How to take a .DDP and make real DDP

[videofx]

OK I have read all the posts on this and am still confused.

 

Is there a simple way to take a .ddp file and make a real DDP?

 

Or is there a step by step somewhere explaining?

 

Thanks!

[NIAD]

Easiest method is if you own either the MicroFox VIrtual Disk Drive or the Adam Drive Emulator. Both are SD Drive solutions that function just like an Adam 5 1/4” Floppy Disk Drive.

 

Copy the *.ddp image file to the SD Card in your PC then put it in your Adam SD Drive. From there use a program like File Manager to copy the DDP image file on the SD Drive to an actual Adam data pack.

 

If you don’t own an Adam SD Drive or actual Adam 5 1/4” FDD, your best bet is to contact William Hicks (www.adamarchive.org or adamware.us) to have him make you the data pack copies of the programs that you want.

 

Aside from the above, your only option would be converting the DDP image file to a Wave file and recording it on a stereo connected to a PC. This is tedious and not guaranteed to work.

[videofx]

Thank you so much for that and I do have an Adam Drive emulator so I will try it!

[NIAD]

There are two different types of Digital Data Packs that you need to be aware of...

 

- Center Directory which are used for all application and 3rd Party software such as SmartBasic, AdamCalc, File Manager, Adam Bomb, etc.

 

- Right Directory which are used for the Coleco Super Games, Richard Scarry’s BEWE, etc. To make DDP copies of these titles, you’ll need to repurpose Buck Rogers DDPs since they are still plentiful from the likes of Adamcon/Bob Slopsema or William Hicks can make them for you.

 

Best practice when copying a DDP image file to an actual data pack is to use the block copy option in File Manager and copy blocks 00 thru 255 from the source to the destination starting at block 00.

 

[videofx]

Thanks NIAD!,  No problem with Buck Rodgers Super Game as I have about 10 copies.

 

I assume I can copy Buck Rodgers to a new DDP and use file manager to overwrite the DDP with the new game or program?

[NIAD]

Yes, you can copy Buck Rogers to another right directory data pack.

 

There are no copy protected Coleco released software titles.

[mozartpc27]

On 5/2/2020 at 9:42 AM, NIAD said:

There are no copy protected Coleco released software titles.

I just read that and did a double take.

 

If that is the case I am surprised the system was not more popular!

[NIAD]

11 hours ago, mozartpc27 said:

I just read that and did a double take.

 

If that is the case I am surprised the system was not more popular!

Well, the well known issues at release  and Coleco abandoning it after only 15 months did a lot to tamper it’s popularity.

 

To expand further re copy protection, there were no commercially available copy utilities available to easily make copies until late in 1985. CP/M offered the means to make backup copies of itself and EOS Disk Manager (came with the disk drive) offered limited means of making copies but machine language games and most other commercially released app programs were not supported.

Edited May 4, 2020 by NIAD