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PCW9512 Games

Started by R_Maverick, 13:26, 24 June 19

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R_Maverick

Hello. I have PCW9512 with connected Gotek drive. With the help of your forum I managed to start the system, but I can not find images of disks with games of 780kb in size for loading on my Amstrad. There are many images for PCW of 195kb in size, but my pcw can't read it. Where a can find 780kb images? Can I convert 194kb disks to 780? Thank you.

GeoffB17

Hello,

My understanding is that a 9512 (with the 2D A: drive) can READ a CF2 disk, but I suspect that it cannot BOOT from it.   And how this applies with the Gotek system I don't know.   I think the standard system came with a utility ( 8000COPY or something like that ?) for copying a disk from DD format to CF2 disk, but again there might be a problem with Gotek.

If you have one of the emulators (such as 'Joyce' for the PC) then you would be able to access the 2D image and a CF2 image and copy files from one to the other, but this would not work if there were any 'tricks' with the image/format.   If you have specific images you'd like to try we could see what happens?

Geoff

GeoffB17

Yes, I've found 8000COPY.COM on one of my disk images (I don't have a CF2DD drive myself, but I do have a couple of disk images).   I've looked at the code, and from the messages in the prog I see that this prog IS intended to copy a CF2 disk to a CF2DD disk (already formatted) and this works on a 9512 ONLY.   This implies that the 9512 will READ the CF2 disk OK.

I don't think the prog will work under Gotek, as you will need to have the two disks (CF2 and CF2DD) 'active' at the same time (as A: and B:)?   Although the prog may be able to copy with disk swapping??

Geoff

R_Maverick

#3
Now only Gotek drive can read the disks images. CF2DD drive belt is broken and i haven't 3" disks.  I can extract files from 195kb  images to my laptop and then put it to my system disk 780k image. I tryed some games from different images, but it didn't work. PCW9512 can read only DSDD disks and DSDD images. Who have PCW9512 ang games for it? Can you make game disk image?
Maybe i need connect 2-nd drive (gotek or 3,5'') and copy from 195kb image from 1-st drive to 780k 2-nd drive.

GeoffB17

#4
I was making my comments with the assumption that you did not have a (working) 3" drive/disk, and may be dependant on the Gotek.

I assume also that you can boot the machine into CP/M, and have the CP/M and normal utilities.

You would need to make a copy of the boot disk image you have and then delete all the files so you have an empty disk image   Then make further copies of that.

Then go into one of the CF2 images and copy all the files, so you've got a CF2DD image with the CF2 files on.

This is what I would try within Joyce.   I'll try one for you.

When you said that what you'd already tried did not work, what actually happened?

Yes, you certainly do have a problem, and I'll be happy to try to help.   I'm sure there'll be a way around it.   You'll be unlikely to find any specifically 9512 disk images.   I'd guess that the VAST majority of published games were distributed on CF2 disks, and NOT CF2DD.

I have a 8256 here, working fine, with 3" A:, and optional B: of either 5.25" 360k or 3.5" 720k.   No 3" B:.   I also have one of JonB's uIDE expansions giving me 13 @ 8Mb 'virtual' HDs which makes copying files back and forth much easier.   On my PC I have the Joyce emulator set up, it's normally set for 8xxx systems but it can easily reset for 9xxx (but I may need to create myself a 9512 image but it may still boot from a 8xxx image?).

Geoff

R_Maverick

#5
Quote from: GeoffB17 on 17:10, 24 June 19
I was making my comments with the assumption that you did not have a (working) 3" drive/disk, and may be dependant on the Gotek.

I assume also that you can boot the machine into CP/M, and have the CP/M and normal utilities.

You would need to make a copy of the boot disk image you have and then delete all the files so you have an empty disk image   Then make further copies of that.

Then go into one of the CF2 images and copy all the files, so you've got a CF2DD image with the CF2 files on.

This is what I would try within Joyce.   I'll try one for you.

When you said that what you'd already tried did not work, what actually happened?

Yes, you certainly do have a problem, and I'll be happy to try to help.   I'm sure there'll be a way around it.   You'll be unlikely to find any specifically 9512 disk images.   I'd guess that the VAST majority of published games were distributed on CF2 disks, and NOT CF2DD.

I have a 8256 here, working fine, with 3" A:, and optional B: of either 5.25" 360k or 3.5" 720k.   No 3" B:.   I also have one of JonB's uIDE expansions giving me 13 @ 8Mb 'virtual' HDs which makes copying files back and forth much easier.   On my PC I have the Joyce emulator set up, it's normally set for 8xxx systems but it can easily reset for 9xxx (but I may need to create myself a 9512 image but it may still boot from a 8xxx image?).

Geoff


Yes, I haven't working 3" drive and disks.
Yes, I have CP/M bootable disk.
I made blank system disk (DSK image). Then i tryed copy to this blank disk with program called "steinblume". Games doesn't work.
I will install emulator and will try to use 8000copy to convert images
Sorry for my bad english.


GeoffB17

#6
I don't know what 'steinblume' is, a Google search gives info that seems to be nothing to do with copying disks??

When you say that game did not work, what actually happened?

What files were on the disk?   Is the game a CP/M game, or does it need to run from boot, i.e. bypass CP/M.

Rather more information please?   Which actual game is it (name)?

Geoff

R_Maverick

All the operations I did in the program "steinblume". First, I downloaded the image "PCW9512CPM Master.dsk" into the program and, without changing anything, saved it. PCW has stopped loading. Then I loaded the image of "cpm 2.11 boot PCW9512 + eng.dsk" into the program, deleted all files except "J21CPM3.EMT" and checked that the system was booting. Then I deleted "J21CPM3.EMT" and wrote all the files from "TETRIS_PCW.dsk" into the image. This image stopped loading and the system gave out 4 beep. I took a working system with the file "J21CPM3.EMT" and copied all the files from "TETRIS_PCW.dsk" onto it, except for the file "J14SCPM3.EMS". After that, I see how the system boots, loads CP / M Plus v2.11. Then the system freezes. Thus, I concluded that the .EMT file cannot be simply copied, but it should be in certain sectors of the disk.

GeoffB17

#8
First of all, it does NOT matter where on the disk the .EMS or the .EMT file is, the boot code on the floppy disk will find it, and load it.   The file can be anywhere.

It is interesting that you refer to both .EMS and .EMT files.   This might be the problem.   Usually, the code in the boot sector will look for one or the other.   Originally, it was .EMS, but Amstrad/Locomotive got messed up with the version numbers, so they ended up needing to repeat certain filenames, so the repeated one became .EMT instead of .EMS.   If the boot code on your disk is looking for .EMT, and the disk has an .EMS file, then it will not be found, so the system will not load.

You can try to rename the file from .EMS to EMT, or vice versa.   I have happily used (booted) .EMS files that were originally .EMT.   No problem.

Technically, the boot sector code could be changed from the search file being ??? ??? ??EMS (or EMT) to being ??? ??? ??EM? but I don't think they ever did this.   Just in case this might cause extra problems.

Re-reading your last message, maybe you have NOT swapped over the filename.   But note, your final disk MUST retain the original .EMT file, as this file may well be specific to the 9512.   Also, did the original system disk have any *.FID or *.FIB files on it, these are system extensions and they may be needed with the .EMT file?

See if that's any help?

Geoff

R_Maverick

#9



Tetris has started! You are right about the placement of the * .EMT or * .EMS file, they can be erased and written back. I was copyed all files from tetris image, but "J21CPM3.EMT" i leaved original from my system disk. I will try another games. If anybody have images for PCW9512 please write me PM.
I installed Joyce EMU and tryed use 8000copy.com. I got "Drive A: Disk ERROR: make sure disk in a drive then press R to Retry or C to Cancel". Anybody used this program? The same message i got, when i try to use this program on PCW with Gotek.

GeoffB17

Hello again.

Good to hear that you're making progress.   Bit-by-bit, but still progress.

You will need to have Joyce set to emulate 9512, which may well expect A: to be CF2DD format.   You will need to have that sort of disk active at that point, with 8000COPY available (on the disk).

At that point, you'll need to run the 8000COPY prog.   As I understand it, the prog will then handle things, and give instructions.   I believe it will first ask you to remove the existing disk, and insert the CF2 disk you need to copy from.   It should then read that disk, and copy the contents (complete disk ?) to M:.   The prog should then ask you to remove that disk, and insert the CF2DD disk you want to copy to.   Maybe at this point it will ask if you need the new disk to be bootable (to write boot sector, system files ??).   If all OK will then copy files from M: to the image now in A:

It is somewhat fiddly to swap disks within process within Joyce, but it is possible.   I've had to do it before while trying to run an adventure game system that had software on two CF2 disks  (The Pawn, I Think).

If you're doing as above, at what point do you get the error message.   From the message, the actual image file in A: is not the one the prog is expecting!

Geoff

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