Will SIO2PC, etc. backup floppies?

[Starman]

Hi all,

I realize this is probably answered somewhere, but all I could find on SIO2PC is how to load .ATR files from a PC to your Atari. I'm trying to determine if SIO2PC will backup floppies to .ATR files. I just found four large boxes of floppies that I want to backup. Most of them still work, but I don't know how to get the files and/or disk images onto something modern before the floppies die.

The videos on YouTube are terrible. It's either someone showing half of what seems to be a backup process, or moving their camera badly so you can't really tell what's going on.

 

What I've gathered:

 

It seems like you can use SIO2PC to trick the Atari into thinking the PC is a floppy. That's fine, I totally get that.

It also seems like you use APE on the PC side to read the floppy backup on the Atari using Copy2000? That's the only software I saw mentioned.

 

Ok, so then once the backup is on the PC, you have a .ATR file. Great. How do you "mount" the .ATR file so that you can copy the individual files onto an SD card? That's the step I'm missing. I have a lot of redundant files, I don't want to use raw .ATR files on the SD card, I'd like to reorganize everything.

 

And one thing: if anyone's going to do a video about SIO2PC, use split-screen, please. Shakycam is annoying.

 

Thanks.

 

[brenski]

yes you can.

 

Extracting Files from ATRs on a PC - Using AspeQt

This is useful for adding/updating and even editing some specific files (esp BAT files) within ATRs.

Easy Method:
1] mount the ATR to AspeQt
2] to explore ATR contents - click on the rightmost icon (looks like a folder)
3] now drag n drop your chosen file(s) to any folder on your PC.

Note1:
Files from a PC can be added to an ATR by drag n drop of file from PC folder to the AspecQt explorer window.

Note 2: Any files containing text content - ALL Atari line control codes will be retained.
Should you need to convert PC compatible LF/CR codes, click on the "Text conversion button" on the explorer window to turn conversion ON before your drag n drop.
This'll allow for direct editing on a PC

You can also add files from your PC to an ATR by dragging and dropping a file from your PC folder to the explorer window.


Alternative Method:
1] mount the ATR
2] mount a PC folder as an Image to an AspeQt slot
3] use Atari DOS/Spartados to copy the file from the ATR image to Folder Image.

Note:
A folder image behaves like an ATR within AspeQt, the exception being that files are written in a PC folder instead of .ATR files. AspeQt, from ver 1.01 onward includes writable folder image support
End-of-line code conversion will NOT be done when a text file is copied this way.

 

There are also 2 very small utilities called MakeATR and ATRUtils - both are pretty good at handling/editing/removing/copying ATR contents and re-saving new ATR images.

there's more mini-guides on this and more on our small Atari Forum

http://atari.boards.net/thread/700/connecting-atari-pcs

Edited December 27, 2016 by brenski

[+Larry]

Nice! Didn't know that forum was there!

 

-Larry

[Starman]

Awesome, thanks!

[+Bikerbob]

Starman.. if you want break out the ATR into files, then above works great.

 

IF you want to keep the disk image intact - aka not bootleg disk files but images of original software then atarimax software prosystem works great.

 

I use the APE and Prosystem - and I also use ResepQt - ALL are excellent - you just need the hardware bit that will allow you to do SIO21050 (was the original name) that allow your PC to read your Atari drive and disks.

 

I find Prosystem the easiest way to copy over complete ATRs (bootleg or whatever) to have an exact digital copy of the floppy.. then using your fav. program you can load those ATRs and do what you like digitally.

 

James

[vitoco]

I'm trying to determine if SIO2PC will backup floppies to .ATR files. I just found four large boxes of floppies that I want to backup. Most of them still work, but I don't know how to get the files and/or disk images onto something modern before the floppies die.

 

Supposing that you have an Atari computer, a real disk drive and a SIO2PC cable, you can use RespeQt and mount an empty ATR disk as virtual drive 2 (leaving virtual drive 1 off), then copy a disk from D1: (your floppy disk) to D2: (ATR image in your PC) using any disk copier or DOS running in your Atari. You could also copy files individually if the destination ATR is preformatted or have enough space available.