Re: Hopefully last dumb newbie question.

[Willie Yeo <w.yeo@qut.edu.au>]

Dan Watkins wrote:

> 1. If I boot up the system with the GS OS (5.04), the computer cannot
>      read the game disk, even though it can read other 5 1/4 disks.
>      Instead, it just asks me if I want to format the disk.

    It is probably either a custom-OS that GS/OS does not recognise (i.e. not
standard DOS 3.3, ProDOS 8 or  Pascal). Games produced by SSI then had RDOS,
which is their own version of an OS for Apple II. If it is a DOS 3.3 but with
different address and data headers (non-generic DOS 3.3) then GS/OS will still
not recongise it.

    If someone had a 'hacked' copy, then you probably be able to use GS/OS to see
it or even backing it up using standard diskcopy programs.

> 2. The game disk itself is bootable. If I boot up with the game disk, however,
>         the Apple II GS "greet screen" (the initial screen that tells you it's
>         a GS,  what ROM it is, etc.) remains on the screen in garbled form
>         even after I start the game, interfering with my ability to read the
>         game text (I hope I made that clear).

    LJSilicon highlighted "Apple's Alternate Display", which I believe is what
happened in your situation. If you see that screen, hit <CTRL><APPLE><ESC> to
enter into the Control Panels, and switch the Alternate Display on/off. But you
will need to do it often if you suddenly think the game stops for no-reason, it
might be text is written in the 'other' screen. The GS does not really support
Alternate Display like the earlier IIs.