Help With Disk!!

[A2600]

I have a disk with several games in it that when I place it in the drive and turn on the machine all I get is BOOT ERROR! I was told that this needs to be loaded with a DOS!! So I have DOS 2.5 and DOS XE!!

 

How do I:

1) List the programs I have on disk, using DOS or Basic?

2) LOAD The Programs I have on disk using DOS or Basic?

 

Thank You

[oesii]

Boot your computer with the DOS 2.5 disk, make sure Basic is enabled (usually is by default or make sure the cart is inserted in a 800 or 1200XL). There are a couple of possibilities depending on whether the programs are executables or basic programs.

 

For Basic progs, At the ready prompt, type:

 

DOS

 

you should get the DOS menu, press A for the directory on the disk, it should give you the list of programs on there. So if one is called game.bas, you have to exit DOS and then at the ready prompt type:

 

Load "D1:game.bas"

 

After loading type: Run

 

For executable programs, go into DOS and do the directory command, make a note of the program names, like game.exe.

 

Then use the Binary Load command and type in the name of the program, game.exe and it should run.

 

 

Here's a manual on DOS 2.5 to help you get started.

 

http://www.madhippy.com/8-bit/atari/dos25man.html

[oesii]

oh, to return to Basic from DOS you use the 'B', run cart option. I guess it made sense to Atari at the time

[A2600]

r executable programs, go into DOS and do the directory command, make a note of the program names, like game.exe.

 

What is the directory command?

[A2600]

When I press A. Disk Directory

 

I get:

 

Drectory--Search Spec,List File?

 

but when I press enter all I get is 000 Sectors Free

 

I want a list of my programs!!

[zenassem]

a2600,

 

In case your still having trouble. This might help.

 

Dos 2.5

Turn on your computer with the Dos disk inserted. (if you have a computer with built in basic ie. 800xl, 65XE, 130XE, or the emulator with basic on boot enabled) you'll be prompted with a ready.

 

Type DOS

 

This will bring up the dos menu. Press "A" for disk directory and press return. Now IF you want a directory of all the files on the disk press return again.

 

Loading the files depends on what type of file it is. Machine language programs .obj can be loaded with Binary load. If it's a basic program you can choose B to run cartridge. This will bring you back to the ready prompt. Now assuming disk drive 1 you can type

 

LOAD "D1:.BAS"

 

if the program was saved with the save command

 

if it was saved with the LIST command you would need to load it with

 

ENTER "D:.bas"

 

 

Here is a basic program that can read the directory of a disk without the need to go into the DOS menu

 

10 DIM A$(20)

20 OPEN #1,6,0,"D:*.*"

30 TRAP 90

40 INPUT #1;A$

60 GOTO 40

90 END

 

I have dos XL which has a dir command to list disk files

let me know if this helps

 

~zen

[zenassem]

Just saw your last post with 000 free.

 

Did you try booting it with the option key held down (disabling basic)?

 

~zen

[zenassem]

oops, Oh how I wish I could edit

 

add line 50 to that basic program

 

50 ?A$

[A2600]

ZEN, great little basic program but it didnt do the trick!! when I run it I still get 000 Free Sectors and not a directory!!

 

BTW I also have DOS XE!! If that might do the trick

[A2600]

Im RAGED just found out that the filp side of the disk was the one that had the programs!!

 

Ran DOS on the filp side and indeed I did get my directory!! Oh Boy!!

 

Well thank you everyone for your help!!

 

BTW The disk was not originally mines so I had no clue it could have been the flip side since it wasnt labled as such!!

[A2600]

The Flip side has 038 Sectors free and contain Gyruss, Ontrack and DK Jr.

But the lable side has 000 Sectors free and im yet to know whats there!!

[zenassem]

Im RAGED just found out that the filp side of the disk was the one that had the programs!!

 

 

Classic! Glad to here it worked.

 

I'm still wondering about the A side.

Under dos 2.0s sectors 361-368 are used for the disk directory.

 

I can write up some things to get some info off the disk tomorrow.

 

Soemone else might be able to confirm this. But I think certain commercial games won't allow you to get a directory of the disk through dos. I think that they don't use the normal sectors for the disk directory. That's why I was asking you if you tried booting it with option held down (disabling basic).

==================================

 

 

I remember when I got my first 3.5" drive and I ran out of space. Initial response to flip it over

 

Hey at least I didn't get out my notch tool!

 

~zen

[Wilhelm]

Maybe the disk is SpartaDOS format. Have you tried with that DOS?

 

Guillermo.

[A2600]

That's why I was asking you if you tried booting it with option held down (disabling basic).

 

Yes, I did and still nothing on the A side on the B it boots to a menu of 3 games but im still missing the other games listed in the lable!!

 

SpartaDOS

 

Dont have that yet!

[zenassem]

ZEN, great little basic program but it didnt do the trick!!

 

It's a great little basic snippet, but I can't take credit for authoring it.

 

That goes to Ion Poole with Martin McNiff & Steven Cook (authors of the book) "Your Atari Computer a guide to 400/800 personal computers"

 

ISBN 0-931988-65-9

 

~zen

------------------------

More info on it for those who are interested:

 

It's a great reference, covering a wide variety of topics from hardware, OS, DOS, Basic, Graphics/Sound, Memory Usage etc..

With "useful" code snippets, charts, & diagrams.

 

There are a large number of "terrible" books on Atari, This one happens to be in the elite category of must haves IMHO.

 

There are two prints, same ISBN# and Copyright date 1982, the second one includes a Chapter on the XL series (600xl,800xl,1200xl)