How to use .ST, .STX and .MSA files on Atari ST?

[eebuckeye]

Very basic question I'm sure but I do not have too much experience with the ST. Can I use either of these files installed on a hard drive? How are they used?

 

Thanks!

Edited November 17, 2014 by eebuckeye

[locnar77]

you can use a pc, if you have a floppy drive in it, and make floppies that will work on the ST, or you can get a HxC floppy emulator and put the files on an SD card and use them directly. there are sites with hard drive modified games already, so you dont need to use .st files that way.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

There is a way to use (some) ST and MSA files on real Atari equipped with hard disk: http://atari.8bitchip.info/imgrun.php

There are some explanations about related things too.

[tjlazer]

You'll want a program that will write those images to a real disk. These tools exist on ST and PC.

[STuck]

There is a way to use (some) ST and MSA files on real Atari equipped with hard disk: http://atari.8bitchip.info/imgrun.php

There are some explanations about related things too.

 

Great link, thanks!

[eebuckeye]

There is a way to use (some) ST and MSA files on real Atari equipped with hard disk: http://atari.8bitchip.info/imgrun.php

There are some explanations about related things too.

 

Wow.. looks great.. I understand I need to run IMGRF!.PRG for my ST with TOS 1.04 but how do I associate .ST and .MSA extensions to use this program?

[jvas]

Or buy HxC: http://www.lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=13

[ParanoidLittleMan]

 

Wow.. looks great.. I understand I need to run IMGRF!.PRG for my ST with TOS 1.04 but how do I associate .ST and .MSA extensions to use this program?

There is YouTube video on that page about associating . Select IMGRFx.PRG , then click Options, Install Application, type in: ST for Document type, Application type - click on TOS, Install . Repeat same with Document type MSA, and Save Desktop .

This is just solution for people with hard disks and little more RAM in machine (2MB needed). Basically something as virtual CD for Windows. But because Atari games tend to access HW directly, what is not allowed way in Windows, success rate is not too high. Not intended as replacement for real floppy drive, or some floppy emulator. STX images are not usable on real Atari. Best way is of course to run hard disk adaptations

Edited November 18, 2014 by ParanoidLittleMan

[brenski]

maybe it's me - but i'm not having any luck with this. on the verge of of binning the ST.

 

got an ultrasatan linked to my ST - and virtually ALL of the files are .st extenstions. tried the above - but they still refuse to load.

[Fletch]

I use JayMSA for .msa files. Thing works like a champ.

[walter_J64bit]

I use trackcopy and IMGRF they are a must have for STs with hard drives!!!

[galax]

maybe it's me - but i'm not having any luck with this. on the verge of of binning the ST.

 

got an ultrasatan linked to my ST - and virtually ALL of the files are .st extenstions. tried the above - but they still refuse to load.

 

If I need to get files from disk images onto my Ultrasatan, I load the disk image into Steem and copy the files to the 'Hard Drive', which puts them into a folder on my PC. Crank up the CPU speed and it all happens really quickly. Then I copy them to the UltraSatan SD card.

 

Pretty much all decent games are now HD Adapted, e.g. thanks to amazing work from P. Putnik: http://atari.8bitchip.info/fromhd.php

 

That just leaves demos which run from 'protected' disks, and for those I use HxC or real floppy disks (maybe some day demos will be HD and MSTE/TT/Falcon adapted, I can dream...!)

Edited March 1, 2015 by galax

[English Invader]

maybe it's me - but i'm not having any luck with this. on the verge of of binning the ST.

 

got an ultrasatan linked to my ST - and virtually ALL of the files are .st extenstions. tried the above - but they still refuse to load.

 

The US has a fairly steep learning curve before you can use it effectively but it's well worth the effort. As already mentioned, the easiest files for you to use will be the hard disk adaptions but you can also make disks from MSA files through JayMSA and copy them onto your hard drive or copy any software you have on disk that can be copied to hard drive (magazine disks are great for this because they don't usually have any copy protection; I have full versions of Skulldiggery, Devpac and STOS that came from magazines).

 

Basically, you should prioritise the various sources in the following way:

 

- hard disk adaptions from the above link or here (most games will be available in this way):

http://www.klapauzius.net/Old_Games.html

- MSA files that can be extracted to floppy disk and then copied to hard drive (MSA files are mostly freeware)

- disks that can be copied to hard drive (mostly serious applications or random stuff you find on magazine disks)

- A few ST files can be run through ImageRun (this is easiest to use on 2.06 for other TOS it's a bit more tricky, might help you out with a few Automation files but it's nothing you can bank on)

 

If you want to tap the Automation library, you'll probably need a floppy emulator. Personally, I won't do that because I couldn't bear not to have a proper disk drive to play original disks.

Edited March 3, 2015 by English Invader

[brenski]

Galaz

when i try this:

If I need to get files from disk images onto my Ultrasatan, I load the disk image into Steem and copy the files to the 'Hard Drive', which puts them into a folder on my PC. Crank up the CPU speed and it all happens really quickly. Then I copy them to the UltraSatan SD card.

steem fails at the first step telling me the file is not a valid file.

seems to be looking for TOS files - i thought this was a method for converting .st files into hard disk images?

help

[galax]

You'll need a TOS ROM to run STeem, I'm on my phone proctoring an exam, but they should be easy to find on Google.

 

Steem emulates an ST, but isn't distributed with the ST's TOS operating system (copyright reasons I think) that sits on a ROM chip in a real ST. Without TOS a real ST can't boot, and STeem can't either.

 

When STeem is running, you can use the disk selector to insert your disk (.ST file) into the drive, and also configure a directory on your PC for STeem to use as the ST's hard disk. You then need to install drive C on the ST's desktop.

Edited March 3, 2015 by galax