Re: Archiving Copy-Protected 8-bit Software

[mkelsey@spam.eecs.wsu.edu]

In article <3517AEDD.928EB6DF@swbell.net>,
	Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net> writes:
> mkelsey@spam.eecs.wsu.edu writes ...
>> 
>> Is there a program that will successfully image a copy-protected
>> disk maintaining all original data?
> 
>      That is what Copy II+, Locksmith, and Essential Data Duplicator are
> supposed to do.
> 

I'm sure that's how the programs treat the data in memory, but I want to
"retain" that data onto an unprotected disk, e.g. do what SST does, but
with Copy II+ 6.5 instead (I've found that later version DO NOT abide
by all user settable PARMS, especially 8.2 and 8.3).  Later I would like
to be able to load in that unprotected data and rewrite the data onto
the disk in original format.  Thus there isn't any "cracked by.."
biz and the I know the original will work on all 8-bit machines unlike
the "popular" distributions of cracked Karateka and Drol. 

>>  I prefer to keep my duplicates
>> as original as possible,
> 
>      This is a novel view vis-a-vis copy protection!
> 
> 
>> but I'm not against patching my programs
>> for archival purposes when the original routine can be "fooled,"
>> e.g. Dazzle Draw and Print Shop and Print Shop Companion.
>>
> 
>      The original routine can usually be fooled or modified or
> circumvented. (The trick is finding out how.)

I do remember someone telling me how to migrate Karateka's odd ball
4&4 encoded sector scheme over to DOS 3.3, and that would work if
I don't end up seeing "]" and the duplicate loads as fast as the 
original.  Case example, a port I did of Where in the World is 
Carmen Sandiego.  It loads as fast as the original if not faster.

>> Will SST preserve synchronized tracks, track length, programmable
>> header (fixed), and quarter/half tracks?
>> 
>> If not, then I would need to begin writing my own bit of software
>> for handling such schemes.
>>
> 
>      SST is new to me. Based upon your description it sounds like its
> capabilities are available in Copy II+ v9.1. For creating deprotected
> copies, Ray Durrah's Super I.O.B is similarly flexible.

How do I convince Copy II+ 9.1 to store the disk data as a single image
on my hard drive?  I know it uses auxiliary memory for copying disks
where as Copy II+ 6.5 would allow the user to create "disk images."
While that concept is nice for unprotected software, it doesn't seem
to get very far with non-standard disks.

>> Determining track length ....
> 
>      By the way, my earlier comment about slowing down the source drive
> to copy long tracks missed the mark a bit. It is more important to be
> able to slow down the target drive. 

I always set my original drive to write about $1880 disk bytes and my
target at $1900 disk bytes.  This ensure the duplicating drive will always
have *plenty* of time.  That and disks that sometimes are "flakey" seem
a bit more apt to be read on a slower drive.  The original of Shamus,
however, will only load with a faster drive speed...hmm...maybe some
"synchronization" going on here ;)

>      The process is described somewhere in the Copy II+ manual. What you
> do is turn ON a stepper motor phase and, then, turn it OFF before it has
> a chance to complete the step. If your timing is right, the head ends up
> about midway between two half-tracks.

Those keywords ring a bell.  I don't have my Copy II+ manual at my current
location, but I thought I read somewhere that after incrementing the disk
arm you wait 32uS before moving it again, does this sound right?

-- 
	-/\/\ichael-

replyto: mkelsey at eecs.wsu.edu