DOSCopy?

[Blurredman]

I've heard people talking about the programme DOSCopy, and other websites talk about one being in the CP/M Utilities Discs! But I cannot seem to find the programme. Disc or otherwise. Not even online!

I want the programme in order to read some previously transfered to PC files with Money Manager.


Can someone tell me

Thanks in advance.

[Terje_Norway]

Hi 


You could have a look at the following page, as it could contain what Your after :
http://www.theoldcomputer.com/roms/index.php?folder=Amstrad/CPC/Utilities


Search for the following on this page :
Dos Copy v1.3 and Crime v1.3 (1991)(-)(DOSCRIME.ROM)[ROM v2.1].zip


You could also check the following link :
http://genesis8.free.fr/frontend/dfile.php


Search for disc image U017

Hope that helps You.

Yours
Terje Grind
Norway

[Blurredman]

Thank you for replying.

I actually found it soon after posting and was playing around.

Unfortunately, I cannot seem to make it work. I can read one of my DOS floppy discs (double density format-not high) however after choosing files and pressing return it just says "read error!!".

I then had a look at the AMIGA>MSDOS>CPC programme and read on there that it can only operate if the 40/80 track has not been cut. But I cut it in order for AMSDOS to recognise the drive and discs inside it ^^

[TFM]

So add a switch to the cut

[AMSDOS]

Hmmm, yes, I mention DOS Copy as a useful program for transferring files from the PC to my Amstrad. What I was doing with it was extracting files from DSK images (using CPCFS) and copying those files onto a 5.25" Disk on the PC and then use DOSCopy on the Amstrad to copy those files from my 5.25" Disk Drive which was B Drive to my 3" Disc Drive. I recall DOSCopy having a number of options, though I'm unsure if it would allow you to copy a file from the same drive, if it could then it would be limited in how large that file would be.

[arnoldemu]

I then had a look at the AMIGA>MSDOS>CPC programme and read on there that it can only operate if the 40/80 track has not been cut. But I cut it in order for AMSDOS to recognise the drive and discs inside it ^^

Yes it depends on how the dsk is written on the pc.

If it's writing a 40 track disc to an 80 track drive, it may double step. The tracks on a real 40 track disc have less density compared to the tracks on an 80 track disc, and to simulate this you must move the drive head, 2 tracks for every 1. a movement is a step and therefore "double step".

For cpc you don't need double step if your 5.25" drive on cpc is a real 40 track.

AMSDOS doesn't do double step, so when it writes a 40 track disc in a 80 track drive, it will write the first 40 tracks. If you try to read this on a real 40 track drive, you will find all the odd tracks are not readable, it can't see them.

pc:           cpc:

40            40       no double step
80            40       double step on pc
40            80       will not work with amsdos
80            80       no double step

[AMSDOS]

Yes it depends on how the dsk is written on the pc.

If it's writing a 40 track disc to an 80 track drive, it may double step. The tracks on a real 40 track disc have less density compared to the tracks on an 80 track disc, and to simulate this you must move the drive head, 2 tracks for every 1. a movement is a step and therefore "double step".

For cpc you don't need double step if your 5.25" drive on cpc is a real 40 track.

AMSDOS doesn't do double step, so when it writes a 40 track disc in a 80 track drive, it will write the first 40 tracks. If you try to read this on a real 40 track drive, you will find all the odd tracks are not readable, it can't see them.

pc:           cpc:

40            40       no double step
80            40       double step on pc
40            80       will not work with amsdos
80            80       no double step

That's interesting cause in my case I was using a CP/M program called DU51 to format 5.25" Disks which are clearly Double Stepping, just so I can use these disks in AMSDOS, otherwise they just wouldn't work. So that would have to mean the second 5.25" drive I have with my computer is 80 track.

[Blurredman]

Okay. Well I'm in the process of making an external drive case and even though I didn't plan on it, I'll put the 40/80 track switch on the box along with the other switches.

One thing, can the 40/80 switch be used when the drive and computer are on? You can change priority and side when the unit is turned on which is extremely useful.

Also, I don't have any blank 3" discs to hence my usage of 5.25". Is there no way DOS-Copy or other programmes can copy on the one drive without the 3" drive being in the equasion?

[arnoldemu]

Okay. Well I'm in the process of making an external drive case and even though I didn't plan on it, I'll put the 40/80 track switch on the box along with the other switches.

One thing, can the 40/80 switch be used when the drive and computer are on? You can change priority and side when the unit is turned on which is extremely useful.

Also, I don't have any blank 3" discs to hence my usage of 5.25". Is there no way DOS-Copy or other programmes can copy on the one drive without the 3" drive being in the equasion?

Yes it should be possible to use the 40/80 track switch while both drive and computer are on.
We had some 5.25" drives on the Acorn BBC and always used to use the switch while it was on so I assume this will be the same.

Concering the 3" drive in the equation: Yes I have had similar problems

There are other alternatives:

1. use a cpcbooster serial interface, you can transfer discs that way. I've tried it and it works fine, but the interface is hard to find and can be costly. cpcparts.net may have one in stock.

2. load through cassette (connecting pc sound card to the cpc cassette).
I have done this loads of times and it works fine, but is slow.

If I had time I would knock up a program which you could use to transfer discs through cassette and use the cpc to rebuild them.
But at this time I don't. It is something I could look at in the future.

3. you could get a hxc floppy replacement, but then you wouldn't need the 5.25" drive then

So do you have lots of blank 5.25" discs lying around?


EDIT: Which jumper is for 40/80 track switching?

[redbox]

There are other alternatives:

Another alternative is to make a Parallel cable (and forum discussion here). 

Works a charm and can write DSK images from your PC directly onto the 5.25" disc.  Disadvantages are you need a parallel port on your PC (a proper full old school style one) and the utility for the PC only runs in DOS.

[Blurredman]

I was under the impression that AMSDOS only used 40 track

I've seen such BBC drives and was considering buying one and modifying it for Amstrad use, but I already had bits laying around.


Problem is, I can't seem to even be able to make .dsk files. If I want to put a dsk file onto a disc, I use the SAMDisc programme as everytime I try to use the CPCDiscXP, it gives an error each time it tries to transfer onto a sector.

I just made my CPC cassette lead, I was told by my dad that it was mono and purchased mono jacks. It didn't want to listen to anything from a stereo and my dad said it was because it was mono. But how are you able to use the PC soundcard when that is stereo? Or is the CPC infact stereo?

Can't buy interfaces atm, not long ago I bought a Acorn A3000-A4000 network card. My failed attempts at connecting the thing to the internet because of RAM constrictions and no hard disc interface meant that there were constant problems with space- esspecially when adding the interface took away 500kb of RAM for its own use.

I have 14 here, most of them now have images on them, but just bought a new box of 10 for just over a fiver. PLENTY on ebay!

As far as jumper, there is not one to my knowledge, I'm using a high density disc drive and had to cut (unsolder) a resistor still don't know what the resistor does as there are three things to my knowledge which I had to make the drive do:

Force 300rpm and not 360rpm
Force double step
Remove the use of High density.


The first two were just a matter of jumpers, forcing the speed to be less is something which can be found on the net, I also had to use another jumper beside it, and I'm still unsure weather it was this jumper which allows it to double step or remove high density.

It is formatting discs in 40 track mode, whether it was the jumper that did that or the resistor I just don't know. I don't know whether it is double stepping or not, but looking at the mechanism when formatting, it's only using half the disc so maybe it is not?

[TFM]

One thing, can the 40/80 switch be used when the drive and computer are on? You can change priority and side when the unit is turned on which is extremely useful.

Yes, that's no problem at all. You can always switch between 40 / 80 Tracks or between side 0 or 1.

In case you make a side switch be careful it shall rather switch between side-signal-from-fdc and side 1. A pure side 0 or 1 switch screws up double-side formats.

Good luck!

[Blurredman]

Yes, that's no problem at all. You can always switch between 40 / 80 Tracks or between side 0 or 1.

In case you make a side switch be careful it shall rather switch between side-signal-from-fdc and side 1. A pure side 0 or 1 switch screws up double-side formats.

Good luck!

Interesting, I'm going to use a pin connector (ie 3.5" floppy) inside the unit, and glue a metal pin into the appropriate hole. From there I will solder a wire between the pin and the switch. This is, as I see it exactly equivalent to using a paperclip in the holes to make a link.

Just for information, I put a jumper between pin1 of 'LG' to pin2 of 'I' and vice versa. I did this after cutting the resistor and it worked. So I don't even know if cutting the resistor was necisary esspecially as I am not too clear on what it does. Does it disable High density or does it make it 40 track I don't know. The drive is a TEAC FD-55GFR 7193-U. Dirt common one.

I'll just make this clear, I ONLY want to read discs as SS and do NOT want to read discs as DS in Amsdos (traditional format). I just want to be able to read DOS format discs (DS/DD-360k) and transfer files from those discs to an amstrad format disc.


This post here, http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/index.php?topic=655.0 confirms that putting a switch between the resistor and the board would enable or disable 80 track mode. I only want this ability because I think this is the reason DOS-Copy is failing to read from the disc after selecting files from said disc.

[TFM]

Sometimes the head of a floppy drive is not perfectly adjusted. So you can read a disc with one floppy, but not with a second. I had that problem with 3", 3.5" and 5.25" discs already

[Blurredman]

Sometimes the head of a floppy drive is not perfectly adjusted. So you can read a disc with one floppy, but not with a second. I had that problem with 3", 3.5" and 5.25" discs already

The other discs I talk of not reading are in High Density format so they won't be read.

[TFM]

I have a CPC with a 5.25" HD drive. It reads / writes without a problem. But I can't overwrite this kind of discs on other 5.25" drives (MFM), because the HD does use a stronger magnetic field.

[Blurredman]

okay, well I soldered a switch onto the resistor and discs seem to be read in 40 and 80 track format. Of course formatting is done with 40 track, but using the DOS Copy utility it still wouldn't do anything with the selected files. So I can only presume it wants an empty disc in the other drive...

Okay, just found out. I was using the external drive as A:. Removed the link and now priority is B: and as such it actually says what is wrong. And it is as I feared... I do need a blank 3" disc in A 

[AMSDOS]

I'm not sure if it's so much a problem of not having a 3" Disc Drive for DOSCopy, though for DOSCopy to work it needs 2 Disk Drives - one to read from the source drive and a second drive to write that file to, though the disc structures may present problems, however I had no issues whatsoever when I was transferring Amstrad files on DOS formatted discs to 3" Disc.

Years and years ago there was an useful DOS program called 22DISK which was shareware and one of the few definitions it did have with it were the Format Definitions for Amstrad, though someone made some cpcdefs file which allowed it possible to transfer files to your Amstrad disks that way, I suspect though these were for 3.5" and perhaps 3" Discs!    A number of programs were created to read and write your files, I think there was also a program for your CPC which could read the files in a DSK file, the FAQ has a bit of information about it.