4MB incompatibility

[Gunstar]

I've recently come across my first games that won't work on my 4MB Mega STE, though they do work fine on my 1040ST (which I'm planning on selling), and I've tried booting with&without the blitter and in 8-16mhz modes with no luck, so I figure this must be the 4MB compatibility problem. I don't want to open up my Mega STE and take out the extra simms, and I remember hearing about a program that will "hide" the extra 2MB allowing for normally incompatible games to run. Can anyone tell me where I can find this utility? Thanks.

Edited July 1, 2006 by Gunstar

[tjlazer]

Before you start removing SIMMs try to boot your Mega STE with a TOS 1.0 BOOT disk and try the games! I bet they will then work!!!

[Gunstar]

Before you start removing SIMMs try to boot your Mega STE with a TOS 1.0 BOOT disk and try the games! I bet they will then work!!!

I already said that I'm not going to remove simms, someone once told me that there was a special "utility" to "hide" the extra ram and that's what I really want. Where can I get an image of TOS 1.0? Was 1.2 ever released on disk for an upgrade to 1.0 disk user's?

Edited July 1, 2006 by Gunstar

[oesii]

You can get the original Disk TOS here:

 

http://home.ptd.net/~cjhafner/

[Gunstar]

You can get the original Disk TOS here:

 

http://home.ptd.net/~cjhafner/

 

I appreciate your help, but I already knew about this site, the problem is these are ROM images and not DISK images. I need either .MSA or.ST DISK images.

Edited July 1, 2006 by Gunstar

[oesii]

The disk TOS on that site is a .ST image inside a .zip file.

[Gunstar]

The disk TOS on that site is a .ST image inside a .zip file.

Thanks, I'll have to look again. I downloaded 1.0 from there earlier, but it was a ROM image, I shall look again for the disk image. Thank you.

[ijor]

You can get the original Disk TOS here:

http://home.ptd.net/~cjhafner/

 

Great site. But please note that (at least) one ROM image there is corrupted. The one I know it is bad is TOS 1.62 Uk. The worst thing is that it's only slightly corrupted, so most (but not all) software runs ok. Then many people don't realize it is a corrupted image.

[ijor]

Was 1.2 ever released on disk for an upgrade to 1.0 disk user's?

 

Not AFAIK. I do think that 1.4 was released on disk, at least I remember getting it directly from Atari back in the day.

 

It is a good idea to test the games with different TOS versions. The number of software that breaks with 4Mb RAM is very small in comparison with TOS incompatibilities. Note that some programs are not STe compatible (disregarding which TOS you use on disk or on ROM).

 

It might be worth to test the games under Steem, where you can quickly and easily test multiple TOS version.

 

(Sorry, but I don't have that 2Mb hidder program).

[Gunstar]

I thank you for your help oesii, I succesfully copied the disk image to an ST disk, but it doesn't work on my Mega STE anyway, it shows the busy bee on screen and just freezes, so I think I really need to find this utility that hides the extra memory. Please, anyone know of this utility???

[Tempest]

I'll check around for that utilty because I know I'll need it eventally myself. BTW what games are you having trouble with?

 

Tempest

[Gunstar]

I'll check around for that utilty because I know I'll need it eventally myself. BTW what games are you having trouble with?

 

Tempest

 

I got the '4Wheel Drive' multi-pack (U.K. release-Gremlin games) which includes Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge, Toyota Celica GT Rally (impressive game by the way), Team Suzuki and Combo Racer (sidecar racing). It loads up to the initial menu, but freezes after I make a choice just after it seems to start loading.

 

Now, just so no one suggests, these U.K. releases work fine on NTSC ST's if you are using the Atari monitors that support 50/60hz and I have played plenty of other games on both the 1040 and Mega STE from the U.K. with no problem, including this set that DOES work on my 1040STF perfectly fine, just not on my Mega with 4MB, it MUST be the memory problem.

 

I've been googling all day to try and find the utility without any luck...might help to know what it's called. I've been doing searches like "Atari ST 4MB compatibility/incompatibility", "Atari ST 4MB look like 1MB..." all kinds of variations with no luck. I'll keep trying, bu the problem is knowing exactly what "question" to ask Google...

Edited July 2, 2006 by Gunstar

[atarian1]

I've recently come across my first games that won't work on my 4MB Mega STE, though they do work fine on my 1040ST (which I'm planning on selling), and I've tried booting with&without the blitter and in 8-16mhz modes with no luck, so I figure this must be the 4MB compatibility problem. I don't want to open up my Mega STE and take out the extra simms, and I remember hearing about a program that will "hide" the extra 2MB allowing for normally incompatible games to run. Can anyone tell me where I can find this utility? Thanks.

 

You need a program called MAKE1MEG.TOS. Where to find it, I do not know, but that's the program you should be looking for.

 

Why not keep the 1040ST around as you game ST and your MegaSTE as your 'serious' ST? That way, you can avoid this.

[Gunstar]

Was 1.2 ever released on disk for an upgrade to 1.0 disk user's?

 

Not AFAIK. I do think that 1.4 was released on disk, at least I remember getting it directly from Atari back in the day.

 

It is a good idea to test the games with different TOS versions. The number of software that breaks with 4Mb RAM is very small in comparison with TOS incompatibilities. Note that some programs are not STe compatible (disregarding which TOS you use on disk or on ROM).

 

It might be worth to test the games under Steem, where you can quickly and easily test multiple TOS version.

 

(Sorry, but I don't have that 2Mb hidder program).

Thanks for the heads-up on possible TOS compatiblity problems. I also realize that there are some STE incompatibilities, but in the case of this four games set, they ARE STE compatible, it says so on the box and in the manual, a couple of them are even STE enhanced, so that is not the problem here, but it could be a TOS 2.05 problem as that's the TOS I have in my Mega/STE, but I really think it's the memory problem, though I will try to find a copy of 1.4 on disk, and see if that will correct the problem. Thanks for your help.

[Gunstar]

I've recently come across my first games that won't work on my 4MB Mega STE, though they do work fine on my 1040ST (which I'm planning on selling), and I've tried booting with&without the blitter and in 8-16mhz modes with no luck, so I figure this must be the 4MB compatibility problem. I don't want to open up my Mega STE and take out the extra simms, and I remember hearing about a program that will "hide" the extra 2MB allowing for normally incompatible games to run. Can anyone tell me where I can find this utility? Thanks.

 

You need a program called MAKE1MEG.TOS. Where to find it, I do not know, but that's the program you should be looking for.

 

Why not keep the 1040ST around as you game ST and your MegaSTE as your 'serious' ST? That way, you can avoid this.

I have decided to keep my 1040 for now, but the reason why I still want to get these games running on my Mega/STE is becuase I only have one monitor and really don't like unplugging it and moving it back and forth between the two computers, that's a major pain in the ass. So as soon as I get my problems corrected, the 1040 is going up for sale. The only problem being is that it's an STF so it requires an Atari monitor which I don't have a spare to sell with it, so I'm not sure how that will go over with potential buyers...(I have a spare, but it's broken) Thanks a bunch for the name of the program, that should greatly increase my chances of locating it!

Edited July 3, 2006 by Gunstar

[belboz]

If you can't find the program, I think it should be easy to write your own. All the program does is basically allocate a big enough chunk of memory to only leave 1MB free. It doesn't release the memory on exit.

 

A reset proof ram disk would probably give the desired effect also

[Gunstar]

Well, it seems the program doesn't exist online, and I'm no programmer, so maybe I can find a ramdisk program that is reset proof. I have the M-disk accessory, but I have no idea if it's reset proof or not, I'll have to check it out.

[jens]

You might just pull three megs of ram out to test if it's the ram or not.

If not, you should try with other TOS versions again.

[+DarkLord]

Well, it seems the program doesn't exist online, and I'm no programmer, so maybe I can find a ramdisk program that is reset proof. I have the M-disk accessory, but I have no idea if it's reset proof or not, I'll have to check it out.

 

Hi. Sorry I'm late to this thread, but I *might* have the

software you're talking about. I was browsing through

the General (Misc) files on my BBS, and found this:

 

MAKE_1MB.ZIP

 

which extracts to a folder, MAKE_1MB, which contains:

 

MAKE_1MB.TOS

 

There are no docs with it, but the text file description

I typed in from 1997 (I was the uploader) simply says

that it will force stubborn software that won't work with

extended memory (more than 1 meg) to think its working

in only 1 meg of RAM...

 

If you'd like to try it, tell me where to send/upload it, or

you can logon to my BBS and download it from there. Its

in the File Sigs, in General (Misc).

 

Just let me know...

[belboz]

why not attach it to a post here?

[+DarkLord]

why not attach it to a post here?

 

Okay, just never done that before - have sent pics, same concept, huh?

 

make_1mb.zip

[Gunstar]

You might just pull three megs of ram out to test if it's the ram or not.

If not, you should try with other TOS versions again.

 

The whole point is to avoid having to unplug everything and open it up, do what you say and then re-assemble. It's all academic now since Darklord was nice enough to post the program.

[belboz]

Some titles may say STE compatible, but that was probably 1040 and 520 STE's running TOS 1.62.

 

TOS 2.06 definitely causes some issues with games.

 

Luckily I have been able to get most titles to run as is. Sometimes I need a TOS 1.0 boot disk (the one linked in this thread works great for me).

 

I need the TOS 1.0 boot disk for Time Bandit as an example.

[Gunstar]

Some titles may say STE compatible, but that was probably 1040 and 520 STE's running TOS 1.62.

 

TOS 2.06 definitely causes some issues with games.

 

Luckily I have been able to get most titles to run as is. Sometimes I need a TOS 1.0 boot disk (the one linked in this thread works great for me).

 

I need the TOS 1.0 boot disk for Time Bandit as an example.

 

Well, I have TOS 2.05 on my Mega/STE, not 2.06, but I bet there are similair compatibility issues anyway. The games work fine on my 1040STF that's been upgraded to TOS 1.04 and the games run fine on it. So maybe I'll try a disk version of 1.04 or 1.62 if I can find them. Anyway, I've tried the make_1meg.tos program without much luck, but this is becuase it's a real pain, especially with my current desktop configuration of Neodesk 3 and accessories, to use the 1meg program and reseting and trying to get disks to load instead of the HD upon the required reset after starting make_1meg.tos

I'm attempting to make a boot disk with the 1meg utility program on it and swapping it out before I reset with the game disk, thus bypassing the Neodesk&accessory bootup, but it's still a real pain in the arse. I'm hoping that a disk based TOS is the answer, but the other problem is the game disks are auto-booting to a menu to select the game from the multi-game disk, which has it's own set of problems trying to boot the games from the desktop too. It's really all a big pain. Anyway, I think I'm going to try and track down cracked versions of these games that are HD installable or loadable from file or something to help. Besides, with a cracked file version a lot of games that normally run at 8mhz, but are slow, like some of the games on this disk, can be run in 16mhz mode from a cracked file greatly improving the speed of the game. I know I do this with Vroom!/F1 racer and the difference is astounding, I never play Vroom! in 8mhz any more. Toyota Celica GT Rally is an impressive game, but slow on my 8mhz 1040, so I'm really hoping to get it running at 16mhz too, which would really make this a sweet game to play.

[GT Turbo]

If you can't find the program, I think it should be easy to write your own. All the program does is basically allocate a big enough chunk of memory to only leave 1MB free. It doesn't release the memory on exit.

 

You can write in the memory register config ($ff8001), so you can select how many ram you got only in writing the good value in

 

 

GT Turbo