Using downloaded software

[Tomas]

Then your only options is to either get someone to give you a floppy with messydos or similar or going the null modem cable way + something like amiga explorer.
Or buying a new set of wb 2.1 or higher.

[BGary335]

Wow, I must be lucky. I received today a large lot of software I purchased on Ebay a few days ago, and lo and behold as I was looking through everything I came across a disk labled CrossDos! So now I can install this and use downloaded software, correct?

[Damion]

Yes... just copy PC0: to your SYS:Devs drawer, double-click the PC0: icon or reboot. Format the disk on the Amiga side (selecting the appropriate option, it'll be obvious when you see it) and you're all set.

[BGary335]

How do I go about formatting a floppy at 720KB on the PC side as was suggested by someone above? When I right click on the floppy drive and click format, it only shows 1.44MB in the size menu...is there a way to get it to format at 720KB?

[Kronos]

Probraly need to go down to MS-DOS level and type it in manually (heck it's been ages).

Or try formating it on the Amiga (make sure you select PC0: instead of DF0:).

[TheWizard]

BGary335,

My experience is that playing around with disks to transfer files between the PC and Amiga is messy. I tried many times to get a PC to format a disk at 720kb, for my Atari 1040STe, which usually resulted in error, or the disk being unreliable. My recommandation to you is to establish a PC > Amiga serial connection (no more than 9600bps) and use an XMODEM or ZMODEM transfer. It works like a charm, and you don't have to worry about byte limitations on the disk.

The Wizard

[BGary335]

Actually, I've just found a nifty little program that formats floppies to 720kb without a hitch. It is called FMT, and can be found at the bottom of this web site: http://www.paehl.de/english.php.

Now, though I've got another issue-after the format, I put the files for a program I want to use on the disk, and then put the disk in the Amiga. when I do so, it shows two floppy icons, DF0?, and AS. The one labeled AS contains a drawer enititled Scorched Tanks, which is the name of the program I'm currently trying to take from the PC to the Amiga. However, there is nothing inside the drawer! Am I missing a step somewhere?

[TheWizard]

Not really. Ah, using disks.  :-P Make sure you purchase disks that are 720kb and you're not formatting 1.4 ones down.

[Piru]

when I do so, it shows two floppy icons, DF0?, and AS

DF0:? is normal, it just lets you know that the disk is not readable as amiga one. the 'AS' is the floppy seen thru PC0:.

The one labeled AS contains a drawer enititled Scorched Tanks, which is the name of the program I'm currently trying to take from the PC to the Amiga. However, there is nothing inside the drawer! Am I missing a step somewhere?

Did you select Window - Show - All Files ?

[BGary335]

Yes. That didn't do anything though. I re-formatted the floppy and tried again, and it worked for some reason. Now, though, when I click on the executable for the program, the system reboots and gives me an error screen. Any idea why that might be?

Ugh...the folks at Commodore must not have been thinking ahead into the future...if they wouldhave, it'd be much easier to move programs from the PC to the Amiga. :-D

[motorollin]

MS-DOS formatted floppies are limited to filenames with 8+3 characters. Probably some of the files inside the drawer got truncated to 8+3 characters, so when you run the game it can't find the files it needs.

You should copy the .lha file you downloaded on to the disk and extract it on the Amiga. That way the filenames will be preserved.

EDIT: Actually, C= were more forward thinking than a lot of other computer manufacturers at the time. Remember - the Amiga can read PC disks, but the PC can't read Amiga disks! :-)

--
moto

[BGary335]

This brings me to my next quesiton: how do you open an lha file on the Amiga? I've got it on the floppy, but when I click on the file, it says it isn't executable. Is there a certain command i have to enter?

About C=-I guess you've gota point there! :-D

[BGary335]

Anyone have any idea how to open lha files once you get them over to the Amiga? I click on the lha file, but it just tells me that it isn't executable. If I extract the files and put them on the floppy on the PC side, I click on the executable file, and the flppy disk seems to be loading, but nothing happens. What is it I'm not doing or doing wrong?

[Tomas]

The one labeled AS contains a drawer enititled Scorched Tanks, which is the name of the program I'm currently trying to take from the PC to the Amiga. However, there is nothing inside the drawer! Am I missing a step somewhere?

You need to set WB to show all files. The files are hidden because they lack a file icon.

[Tomas]

This brings me to my next quesiton: how do you open an lha file on the Amiga? I've got it on the floppy, but when I click on the file, it says it isn't executable. Is there a certain command i have to enter?

You need to install lha first. LHA is like the amiga answer to compressed zip and rar files. Get lha from aminet and just copy the lha file over to the c drawer.
Then just type lha from shell/cli. I think the command for extracting is "lha x filename.lha"

[BGary335]

They are not hidden. I have it set to show all files. Please reread my explanation.