Copy Protection On Old Disks

[Tanman]

I have sum CIB original games that I want to make backups to use when playing. The old copy programs I have from the early 80s can't get past the copy protection. Did they ever release a program that can copy all old 5 1/4 disks?

Thanks!

Tanman

[Bryan]

Because the firmware in the Atari drives determines what can be read and written, there is no way to copy non-standard formats (like protected disks) without a drive modification. The best way to go is to get a Happy 1050 upgrade. I believe Atarimax.com has them for sale.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Bryan

[Tanman]

Cool! And those modified drives can copy anything? Do you need a special program?

[Bryan]

Cool! And those modified drives can copy anything? Do you need a special program?

You need the copy utilities that come with the upgrade. There are a few disks out there that the Happy can't handle. Not sure what they are, though.

 

A Happy modified drive will also load and save faster (although it can be slowed down since many copy-protected games won't load at the faster speed).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Computers

Edited May 12, 2010 by Bryan

[olavese@online.no]

I have sum CIB original games that I want to make backups to use when playing. The old copy programs I have from the early 80s can't get past the copy protection. Did they ever release a program that can copy all old 5 1/4 disks?

Thanks!

Tanman

 

I like to use Dos 2.6f, it will copy all of the SD disk, but of course it doesn't duplicate the bad sectors. But it gets past them and you can hack it, if you're up to it. Can also for some of the titles, protection removers.

 

http://pokeysoft.no/games/atari/a8util.htm

 

Search for DOS 2.6

 

and the unprotecting programs, search for Chipmunk and Black Patch

 

Have lots of copiers there too ...

 

Good luck

[tjlazer]

There are also tools to copy disks and crack them. Called Parameter copiers. Black Patch is one I have used to make some copy protection free backups to ATR.

Edited May 12, 2010 by tjlazer

[Shawn Jefferson]

There really isn't any point to making backup copies... all the disks are available on-line pretty much, in cracked form as ATR or XEX files (or if you are really lucky, in ATX format at Atarimania)-just download one of those. If you have some programs that aren't available, please dump them and send them to Atarimania!

 

If you want to make backups to play instead of your real disks, you probably want an 10502PC cable (see Atarimax), and you will be able to turn the ATRs you download into real disks (or just use SIO2PC and APE).

[Cliff Friedel]

The disks that seem to be the hardest to copy are Datasoft disks, especially the Alternate Reality ones. Not sure on the exact specification of the protection, but I know for sure you had to turn the happy mod off to play them or use an unmodded drive. Think it had to do with where the heads stopped on certain sectors and the RPM of the drive. I do know if you put it in happy, it never stopped right and in the dungeon you ended up with FBI agents killing you. Philip Price wrote some crazy copy protection schemes.

 

As someone else said, you can get all of this stuff in ATR and XEX format now, so no real plus to copying floppies.

 

Cliff

[Tanman]

I want to make copies in order to preserve the "CIB" aspect of the items. Having an original disk that still works would be more CIB in my opinion.

I was just hoping someone had finally come up with a simple copy program in the past 30 years.

[Bryan]

Well, these are the options. You can either use an upgraded drive to make complete protected copies, or you can try a protection removal program (that frankly is only going to work on titles it knows of) or save the DIY step and download an already cracked copy.

 

If you work with floppies much, I personally think the Happy 1050 is a powerful tool and it's worth having one around.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Bryan

[+remowilliams]

There really isn't any point to making backup copies... all the disks are available on-line pretty much, in cracked form as ATR or XEX files (or if you are really lucky, in ATX format at Atarimania)-just download one of those. If you have some programs that aren't available, please dump them and send them to Atarimania!

 

Yes, being quite involved with VAPI preservation of 8bit originals myself, I heartily agree with that suggestion. If an individual does not have the hardware to dump original disks, there is always the possibility of arranging mailing of the disks for imaging.

[spookt]

Is there any good info around on creating VAPI copies of disks?

 

I have a Happy 1050 and SIO2PC. Is there software and some kind of guide available?

[carmel_andrews]

couple of other 1050 mod's you might consider

 

SA/SA2 (especially with the bit writer upgrade)

 

Speedy/Super Speedy 1050 (i remember it being a slightly faster variant on the happy type upgrade)

 

One less well known one (I believe one of the AA members here had one) the IS Plate 1050 (which if i recall correctly, emulates all super archiver/happy upgrades via IS Plate's software)

[Shawn Jefferson]

I want to make copies in order to preserve the "CIB" aspect of the items. Having an original disk that still works would be more CIB in my opinion.

I was just hoping someone had finally come up with a simple copy program in the past 30 years.

 

Not really, as everything has been cracked by now. Keep in mind that some copies made by various copying hardware (Happy at least) won't run on an unmodified drive (ie. it requires a happy drive to run the copy.) Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of good options for what you want.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Keep in mind that some copies made by various copying hardware (Happy at least) won't run on an unmodified drive (ie. it requires a happy drive to run the copy.)

 

If "copied with Happy needs Happy to load" is what you mean to say, well, that's not true. The majority of the copies will run on standard 1050 without problems as it's an exact copy of the original in virtually all cases.

 

The same goes for the Speedy 1050.

[HiassofT]

couple of other 1050 mod's you might consider

IMO one of the most sophisticated 1050 mods (especially concerning disk backups) is the 1050 Turbo built by Bernhard Engl.

 

The integrated Backup Machine is able to copy most protected disks (except enhanced and double density), including track-alignment protection and tracks with more than 18 sectors.

 

In 2004 Bernhard Engl gave permission to ABBUC to release the docs, including source code and schematics. They are available here (but beware, it's all in german):

http://www.strotmann.de/~cas/Infothek/1050Turbo/

 

A few years ago Guus Assmann built a small batch of new boards, maybe he still has a few left.

 

so long,

 

Hias

[Havok69]

If you have an SIO2PC, you should be able to create a PRO image of the disk...

[carmel_andrews]

Add Hiassoft's suggestion into the mix (as I've not heard of that upgrade before, and similar things to it)

[Shawn Jefferson]

Keep in mind that some copies made by various copying hardware (Happy at least) won't run on an unmodified drive (ie. it requires a happy drive to run the copy.)

 

If "copied with Happy needs Happy to load" is what you mean to say, well, that's not true. The majority of the copies will run on standard 1050 without problems as it's an exact copy of the original in virtually all cases.

 

The same goes for the Speedy 1050.

 

Well, that is why I said "some". Some copies do need the Happy upgrade to work properly.

[Fox-1 / mnx]

Ah, it depends on how one reads it I guess. When mentioning "Happy at least" it looks like you're excluding that from "some" which makes it "always". Or something like that...

 

Never mind :-)

[Mirage]

If you have an SIO2PC, you should be able to create a PRO image of the disk...

 

Yeah, sometimes. It's hit and miss from my experience. Thankfully the vast majority of stuff is available in good disk image form already, as mentioned.