Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: 3246251196 on April 01, 2006, 12:05:35 AM
-
lets say i have an ADF file on my computer..
lets call it: "AmigaSware.adf" ~~ 600Kb (the size that an amiga disk is meant to pretty much max out at :S ?)
can i move that ADF file to a PC Disk (HD) and simply insert it into the amiga.
what do i need to do?
thanks, 324
-
Format a 720Kb disk (format a: /t:80 /n:9) then put the adf on there use image2disk or similar on the amiga to make it back to an amigadisk
-
To read or write to a real Amiga disk on the PC you will need a Catweasel MK4 (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=206)
-
but i only have HD Disks
1.44 Megs.
basically: can you put an ADF stored on the PC to a HD disk and then insert it into the amiga ? or do i have to do something else?
thanks for reply though. 324
-
No it won't work as the Amiga 1200 only supports 720K PC formatted disks and 880K Amiga formatted disks
You can cover the hole on the HD disk (not the write protect hole) and this will allow you to format it as a DSDD disk (720K). Then the Amiga can read that with a program called CrossDOS or Fat95.
The easiest way to transport ADFs in bulk is the A1200 PCMCIA to CF adapter (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=440) as ADFs are often much larger than 720K.
-
Hi,
You can trick your PC into using an HD disk as DD by sticking a piece of non-transparent tape (like electrical insulation tape) over the HD detect hole. Note that this should only be done for short-term storage.
Also note that an uncompressed ADF file will be more like 900Kb, so you'll probably need to ZIP or LHA it on the PC and then decompress this on the Amiga, or if RAM's a bit short, split the ADF and transfer it in two bits.
- Ali
EDIT: D'oh! AmigaKit was too quick! :-) You're up late!!
-
Hi,
as an ADF file is 880KB in size, it may be difficult to put on a 720KB disk... However, many Amigas only come with DD floppy drive, so HD floppies may not work.
So ensure that your Amiga has an HD floppy drive and at least Workbench 2.0 running. Then you can open Shell or CLI and enter "mount pc0:" (to enable reading of MS-DOS formatted floppy disks). If HD floppies don't work, use a DD floppy (or tape the second hole of a HD floppy shut and reformat it), split the ADF into two files (search for a Windows tool called FileSplitter or similar) and rejoin them on Amiga (using JOIN command at Shell). A large Ram Disk or Harddrive may serve as target.
Then you need a tool called TRANSADF or TRANSDISK to transfer the ADF file to an Amiga floppy disk (DD). You find TRANSADF at www.aminet.net or TRANSDISK within WinUAE. Both are command line tools, run them from Shell or CLI.
A quick overview of some data transfer techniques (no real explanation, though) can be found at:
http://mitglied.lycos.de/McSquirrel/en/software/a_exch.htm
If running into problems, feel free to ask again.
-McSquirrel
EDIT: Amigakit and InTheSand were quite fast... or it was me just getting tired...
-
so, if you need the amiga to read the disk in its format - then how can you copy the ADF to the disk (when its not in the PCs format - or is there a program for this?)
thanks
-
Whilst using the Amiga, use the TRANSADF program from the Amiga Shell to remake the ADF into a real Amiga disk
You can also use the program UNADF to extract the contents of ADF archives if the ADF is an AmigaDOS disk (not custom disk format like some games)
-
ok then so AMIGAKIT
ok then i think i get it so far:
1 - when in amiga use this command to set the ADF onto a correctly formated amiga disk right?
2 - questions: firstly, how to i get the ADF into the amiga - what methods are possible
3 - i said a correctly formatted Amiga disk - am i right in saying i could cover the hole of a HD disk up and format it WHEN in the amiga - and this would then become an amiga READY disk
thanks - theres your parts 123 to answer :P
324
-
1. Yes
2. OPTIONS:
1)Amiga Network Card with EasyNet (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=116) (to network PC to Amiga and access Shares on the PC)
2)The easiest way to transport ADFs in bulk is the A1200 PCMCIA to CF adapter (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=440) as ADFs are often much larger than 720K.
3)Catweasel MK4 (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=206)
4)Amiga Wireless Network Card with EasyNet (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=121)
3. Yes you can
-
@amigakit:
In addition to answer 2:
Using the software PC2Amiga (http://www.winuae.de/download/PC2Am308.lha), you can hook up a PC to your Amiga using a serial or parallel nullmodem cable. Not very fast, but cheap. PC side is acting as slave, while you access the PC harddisk from Amiga.
-
and this can all be done in Workbench?
thanks guy?
EDIT: lastly, there is defo no easier way than the way we have stated?
-
No this is a pretty comprehensive list
Theres another way (but not easier!): remove Amiga hard disk and connect to PC. Use WINUAE/AmigaForever (http://=amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=315) to access hard disk and copy ADFs over.
-
ok. thats excellent.
can i buy a BUNCH of DDs from your workplace man? (is it true that some Amigas CAN deal with HDs though - or is this merely FALSE?) thanks
324
-
Yes we stock real DSDD floppy disks here:
10 Pack (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=83)
25 Pack (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=322)
50 Pack (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=84)
You can fit a High Density floppy mechanism to your Amiga and read PC HD disks 1.44Mb and Amiga HD disk 1.76MB
-
3246251196 wrote:
is it true that some Amigas CAN deal with HDs though - or is this merely FALSE?
The Amiga 3000T and Amiga 4000 (both desktop and tower versions) had HD drives as standard.
There was also the XL Drive produced by Power Computing that was an external HD drive (but was slow and unreliable if my one is anything to go by!)
Finally, Zorro-based Amigas can make use of the Catweasel expansion card to use standard PC HD drives.
There's also a Catweasel PCI card for PCs that will allow them to read/write Amiga disks using a standard drive (see AmigaKit's post).
- Ali
-
wouldnt it be perfect if there was a PC program that: converted the ADF onto a disk AND formated (if needed - i.e. if HD) that disk FOR the amiga!
that would be very nice!
-
Yes its the IMAGETOOL.EXE program that comes with the Catweasel MK4 (http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=206)
-
Yep! If you're serious about PC to Amiga or Amiga to PC disk transfers, get a Catweasel from AmigaKit!
- Ali
-
looks as though i will try and SCRAPE together enough money for one of those!! lol. looks nOice
-
ok - check this out:
"Using software that can read PC formatted disk
If you have KickROM version 2.0 (or higher) and the Workbench 2.0 (or higher) disks then this software is already on these disks. The first thing you should do is formatting a 3.5" double density disk on your PC. You can copy the files that you need to this disk (for example: TwinExpress). Start the Amiga with Workbench 2.0 (or higher) and put the disk in your Amiga diskdrive (DF0:). You can find the needed software in the "/storage/dosdrivers" directory. If you run the file "PC0" your Amiga will automatically detect that the disk in DF0: is an DOS-formatted disk and an extra icon will appear. For using DF1: run "PC1". You can click on it and as you see the file you put on them are now visible (if not so try the "Window" workbench menu and select Show -> All Files)."
i tried this. out of my collection of Amiga disks a grabbed a PRECISION MF2DD disk (with data on it). i put it in the PC and format (using "720Kb & 512bytes/sector") the disk. then, i JUST manage to squeeze a file on it (disk2 [its an ADF i am sure, it just didnt have the extension])
so - so far. a formated DD 720Kb disk with NOW data on it. then, i put this into the amiga - using the PC1 program - and it basically did nothing at all. in fact, the disk showed up as DF1:????
yet, in the quotations it said doing this should work?
-
Hm it should work. But this is not your 3.x Workbench on 2.x Kickstart is it?
-
yeah it is. is that the problem?
-
Well, I'd think that there is a big chance it is.
-
ADF files are always the same size: about 900,000 bytes or 880 kilobytes. There are several utilities for converting the ADF to a floppy. I use transadf, which is pretty old but workable. The trick is getting the file to fit on a 720-kb disk. You can usually compress the file with LHA or a zip utility down to a smaller size. Sometimes the file just won't get small enough. I used to use a null-modem cable a lot. Radio shack used to have null-modem adapters, which don't cost a lot. Most people wouldn't have the patience for it however. I would have the PC dial a number, it doesn't matter what, and the Amiga set to answer. The amiga would answer and they would be connected, just like that. You can use enormous transfer rates, like 190,000 bps (something like that).
-
Amigakit wrote:-
You can fit a High Density floppy mechanism to your Amiga and read PC HD disks 1.44Mb and Amiga HD disk 1.76MB
huh? how an you fit a PC HD floppy to an amiga and read/write HD disks? do you have an adapter? want one! :-D
-
do you get transdisk/transad - whatever it is that puts ADF to AMIGA FORMATED disk from AmigaOS3.5 automatically?
-
Hi,
With your combination of HD-less Amiga with KS2.x and a single Workbench 3.1 boot disk, you will not be able to read PC disks.
The required CrossDOS files are present on the Extras and Storage disks and besides, they're unlikely to work 100% correctly on the KS2/WB3 combination even if you did have them!
There are other drivers available such as FAT95 (http://main.aminet.net/package.php?package=disk/misc/fat95.lha) (which is better than CrossDOS anyway) but you're still in a "chicken and egg" situation regarding getting it on to the Amiga in the first place...
- Ali
-
Personally I used a program named AdfBlitzer to read and write .adf files on the Amiga.
Very easy to use GUI, one button for Read, one for Write and a third one for Quit.
I think you will find the program on Aminet.