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Re: Apple II version of Activision's H.E.R.O.
On Mon, 23 May 2005 20:45:59 -0500, Mike OMalley wrote
(in article <d6u10i$t4t$1@magrathea.cqu.edu.au>):
>
> Further instructions for usign ADT / SST below.
>
> Email me at: moose AT move DOT to
> and I can send you the disk image I refer to below.
>
> Mike
>
>
> ************************************************************
> Apple ][ Disk Transfer Instructions by Moose O'Malley
> ************************************************************
>
> ****************************************************
> Table of Contents :
> ****************************************************
> - Apple 2 Disk Image Contents
> - Apple <-> PC Disk Transfers
> - Some Brief Notes about Disk Image Files
> - Transferring Standard Floppy Disks : Apple 2 -> PC
> - Transferring Standard Floppy Disks : PC -> Apple 2
> - Standard Floppy Disks Problems ?
> - Transferring Copy Protected Disks : Apple 2 -> PC
> - Transferring Copy Protected Disks : PC -> Apple 2
> - Copy Protected Disks Problems ?
> - Conclusion
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Apple 2 Disk Image Contents
> ****************************************************
>
> Here are the contents of the disk that I use to do my transfers :
>
> - SST - Super Saltines Transcopy
>
> - ADT : Apple <-> PC Disk Transfer
>
> - Copy ][+ v5.0
>
> - Daltons Disk Disintegrator v2.0
>
> - Trackstar 128 File transfer (Only useful if you have an Apple 2
> disk drive hooked up to a Trackstar 128 Expansion Card in your PC.
> i.e. this program is useless for )
>
> - BCOPY v1.5
>
> - Locksmith v4.1
>
> - RENUMBER
>
> - DOS BOSS
>
> For disk transfer purposes, SST - Super Saltines Transcopy and ADT :
> Apple <-> PC Disk Transfer are the two programs you need on the Apple
> 2 computer.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Apple <-> PC Disk Transfers
> ****************************************************
>
> The version of ADT on this floppy disk image is ADT v1.21 - so it may
> or may not work with other versions of ADT or ADT for Windows.
>
> ADT is the "Apple Disk Transfer" utility. Paul Guertin developed ADT
> as a way to transfer 5.25" disk image files from PC directly to
> diskette on a 64k or larger Apple II and to send 5.25" diskettes to
> PC where they are saved as .DSK disk image files.
>
> A typical ADT setup is an Apple II with a serial card or built-in
> serial port connected via a NULL modem cable to a PC's COM port with
> each computer running ADT.
>
> ADT can only handle standard Apple ][ floppy disks. i.e. non copy
> protected disks and disks that don't have strange formats. If you
> have these types of disks, then you need to use SST - Super Saltines
> Transcopy. See "Transferring Copy Protected Disks" below for further
> details.
>
> There are various versions of ADT - DOS or Windows - depending on
> which OS you like.
>
> To install ADT on your Apple ][, you type in a command on your Apple
>> [ (usually IN#2 or similar, see Rubywand's excellent Csa2 FAQs) and
> hit the send button on the PC (which is running ADT as well), and the
> PC will send the Apple version down the null modem wire to the Apple
>> [ - it really is amazing software.
>
> Then, you can save ADT to a disk on the Apple ][ and BRUN it, and
> then you can transfer over the disk image I sent you and then you
> should then be able to transfer standard and copy protected disks
> using the software it contains. E.g. SST.
>
> For more information about all aspects of disk transfers, including
> ADT, communications, etc, see Rubywand's excellent Csa2 FAQs :
>
> http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2T1TCOM.html
>
> and the documentation included with most ADT distributions.
>
> For ADT (DOS and Windows) downloads and information :
>
> http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Sel/ADTWin.html
>
> It took me a while to set up ADT on my Apple ][ - because I didn't
> realise that my Apple ][ printer cable was a null modem cable - once
> I figured this out, I had it transferred in a few seconds.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> My Apple ][c and Set-Up
> ****************************************************
>
> My Apple ][c has an inbuilt serial port (for driving the printer),
> and the Apple ][ printer cable is actually a Null Modem cable itself.
>
> So, all I do is plug the Apple ][ printer cable into the serial port
> on the back of my PC and I'm ready to transfer disks.
>
> Transferring disks is very easy with the Apple ][c - no need to set
> baud rates or mess around making cables or trying to get Super Serial
> Cards to play ball, etc.
>
> My ][c also has 2 floppy drives - the internal drive and an external
> drive - which can save some disk swapping when doing SST transfers.
>
> If you are looking to buy an Apple ][ for transferring disks, then I
> highly recommend that you buy the Apple ][c - but make sure that you
> get the Apple ][c printer cable as well.
>
> I also have a Trackstar 128, but this requires a very slow bus - i.e.
> a 468 PC or better yet, a 386.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Some Brief Notes about Disk Image Files
> ****************************************************
>
> There are several types of Virtual Apple 2 Disk Image file used with
> Apple 2 emulators, but the main two are DSK and NIB, as follows :
>
> Disk Image File
> Type File Size Extension
> ----------- --------------- ----------
> DSK 143,360 bytes .DSK
> NIB 232,960 bytes .NIB
>
> NIB disk images are 1.625 times the size of DSK disk images, because
> NIB files also contain the copy protection / formatting information
> of the original disk. DSK files don't contain this formatting, so
> these can only be used to contain images of disks from standard Apple
> DOS disks.
>
> So, if the original floppy disk is copy protected, then you need to
> transfer the disk to the PC using additional steps.
>
> If the original disk is not copy protected, then you can transfer the
> disk to the PC in a single step.
>
> Standard floppy disks have formats that are DOS 3.3, ProDOS, Pascal,
> and others.
>
> Normally, you can CATALOG these disks and see a list of files.
>
> Copy Protected Disks have strange, non-standard formats, and usually
> you cannot CATALOG these disks - even if you boot with a standard DOS
> or ProDOS master disk and then insert the other disk and do the
> CATALOG.
>
> Below I discuss transferring Standard Floppy Disks and Copy Protected
> Disks between the Apple 2 <-> PC.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Transferring Standard Floppy Disks : Apple 2 -> PC
> ****************************************************
>
> *** Work in Progress
> *** See the ADT help or the CSA2 FAQs
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Transferring Standard Floppy Disks : PC -> Apple 2
> ****************************************************
>
> *** Work in Progress
> *** See the ADT help or the CSA2 FAQs
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Standard Floppy Disks Problems ?
> ****************************************************
>
> If you have any problems / errors, then check out your original disk
> and make sure it is fully working. If it contains bad sectors, then
> there is nothing ADT can do to fix these errors, and your data may
> not be recoverable. (Try Bag of Tricks or similar programs - you
> might get lucky, and they may be able to fix your original disk - and
> then you can transfer it).
>
> When floppy disks become old (10-15+ years), then there is a real
> danger of data loss, bad sectors, and invalid sectors / data on disks
> because of the ravages of Bit Rot. Unless you have good backups of
> these disks, then it may be too late and your data / programs may be
> lost forever.
>
> If the disk image does not work after the transfer, and you are sure
> that your original disk is 100% good and working, then there could
> have been some sort of corruption or bad sectors on one of the floppy
> disks on the Apple 2 (something that used to happen with alarming
> regularity on real Apple 2's), or some sort of corruption in the
> transfer process, or the disk may be copy protected or it could use a
> strange format.
>
> ADT can only handle standard Apple ][ floppy disks. i.e. non copy
> protected disks and disks that don't have strange formats. If you
> have these type of disks, then you need to use SST - Super Saltines
> Transcopy.
>
> See "Transferring Copy Protected Disks" below for further details.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Transferring Copy Protected Disks : Apple 2 -> PC
> ****************************************************
>
> Execute SST - Super Saltines Transcopy on the Apple 2 :
>
> Select Menu Option 1 - Pirate a Disk
>
> Select Menu Option 2 - Pack
>
> Enter the Start Track - 0 is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Enter the End Track - 34 is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Step - 1 is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Synchronize Tracks - NO is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Nibble Count - NO is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Now you are told to insert disks, and press <Return>.
>
> So, place the Copy Protected Disk into Drive 1 on your Apple 2 and a
> blank DOS 3.3 formatted disk into Drive 2, and press <Return>.
>
> SST will then read the copy protected disk and write this in packed,
> transferrable format onto the standard DOS 3.3 disk in Drive 2.
>
> Only half of the image of the Copy Protected Disk can fit onto the
> blank disk in Drive 2, so at the half-way point, SST will ask you to
> place another blank formatted disk into Drive 2.
>
> Do, this, and press <Return> and SST will complete the process.
>
> Now, you have a 2 standard DOS 3.3 floppy disks that each contain
> half of a complete image of a Copy Protected Disk.
>
> These Disks can then be transferred to the PC for use with emulators
> using ADT, in exactly the same as we transferred Standard Floppy
> Disks above. (See "Transferring Standard Floppy Disks" above).
>
> On the PC side - where you are running an Apple 2 emulator - you will
> need to use SST (running on an Apple 2 Emulator) to stitch the 2
> halves of the Copy Protected Disk's disk images back together again.
>
> Let's say you transfer the 2 standard disks as "d1a.dsk" and
> "d1b.dsk", we now need to UnPack these disks from within the Apple 2
> Emulator on the PC to a special NIB disk image file (you could copy
> and overwrite an existing NIB file, or else download and use the
> blank.NIB file from Asimov - I'll assume you have called the NIB file
> "game.nib" on the PC) :
>
> Select Menu Option 1 - Pirate a Disk
>
> Select Menu Option 3 - UnPack
>
> Select Menu Option 1 - Packed Parms
>
> Enter the Start Track - 0 is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Enter the End Track - 34 is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Step - 1 is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Synchronize Tracks - NO is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Nibble Count - NO is the default
> - just hit enter to keep this value.
>
> Place d1a.dsk in drive 1 and game.nib in drive 2, and hit <return> to
> make SST proceed.
>
> Then, when prompted to "turn over the disk", place d1b.dsk in drive 1
> and leave game.nib in drive 2 and hit <return> and SST will finish
> the process of rebuilding a virtual disk image copy of the original
> copy protected floppy disk.
>
> You should then have a NIB disk image file that contains the copy
> protection / formatting information of the original disk along with
> all of the program code / data from this disk, and this disk should
> now run under emulation just as the original floppy disk runs on a
> real Apple 2, only it will be considerably faster under emulation.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Transferring Copy Protected Disks : PC -> Apple 2
> ****************************************************
>
> You can reverse the above process to transfer NIB disk images back to
> real floppy disks on the Apple 2. To do this, you would use SST on
> the Apple 2 emulator to pack the NIB disk onto two .DSK disk image
> files, ADT these across onto 2 floppy disks on the real Apple 2, and
> then use SST on the real Apple 2 to unpack (stitch) these together
> again onto a single floppy disk.
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Copy Protected Disks Problems ?
> ****************************************************
>
> If you have any problems / errors, then check out your original disk
> and make sure it is fully working. If it contains bad sectors, then
> there is nothing SST can do to fix these errors, and your data may
> not be recoverable. (Try Bag of Tricks or similar programs - you
> might get lucky, and they may be able to fix your original disk - and
> then you can transfer it).
>
> When floppy disks become old (10-15+ years), then there is a real
> danger of data loss, bad sectors, and invalid sectors / data on disks
> because of the ravages of Bit Rot. Unless you have good backups of
> these disks, then it may be too late and your data / programs may be
> lost forever.
>
> If the NIB disk does not work after the transfer, and you are sure
> that your original disk is 100% good and working, then there could
> have been some sort of corruption or bad sectors on one of the floppy
> disks on the Apple 2 (something that used to happen with alarming
> regularity on real Apple 2's), or some sort of corruption in the
> transfer process. So try again.
>
> If the resulting NIB disk still doesn't work, then the problem is
> most likely because the Copy Protection on the original disk image is
> more than SST can handle with its default settings, and you may need
> to adjust some of SST's parameters, or (if that doesn't work), then
> use some other process to transfer the disk - see below.
>
> I have transferred well over 50 Apple 2 disks from the Apple 2 to the
> PC or from the PC back to the Apple 2, and probably only 5-10 of
> these were copy protected or had strange formats, but SST handled
> these disks perfectly every time, and straight ADT transfers handled
> the rest.
>
> I have never heard of SST having problems with fierce / nasty /
> strange copy protection schemes - it seems to handle everything you
> can throw at it - but I guess there could be cases where SST just
> can't handle the protection / formatting of the disk.
>
> If SST does not do the job for you, then use some other process to
> transfer the disk. (Such as a Copy ][+ Option Board, or a TrackStar
> 128 Card, or enlist the help of someone who is an expert in
> deprotecting ancient Apple 2 disks or do something else).
>
>
> ****************************************************
> Conclusion
> ****************************************************
>
> Whatever you do, make sure you do it sooner rather than later. The
> older your disks become, the higher the chances for errors and data
> loss.
>
> In the late-1990's, I purchased an Apple ][c epecially to transfer
> all of my existng work from my Apple 2 days way back in 1981/82/83
> over to the PC. However, as it turned out, I was too late, and I
> ended up losing a large number of the earliest programs and work that
> I had ever written on the Apple 2 because of old disks going bad, and
> this was very painful and sad. I hope you don't suffer the same
> fate. ;)
>
> Transfer your old disks today !
>
> All the best,
>
> Mike "Moose" O'Malley
> ____________________________________________________
> Moose's Software Valley - Established July, 1996.
> WEB: http://move.to/moose
> ____________________________________________________
>
> EOF.
>
>
I have looked all over for Dalton's Disk Disintegrator. Where is a good place
to find it?