Can you write 8-bit floppies using a PC's 5¼ floppy drive?

[Nukey Shay]

Yes and no...

You could use certian PC drive to format down to 360k, but it would only be able to be read with certian operating systems (like MyDos, I think). In any case, the game would not run as intended, and probably would not work.

The solution is to get a cable like APE that will allow the PC to write directly to the Atari disk drive.

[TXG]

Yep, I disk use a german program, you can find it on the Pooldisk CDROM. When you want to have it e-mail me. You need a 360Kb diskdrive, I don't know if it works with an 1.2Mb drive. You also need a 1050 or XF551 or other diskdrive that can read/write 180Kb disks. Just format the disk on Atari with MyDOS, TurboDOS or any other DOS 2.x compatible DOS. On the pc you can read/write files from the disk. I did use it alot.

 

There are also programs to read SpartaDOS but I never tested them. When you have a Happy 7.10 drive there is a utility to read IBM disks in that drive on Atari, no writing. When you have an XF551 you can read ST or IBM disks 5.25 or 3.5 when you use the CSS upgrade kit.

 

TXG

[Nukey Shay]

Dos 2.x can read true double-density? I thought it only worked with single or "enhanced" density (88k-124k...hence my statement that a program that uses it's own loader made for single-density probably wouldn't work if you just dumped the image to a DD disk). In any case, Gunstar and I had a heck of a time trying the "format-down" method with newer drives...the older, the better I guess.

[Gunstar]

Yeah, I tried quite a few different programs trying to use my 1.2m drive, formatting it down to 360k. The drive I had wouldn't format in 360k even though I could choose it as an option. I think you would have to find a late '80s early '90s 5.25, 360k drive (max memory), something that use to be on the ols 8088's or whatever that old Intel chip was, or off of 286 or 386 computers. Most of which have been long since destroyed or found their way out of the U.S anyway. Swap meets and garage sales and maybe a Goodwill. You'll have to buy the whole piece of junk (PC) just to get the drive, but it will cost you no more than you'd probably be willing to pay for the drive alone anyway.

Anywho, I never had any luck finding a true 360k drive, so I ended up going the opposite direction with a 10502PC cable. This is not the same as the regular SIO2PC/A.P.E cables. Those are disigned to hook the 8-bit up to a PC and use the PC's hardware. The 10502PC cable hooks a 1050 disk drive right up to a PC! You just download everything to the 1050 drive with the A.P.E's 'Prosystem' subprogram, or on an extended menu with the SIO2PC program (go with the A.P.E '98 windows version). The format it uses are the standard .atr Atari files found on most Atari 8-bit ftp sites. These are disk "images," like an electronic photograph of the original Atari disk. They load up on the 8-bit just like regular autoload disks, single-density, 90k. I imagine that any Atari drive could actually be used all the way back to the 810 since it's still the standard "disk image" format. Of course, I also have the regular SIO2PC/A.P.E cable too.

[WimpMiester]

Is there a way to write 8-bit floppies using a PC's 5¼ floppy drive? I have AR the Dungeon and the first part of disk 1 was formatted. I would really like to be able to fix it.

[WimpMiester]

OK then, how about something that works on the 8-bit or ST line of computers. I would really like to get AR the Dungeon to work again but I really don't want to put any expense into new hardware of any kind. And I do think my old floppy could format down to 360K with no problem.

[Gunstar]

Yes, there are similiar programs/cables to connect an 8-bit to an ST, to transfer files, mostly for use with an 8-bit emulator on the ST. But your going to have to let me know exactly what machines and drives you want to use or have at your disposal, then I might be able to lead you to the proper programs and such. The cable for the STto8-bit is, I believe, called the ST Xformer cable. There is also one for the PC (Xformer), but with the A.P.E and SIO2PC cables, I believe it has become obsolete.

[WimpMiester]

The systems I have are as follows:

 

1200XL

130XE

Two 8-bit Floppy drives

520STfm (Same as 1040STfm)

Mega STE (4MB RAM)

Falcon 030 (16MB RAM)

One external ST Floppy drive

Various PC systems

A partridge in a pear tree

 

If there is software for the 8-bit that would be the best way to go because it’s an 8-bit title that needs repaired. At this time I think it would be too hard to find the cables/Software needed to connect the 8-bit floppy to the PC or ST systems.

 

[ 09-21-2001: Message edited by: WimpMiester ]

[Nukey Shay]

Too bad you don't have an 850 interface, you could port directly from the ST to your 8-bits via null modem line.

Personally, I thing you should go Gunstar's route and get a SIO2PC cable (see the post at the bottom of the forum for a fantastic deal). Comes with a lotta stuff too, probably the very file you seek as well.