Making DOS floppies without APE or SIO2PC

[DamienC]

Ok, I got an Atari 800 with 48k RAM and a floppy drive at a flea market recently.

 

Unfortunately, it didn't come with any version of DOS whatsoever. I'd like to make a DOS floppy myself, but I'm not sure where to start. I don't have much money so an APE or SIO2PC interface is out of the question.

 

One thing I tried was this: I found DOS 2.5 and Spartados .ATR disk images on the internet. I also collected a utility that would allow me to format Atari floppies on a PC (UTIL.EXE) and a utility that would extract files from an .ATR disk image (I forget what this one was called). I formatted the floppy and copied the DOS files to the floppy, but when I tried it the disk wouldn't boot. I think it's because I formatted the disk on a high density drive, but I'm not sure.

 

Anyway, should this even be working, even if I did format on a DD 360k drive? If this won't work, what are my options?

 

I'm using an Indus GT floppy drive, btw.

[Gunstar]

One thing I tried was this: I found DOS 2.5 and Spartados .ATR disk images on the internet. I also collected a utility that would allow me to format Atari floppies on a PC (UTIL.EXE) and a utility that would extract files from an .ATR disk image (I forget what this one was called). I formatted the floppy and copied the DOS files to the floppy, but when I tried it the disk wouldn't boot. I think it's because I formatted the disk on a high density drive, but I'm not sure.

 

Anyway, should this even be working, even if I did format on a DD 360k drive? If this won't work, what are my options?

 

I'm using an Indus GT floppy drive, btw.

 

therin lies the problem, you do indeed have to have an old PC 360k floppy to get this to work. I know, I tried, before I got APE/sio2pc. it will NOT work even if you go into your PC's sytem menu at start-up and tell the floppy drive to act as a 360k drive. It has to be a real, maximum memory, 360k drive from an old PC of the 80's.

 

That being said, I'd be more than happy to mail you working floppies of any and all Atari DOS's as I have them all in .atr images and have plenty of old working floppies as well as APE/SIO2PC software/hardware and 3 single sided double density 1050's which are completely compatible with your Indus GT. I'll trade you two of my (upgraded) Ultra Speed double density 1050's for your Indus GT...I always wanted one of those...