugged in! (This happens more than you’d think.) But assuming that it is, you might find your Disklavier just makes a ‘Pop’ when you press the power button, but doesn’t come to life. Or it whines loudly while it’s running, and then powers off. Can this be fixed?
Yes! If you have an older Yamaha Disklavier from the 90s, this is a very common problem, and usually indicates that the power supply has failed. I can box it up and send it to Tap Electronics, who can then rebuild it. At present (April 14th, 2025), this is a flat-rate service provided by Tap for $750. Tap Electronics is authorized by Yamaha.
When sending your power supply to Tap Electronics, request they replace the capacitors. This is a service they do perform as part of the power supply rebuild, but they won’t unless you request it.
This message concerns second generation Disklavier, such as the MX100II or the DKC100R, the DKC500R. All of these use variations of the same power supply.
My Yamaha Disklavier has a blank screen.
Another very common issue with second generation Disklaviers is damaged LCD screens. These will light up, but won’t display any characters. This is so common that I have an article dedicated to replacing those LCD screens. In short, they can be replaced or repaired!
This message concerns second generation Disklavier, such as the MX100II or the DKC100R, the DKC500R. These had a known issue with the LCD screen.
My Yamaha Disklavier runs for only a few seconds.
You might, and probably do, have a power supply that’s dying. In that case, see the answer to the last question. However, you might simply have a damaged power button. You can test this by wiggling the power button side-to-side with your finger. When they wear out, sometimes even just the vibrations of the piano can cause them to switch off. These buttons aren’t terribly difficult to replace; however, they’re discontinued.
The (discontinued) Yamaha Part number is VN388300. The switch itself is a (discontinued) ALPS SPPH23. You can see a spec sheet for the ALPS SPPH230500 here. Unfortunately, I haven’t found an exact duplicate, and would love to know if you have. I purchase bulk generic locking switches from Amazon and use sandpaper to shape them to size.
This message concerns second generation Disklaviers, such as the MX100II or the DKC100R, or the DKC500R. All of these use variations of the same power supply.
My Yamaha Disklavier won’t connect to the internet.
I wrote a definitive guide on connecting the Disklavier wirelessly. I’ve switched to using wireless bridges, which are quite easy to set up. High-quality devices are now inexpensive.
This message concerns later Disklaviers, starting with the fourth generation Mark IV, the DKC800, and the modern-day Enspire.
Can you replace or upgrade old floppy drives?
Replacement is sometimes an option, and upgrading always is. Most manufacturers have stopped producing replacement drives, but they can often still be purchased second-hand. eBay is a good resource. Direct replacements for slim drives are rare, but the full-size drives in the Mark III and DKC5R can still be found.
However, I recommend upgrading to a USB floppy disk emulator. The Bulgarian company Nalbantov Electronics manufactures USB floppy disk emulators specifically for older digital pianos and players. These systems allow you to use a single USB stick in place of dozens (if not hundreds) of floppy disks. As solid-state devices these are considerably more durable and long-lasting than old-fashioned floppy drives.
With some generations of Disklavier (most notably Mark II / MX100II / DKC-100R devices), the floppy disk drives are mounted behind a shaped plastic piece. In these cases, you’ll need to cut away the old plastic facing. I have a full article on replacing that floppy drive bezel here for use with your new Nalbantov here.
You can read more about this on my Nalbantov Floppy Disk Drive Upgrades page.
This message concerns first through fourth generation Disklaviers, such as the DKC5R, the MX100II, the DKC100R, the DKC500R, and the Mark IV. All of these systems use floppy disks.
What do I do with old Yamaha Disklavier floppy disks?
I’ve written quite a lot about what to do with these disks, including how to back them up to your computer and convert them for use in modern players or Nalbantov floppy disk emulators.
If you’d prefer not to transfer them yourselves, this is a service I offer! If you’d like, you can send all of your floppy disks to me, and I can prepare them all either for your newer player system or for a floppy disk emulator!
I have a list of software tools for use with Yamaha Disklavier floppy disks.
Please note that if you have Yamaha PianoSoft floppy disks, Yamaha will send you the files on your disks for free. Just photograph your floppy disks, contact Yamaha’s piano support, and explain your particular situation.
This message concerns first through fourth generation Disklaviers, such as the DKC5R, the MX100II, the DKC100R, the DKC500R, and the Mark IV. All of these systems use floppy disks.
My Disklavier used to connect to the internet, but doesn’t anymore.
Several years ago, in the fall of 2020, Yamaha updated their security protocols. Suddenly, all of their slightly older Disklaviers, including the popular Mark IV, DKC-800, and DKC-850, could no longer talk to the Yamaha mothership!
If you were turning your Disklavier on regularly, the update would have been forced upon you. However, if you weren’t doing this, you missed your chance! Fortunately, you can still install the update manually.
For the Mark IV, the update is available online through my website including Yamaha’s instructions. If you don’t have access to floppy disks and a CD burner, I also sell an update kit prepared for use with your piano.
For the E3 (DKC800 / DKC850), I also have the update available online through my website, and it remains easily available through Yamaha’s. This requires the simple use of a USB stick!
This message concerns later Disklaviers, including the Mark IV, the E3 (DKC800 / DKC850), but not the Enspire.
My Disklavier just plays one key when I turn it on, and then stops.
If your Disklavier HQ100 or MX100II suddenly plays one note at full force when you power it on—and then becomes unresponsive—you might be dealing with solenoid failure. At the very least, the solenoids need to be cleaned, and it’s likely they’ll need to be replaced. It’s possible there are upstream problems as well. I’ve written a detailed breakdown of this issue occurring in an HQ100, and include part numbers and repair advice for that particular unit. See my article Solenoid Failure in HQ100 Disklavier.
This theoretically applies to all Disklaviers, although I’ve encountered it so far in Mark II and Mark III systems.
Do you have any thoughts on model DKC500RW. It has similar issues. It plays the music off the disk but the keys don’t move. Then it will allow me to play it normally and then it acts like it cannot process the keys all the time.
PS the piano is an older digital key board, ie no hammers or strings. I am not sure what model that is.
Just looking for information.
Hello Joe! Yes, Yamaha put the Disklavier in a handful of digital pianos—mainly the DGT series (DGT2, DGT2IIXG, and so forth). I’ve only run into one up here in Maine, and that one needed a power supply rebuild. I’m aware they all include options to turn off key motion, which might be accidentally enabled. To give you a better idea of what to expect—and how to fix it if something is wrong—I’ll need the model of your instrument. I realize the Disklavier is a DKC500RW, but the instrument it’s installed in has its own model (such as DGT2 mentioned above). And the DKC500RW is, by the way, a good system and works well with common upgrades like PianoStream, although Yamaha’s official upgrades for it are discontinued. Thank you!
I’m trying to upgrade my Yamaha MX-100A Disklavier with FlashFloppy emulator. Disklavier can see the emulator but can’t read the images. I tried many 720kb image fortmats like .img , .ima and .hfe but non of them works. The error code I receive on my Disklavier is “76” which means “FDD Restore Error”. This error code is likely related with “No floppy disk inserted” situation.
Jumper setting is S0,Motor just like the original drive.
Do you have any thoughts on this? I appreciate your help.
Hello Ciro! FlashFloppy uses two small configuration files—FF.CFG and IMG.CFG. These supply information about the drive the FlashFloppy emulator is pretending to be.
You can download both of FlashFloppy’s configuration files here, and they should work as-is for the MX-100A. Just drop them in the root of your USB, or drop both files in a folder labeled “FF“. I believe the important point is that my configuration files here include the line “interface = jc”, which means “jumper controlled.” Otherwise, FlashFloppy’s behavior may not match the jumpers on the Gotek.
You can read Keir Fraser’s documentation on the FF.CFG configuration file here.
As an aside, I quite like the FlashFloppy project, and hope this works nicely for you! Please do update. Thank you!
Hi i have a Yamaha disklavier E3 who can read original cd’s but the piano don’t play!!! ihave format to the original facility but no succes !!!! can somebody help me thanks !!!!
Your factory reset was the right first step. Make sure the disks you’re playing are Yamaha PianoSoft CDs. The Disklavier will play any audio CDs out its speakers, but the keys only move with PianoSoft CDs. Have you tried playing the demo music on the Disklavier, or recording some notes and playing them back?
If none of these things work, I’d recommend reaching out to a Yamaha technician. It’s very possible that something is just disconnected, and somebody familiar with these systems will be able to identify that quickly. You can use Yamaha’s Servicer Locator here.
Please let me know how it goes!
Thanks
I have a ’99 DC2A Mark III that always turns on and will work, except that it randomly makes a clicking noise and resets (the screen shows “power off – see you soon” before it turns back on). This usually happens while the Disklavier is playing. Would this also be fixed by the TAP power supply rebuild you mentioned? Or do you think it’s something else
Hello Sean! Usually, a failing power supply causes an abrupt blackout—not an orderly shutdown. That said, a brief voltage sag could still trigger it, so it remains a possibility. But there are a couple of things worth checking first.
First check the power switch. I’ve replaced several that no longer “latch” well, or that makes only intermittent contact. Try turning the Disklavier on, then gently wiggle or press the switch from side to side. If the piano resets when you do, the switch is almost certainly the culprit.
Also, make sure the controller is securely connected, and that the screws on the connector are tight. That switch closes a low-voltage control circuit—and if that circuit is interrupted, it initiates the shutdown process. A loose or unstable connection, especially while the piano is playing, can cause a momentary dropout and trigger a shutdown.