Re: IIGS MS-DOS FST Problem Solved

["Peter Watson" <paw77@N_O_hotmail_S_P_A_M.com>]

I miss reading csa2 for a few days and look what happens - a thread starts
up that I can contribute to!

As has been noted, the problem is that a long filename entry in the
directory looks exactly like a volume name entry - an invalid entry! If the
disk doesn't have a volume label, or one was added after other files were
copied to the disk, you will have problems. Because the MSDOS FST doesn't
validate the volume name data, I've seen symptoms varying from junk in the
volume name to a complete crash of GS/OS.

The trick (if you are formatting the disks yourself) is simply to give the
disk a volume name during or immediately after the format. This will ensure
that the MSDOS FST will find a valid volume name in the first directory
entry and stop there. And then when looking for filenames, it will simply
ignore the multiple "volume name" entries that it finds.

Of course, you can't control disks created by other people. And you can't
see the long filenames. That's where MUG! comes in handy.  ;-)
-- 
Peter Watson
-- Write to MSDOS disks on the Apple IIgs?
-- Impossible!  ;-)


"Dean Shutt" <junk@punaka.com> wrote in message
ssc26015t8bpmuaatchi34slpo1k6mpj0n@4ax.com">news:ssc26015t8bpmuaatchi34slpo1k6mpj0n@4ax.com...
> Long file names are indeed the problem.  Even one on the disk confuses
> the FST and the disk can not be read.  Note this is NOT a problem with
> MS DOS Copy under Prodos on the IIe.  This is also noted in the
> instructions for MUG, thanks Bill ror sending it.
>
>
> On Tue, 23 Mar 2004 14:14:58 +0800, "Thomas Fok" <thomasf@net-yan.com>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >Are the MS-DOS disks created by Windows? The long filename feature
> >introducted in Windows 95 may causes problem to MS-DOS FST.
> >
> >Regards,
> >Thomas
> >
> >
> >
> >"Dean Shutt" <junk@punaka.com> wrote in message
> >prav501pihe3kgerp9miepquv5f3ieeuk0@4ax.com">news:prav501pihe3kgerp9miepquv5f3ieeuk0@4ax.com...
> >> A quick, and I suspect classic, question.  Could not find it in the
> >> latest faq though.
> >>
> >> I am setting up yet another Apple II.  This system is:
> >>
> >> IIgs rom 3
> >> superdrive
> >> superdrive controller card
> >> ae GS ram fully populated with 6 meg
> >> system 6.0.1 installed on superdrive
> >>
> >> Everything works fine EXCEPT I can not read MS-DOS disks on the
> >> superdrive. I installed all the optional FST using the 6.0.1 installer
> >> and I have verified the FST files are in the FST folder.  Superdrive
> >> and controller card are known good and check out perfectly in my IIe
> >> system and read MS-DOS disks there.  1.44 Prodos disks can be
> >> written/read/initialized with no difficulty.  Loading an MS-DOS disk
> >> into the drive results in a short drive spin up and nothing else.
> >> Disk does not appear on the desktop in any form.
> >>
> >> Surely I must be missing something simple but currently do not have a
> >> clue as to what it might be.  Any help would be most appreciated.