Wanted: OS3.5 CD and Emergancy Disk

[Nearly-Right]

If you have WB 3.1 ROMs installed, and a standard WB installation, then when you insert the OS3.9 CD and click on install it will offer you certain options. One of which is to make an emergency disk. I think that is what others have been leading towards. The creation of the disk is straightforward.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have WB 3.1 ROMS installed in the machine, which I presume you have as you are using WB 3.1, as any other ROMs will just not allow the OS3.9 installation

[Nearly-Right]

OK, let's go through this slowly,

Have you got a copy of OS 3.9 CD ?

If so, why bother with OS 3.5 CD ?

Both OS 3.5 AND 3.9 will allow you to create an Emergency disk for the hardware installed with your copy of Workbench. Just run the installer on either CD.

You do not need a copy of OS 3.5 on CD if you have a copy of OS 3.9 on CD.

If you want a copy of OS 3.5 on CD just for comparison then that is a different matter, but in reality you would be taking a backward step to install OS 3.5, if you already have OS 3.9.

Or are you talking about a 3.5 small miniature format CD rather than the standard size CD ?

[Nearly-Right]

OS 3.9 CD has all the same files, with a few exceptions, only they have been updated and generally improved, so you get a better feel, useability from Workbench.

So OS 3.5 CD is an unnecessary install.

If you have WB3.1 then you will see a big change to WB3.9, especially if you have never installed NewIcons, which was a hack for WB3.0 and WB3.1.

If you have an IDE board installed, make sure you have the original floppy install disk, as you may require the keycode that is used to install the hardware/software, as the keycode, written usually on the floppy disk. This is different with the Elbox boards that have an in-built file/code in the hardware that recognises the software being used. The IDE boards may refuse to work on the 3rd and 4th channel if you don't have this information.

If there are any other keyfiles on the Workbench partition then don't forget to save those as well, quite often in the "S" directory, but sometimes in "Devs" or elsewhere! such as the programs directory, like IBrowse does.

You should be able to just copy each partition of the current Workbench and any other partitions that are on the hard drive that came with the system, onto another formatted, similar sized/partitioned hard disk to keep as a backup without any problems. Just drag and drop the files, though you may need to copy manually the disk.info and .info file on a hard disk with that file on it. Use Directory Opus to do so, or any other filemanager you use to achieve this and you will see the .info files as well, in the list windows.

If you have no spare hard drive, then why not consider backing it all up to a CDR/RW, if you have a CD writer for your Amiga, using the now free fully useable MakeCD, which you will need to pick up the generic key licence from the MakeCD website.

[Nearly-Right]

Do you have a few Amiga Format CDs?

If so you should have a copy of MakeCD on one of those CDs, and could use a slightly older version of MakeCD off one of those discs to backup your software, with the generic key. Or use your PC to download the files, and save them to CD, and load the files from there.

Don't forget Aminet is a great source for loads of files for the Amiga, if you don't already know/use it.

Here is the valid, unrestricted key, from the MakeCD website:

Serial Number: 555555555
License Key: H8HsRww)7Uz)!iXE5PUMfgP#VymA6

Starting with beta 12 even that key is not needed anymore because the beta works without entering any registration key.  :-D

I would say, that before you install a new version of an operating system you should always back up your older system.

BUT I should warn you that some files, even though they are backed up, are tied into the directory they were installed in, and on re-installation from a backup will still require the original installation or valid key once again.

Backing up the "S" directory is where most, if any keyfiles will be, but the IDE driver is tied to the system is was installed in, though there is a generic/basic installation included in the OS3.9 package, but it does not cover all the enhancements of a FULL IDE software installation. Backing up the Devs directory is also good practice, but some programs keep the keyfiles in their directories, rather than in a more central place, so you can never be sure.

BACK IT ALL UP, if you can  :crazy:

Piracy was rife once on the Amiga, and to some extent it still is. :madashell: