Gunstar Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 I'm mainly interested in games and graphic arts, but desktops and demos and screensavers and the like I also want. Also, what is the standard "disk image" extension? Like Atari 8-bit has .atr...I came across one demo page with ST demos saved in the extentsion .MSA, is this an archive or ST disk image or file type?!?!? What tools do I need, if any, and what should I look for...I know that the ST can read 720k PC disks...Any help very much appreciated!!! I have this new (to me) 1040st and need software of ANY type for it...thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari-Jess Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 www.atari.st .msa and .st are the file extension for atari st disk images find a program called makedisk and you can put those ST and MSA files onto a 720kb disk to use on your st Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted October 4, 2002 Author Share Posted October 4, 2002 Thanks! I figured MSA was a disk image, but didn't know how to make it into a real disk, makedisk is the answer! Thanks for the site too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted October 4, 2002 Author Share Posted October 4, 2002 Well, that LGD site looks good, but I can't seem to access the FTP sites that it links to to actaully download the games. I'm not real familiar with ftp site, I did read the help info on my computer but as usual it helped very little. If anyone could direct me to some sites on HTTP servers/archives for the ST I'd appreciate it. I've never had trouble downloading 8-bit stuff from sites like these. I also need to know where I can get this "makedisk" program for making ST disks out of images, it was mentioned in the "tools" section at LGD, but they didn't actually have the program for download. Please help, I'm dying to use my ST, but I didn't get much in the way of software with it or manuals or anything, so I'm pretty much in the dark and a total newby with the ST line...it's humbling when I know so much about 8-bits and a decent amount about PC's/MS-dos/windows... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted October 4, 2002 Author Share Posted October 4, 2002 Ok, I've found Makedisk and some other utilities so I'm good there. I also found one site 'Pompey's Pirate site' with some programs to get me started, but more good sites are still welcome. I download FTP explorer and tried to access the FTP links and the LGD site with no luck, I guess I don't quite understand how it works, so I'll keep looking for sites with direct links to files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 Here are some links to Atari ST software pages. Mostly demos or games: http://www.blimey.strayduck.com/automation.htm http://www.recycledsteel.co.uk/trooper/ata...demo/index.html http://www.atarizone.com/ ftp://ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de/pub/atari/games/Debug/ I have never ever managed to get the Little Green Desktop FTPs to work. Quite anoying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 My big question is where do you get 720 disks these days? I so want to hook my ST back up, but I need a mouse.... I have a cord that I purchased way back in the day that will allow me to patch the monitor port into a RCA video / audio jack.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 My big question is where do you get 720 disks these days? I so want to hook my ST back up, but I need a mouse.... I have a cord that I purchased way back in the day that will allow me to patch the monitor port into a RCA video / audio jack.... Have you tried to format HD disks on your ST? I think it should work. You also have an option in Windows when you format a disk, to format it to DD (720KB) capacity. I think that the Atari can read/write a DOS formatted disk, it's the other way around that doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 My big question is where do you get 720 disks these days? I so want to hook my ST back up, but I need a mouse.... I have a cord that I purchased way back in the day that will allow me to patch the monitor port into a RCA video / audio jack.... Have you tried to format HD disks on your ST? I think it should work. You also have an option in Windows when you format a disk, to format it to DD (720KB) capacity. I think that the Atari can read/write a DOS formatted disk, it's the other way around that doesn't work. I will HAVE to try that. Never occured to me to try that. If it works.. Heh.. I can play my ST again. When I get a new mouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted October 4, 2002 Author Share Posted October 4, 2002 I've been successful in FORMATTING HD disks on my ST and on the PC in 720k mode, the computers say they're successfully formatted, but I haven't actually tried putting software on the disks yet for my ST...not until I run out of DD disks I have laying around from an old PS1 computer we had about 10 years ago...I also go a few 720k disks with the ST that had software on them I wasn't intersted in and have been using those, although a couple have turned up bad. Ok, another question; is there a PC program for the ST that can take an .msa or.st image that is LARGER than 720k and split it into two files or something? I have come across several images with more than one program on them and they are over the 720k limit. I have written some of them to disk anyway, but I can only access the programs within the first 720k and the rest are useless. I'm guessing that ST emulators can handle these larger disk images and that's why there are some this large, but I guess there was probably later drives by atari that were 1.44mb or something too? I need one of those...all I know of are the single sided 360k and the 720k ones like in my 1040stf. Thanks for the links Han! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goochman Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 Some ST formatters pushed the limits of the ST disk sixe to almost 880K (though highly unreliable) - If the disk is over 880K then Im not sure whats on it - I wasnt able to get any of the convertors to work with the extended format disks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarian1 Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 DSDD 720k disks can usually be found at electronic surplus stores. Check your local yellow pages. Staples and OfficeMax (or was it OfficeDepot?) still sells 720k disks through their website. I would NOT recommend formatting HD disks as DD disks. Most people, including myself, have had nothing but problems with reading/writing problems and lost data. There are a few who claim to do it all the time, but they're in the minority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariDude Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 If I remember correctly, the ST disk drive was not designed to read High Density diskettes. Even though you might format a high density disk to 720K, you eventually are going to have problems. You need to buy actual 720K diskettes if you want to avoid any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Han Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Ahh ok, thanks people for clearing that one out. I wasn't sure if it would work or not. I remeber formatting HD disks to DD on my ST, but I can't quite remember if it worked or not.... it's such a looong time ago . Inky, about a ST mouse. Maybe you could try an Amiga mouse? They seem to easier to locate than ST mice at least here in Sweden. But maybe I am wrong about that too? Can one use an Amiga mouse on an ST?? I know I know, it will look terrible, but I mean if you're really desperate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariDude Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 I think the reason why you have the problem with double density formatted diskettes on a high density disk is the fact that High Density diskette drives have a more sensitive writer and thus don't need as strong a magentic pulse in order to be able to read a high density disk. A double density diskette drive has a less sensitive writer and needs a stronger signal in order to read the diskette contents. That is why formatting a high density diskette to 720K won't work after a period of time. The magnetic signal is not as strong as if it were formatted on a double density drive. A high density diskette drive has no problem with either one. I don't remember if Atari ever did get around to creating a high density drive for the STs (maybe they did for the TT but I had left the ST scene by then). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted October 5, 2002 Share Posted October 5, 2002 Ahh ok, thanks people for clearing that one out. I wasn't sure if it would work or not. I remeber formatting HD disks to DD on my ST, but I can't quite remember if it worked or not.... it's such a looong time ago . Inky, about a ST mouse. Maybe you could try an Amiga mouse? They seem to easier to locate than ST mice at least here in Sweden. But maybe I am wrong about that too? Can one use an Amiga mouse on an ST?? I know I know, it will look terrible, but I mean if you're really desperate... I think there's a difference, because I heard of one vendor who created an ST/ Amiga mouse. To use it on the ST you have to flip a switch on the mouse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted October 5, 2002 Author Share Posted October 5, 2002 Ahh ok, thanks people for clearing that one out. I wasn't sure if it would work or not. I remeber formatting HD disks to DD on my ST, but I can't quite remember if it worked or not.... it's such a looong time ago . Inky, about a ST mouse. Maybe you could try an Amiga mouse? They seem to easier to locate than ST mice at least here in Sweden. But maybe I am wrong about that too? Can one use an Amiga mouse on an ST?? I know I know, it will look terrible, but I mean if you're really desperate... Yes, that's one of the cool things about Atari/Commodore machines; the controller&mice&touchpads, etc. are all interchangable...even between the 8-bit/16-bit and possibly even the 32-bit machines...so if you found an old C64 mouse used with the C64-GEOS desktop, that would even work! C128 mice work too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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