writing games back to floppy

[Koji77]

I know this has been visited, but I was wondering if anyone has figured out how to use "todays" pc and write ST games back to floppy. I am fully aware at this point that a USB floppy drive wont or cant write, and todays PC's do not have an IDE floppy anymore. Any help appreciated.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

It's simple: you can write 720KB format with USB floppy drive, but not 800KB, what is spread by Atari SW. Furthermore, no all USB drivers support 720KB, but only 1440 KB - so need to check it first.

All in all, it is very limited.

I think that getting some older PC with internal drive could be solution - that should cost really not much, Only problem may be place for it. I mean PC with USB ports, capable to run some newer Windows like XP.

Some notebook could do it too.

[KLund1]

These next steps is find a program that can deal with the original achieving format. Like STX. Because it is a disk image, it is difficult to get the same info back into the same place on a disk. Especially if it originally had a copy protection.

[tjlazer]

If you can find games or programs that are in files, from archives or a disk, you can manually copy them to a 720k disk. I use Steem to copy off disk images to a folder on my HD, then from there to a 720k disk

[ParanoidLittleMan]

These next steps is find a program that can deal with the original achieving format. Like STX. Because it is a disk image, it is difficult to get the same info back into the same place on a disk. Especially if it originally had a copy protection.

You can not write STX back to disk. Only in rare cases with special equipment. So, if you insist on faithful copies of original you need to get SuperCard Pro.

Much easier is to write ST, MSA formats - then you will have trainer options, improved TOS compatibility and even fixed bugs, improved games:

http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/astgam.php

SW for Atari floppies under Windows:

http://atari.8bitchip.info/floimgd.php

[+DarkLord]

I agree.

[Jinroh]

I also agree.

 

Though I could not get FloImg to work with my PC on windows 10.

 

It didn't like my USB Floppy Drive, I found another program that would complain about mine, but would write anyway. So just in case you get a similar issue. I'll post the name of the other program I had to use later.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

FloImg works not with USB drives, only with built in ones. Quote: "It is for built-in floppy drives, not for USB externals."

And as said, USB will not handle 800K format, regardless from used SW.

[Jinroh]

FloImg works not with USB drives, only with built in ones. Quote: "It is for built-in floppy drives, not for USB externals."

And as said, USB will not handle 800K format, regardless from used SW.

 

Must have been why it didn't work then.

 

I still need to look at what program I do use that works with writing ST images to my USB floppy.

[sodarun]

 

Must have been why it didn't work then.

 

I still need to look at what program I do use that works with writing ST images to my USB floppy.

Yes please