Re: Archiving DOS 3.2 software

["Mark Cummings" <figjams@primus.com.au>]

Ed,

I have some original games that are still in DOS 3.2 format, which still
work on my IIe. "Rescue at Rigel" and "Hellfire Warrior" are two of those. I
would like to archive them somehow, whether that means converting to 16
sector or whatever.
I am not sure if they are copy protected but I have tried using CONVERT13
but it doesn't appear to work.
What I am really after is some disk utilities that can work with those
disks, so I can attempt to re-build those disks or at least verify if the
files are OK.
If Copy II Plus v4 or v5 can deal with DOS 3.2 then this may be my best
tool.
I don't have an old 13 sector disk controller anymore, do I need one to make
13 sector disks, or will the method you describe below just as good for
making a DOS 3.2 slave disk. And how do I boot into DOS 3.2 ?
Incidently I am able to use manual bit copy on those disks to make new
working ones, so I don't think I have too much bit-rot yet.

thanks,

Mark


----------
In article <3B865429.F9F2CFDB@nowhere.net>, noone@nowhere.net wrote:


>Such complex questions for so early inthe morning...
>
>How particular are you?  Do you want to actually use native DOS 3.2 disks? 
DOS
>3.2 disks with 16 sector boot track?  All you want is the files?
>
>Ideally you would find a 12 sector controller for a Disk ][.  By the time
you
>get that someone here should be able to get you a copy of Copy II Plus 4 or
5
>which can do file manipulatioon on DOS 3.2 disks.
>
>IMO the best was to save old DOS 3.2 disks is to convert them to 16 sector
>format.  By this I mean copy the data in sectors 0-12? to 0-12 of a DOS 3.3
>disk.  The rest of the sectors will be ignored.  FRom what I recall, you
may
>use the COPYA program from the DOS 3.3 disk to do this with just a poke or
two
>to skip 'bad sectors'.  That may not be correct, I'll look it up if you
call me
>on it.
>
>Another option would of course be to bit copy them, reproducing any bit
errors
>that me be accumulating on your disks.
>
>The 2nd best option is to boot 3.3 System Master and bload FID out of the
way.
>Boot into dos 3.2, and init a slave disk.  Move FID back and run it.  Use
it to
>transfer files to the freshly formatted 3.2 disk.  Use a sector copier to
copy
>sector 0 from a 16 sector disk.  (I think.)
>
>Of course for emulation you would almost have to use a nibble image unless
you
>converted them to 16 sector format.
>
>Maybe someone who has done this in the last few years could assist.  Last
time
>I did this was normalizing my 13 sector Castle Wolfenstein disk.  (It was
all
>files so the OS was irrelevant to the program.)
>
>Hope this helps.
>Thankx,
>Ed
>
>
>Mark Cummings wrote:
>
>> 1. Has anyone got any ideas on how to keep backups (archives) of DOS 3.2
>> software, most disk archiving software I've dealt with only likes 16
sector
>> disks, not 13 sector.
>>
>> 2. I once had a DOS 3.2 system master, but no more, is there a way to
make
>> one ?
>>
>> Mark
>