Please help me A500

[hunstonejw]

Greetings...

I have only one goal with my Amiga: to be able to once again play those classic Amiga games. Most of my original disks are either corrupt or broken.

I drool when i see the number of old school games available on the web in adf. But I dont know how to get them from my PC to my Amiga. Is this a complicated process?  

I have spent hours trying to follow threads on this topic, but I don't know where to start. Would it be easier to use an emulator for my PC, or transfer adf. to my Amiga? I only have workbench 1.2

If someone can give me an 'idiots guide' step-by step  explanation of what i need and how to go about it I would be so, so greatful.

At present all I have is an A500 with 1 meg ram and workbench 1.2 I also assume I have the 1.2 kickstart rom because of the 1.2 'hand/disk'icon on the screen.

Thankyou so much to anyone willing to help me. I really miss my old Amiga games thanx...

[redrumloa]

Kickstart/WB 1.2 on a stock A500? Getting ADFs to it will be tough, unless you are willing to make an inverstment.

1) Buy a Catweasel MK3 (out of production) for the PC, or wait for Catweasel MK4. With this card you can create Amiga disks on a regular PC.

2)Buy extra memory, extra external floppy drive, crossover cable and CrossDOS for the A500. Then you could very slowly transfer one ADF at a time over nullmodem and unpack it to a real floppy disk.

That is the 2 main ways. There are other unusual ways, but they are quite geekish and not easy.

[doctorq]

I'm not going to give you an idiots guide, but I can tell you that in order to get those ADF files working on your Amiga 500 you need one of two things :

Either an harddrive or a lot of ram; I don't think that 1 MB will be enough.

The reason is that first of all you need to transfer the file to the Amiga. It could be done with a null-modem cable, connecting the A500 with your PC, but the Amiga has to have Workbench loaded which occupies the first 200-300 KB of your ram. If you succed in getting the network up and running you need some space for the ADF file, which will be placed in the RAM disk. In other words, if you copy a file it may not be bigger than the available amount of ram, which should be 700 KB at this point (1 MB minus the 300 KB for running Workbench). At last you need to have some RAM for decompressing the ADF file to an Amiga disk. Keep in mind that you also need some extra RAM for the networking software, so anything less than 1.5 MB isn't worth spending time on if you ask me.

If I were you I would get an harddrive for the A500. It will give you some needed RAM and a lot of storage space for the ADF files. Furthermore you can easily connect to the PC when you have setup the networking software for good.

If a harddrive for the A500 is out of the question, then get an A1200 with a small harddrive. On this one you can make a 720 KB PC disk and copy an ADF file to disk, and copy it to your Amiga harddrive afterwards, and then decompress it. The ADFs prop need to be compressed a bit for fitting the 720 KB disk. You could also just hook the A1200 up to the internet and download the files to it, or make a network with the PC.

Overall I would go for the second solution as it's far easier than the first one, and I'm sure also less expensive.

EDIT : Damn, beaten at the finish line :-(

[redrumloa]

doctorq wrote:

EDIT : Damn, beaten at the finish line :-(

You gotta be quick when I'm online :lol:

[spirantho]

Incidentally, a lot of adf files are now adz files - they're gzipped. I would imagine at least one of the transdisk-like utilities would support these natively, but they may want to decompress to RAM: first...  might be worth following up though.

Myself, I just upped my WB1.3 A500 to 5MB RAM, 40MB Hard Disk! What can I do with all this power???

[GreatLor]

You dont really need more then one meg. The first MUST thing you NEED to have is CROSS-DOS, however, you should also upgrade to kick 1.3, if you do that you can post letting me know, then I will link you to my own tutorial, and help you if you get problems.

[pjhutch]

Don`t you mean upgrade to Kickstart/Workbench 3.1? It has support for:
CrossDos
ISO CDROM support
Datatypes
Multiview
DOSDrivers
Monitor drivers
A few more printers

[GreatLor]

My tutorial does not need any of those, only cross-dos + asm-one, (maybe 1.3 too, but I'm not sure if it works with 1.2 too).

[hunstonejw]

Wow I didnt except so much feedback so soon, thanku all. Lucky 4 me there is such a healthy supply of Amiga fans and expertise out there.

Greatlor this tutorial sounds very interesting

Last night i blew the proverbial dust of my A500 to play some of the few remaining games I have that actually still work

Anyway, after turning on the computer I noticed the 'hand/disk' icon on the screen actually said v. 1.3

I just assumed that because i have workbench 1.2 that i would have kickstart 1.2

When i load the workbench disk it says:

Release 1.3
A500 Workbench 1.2 version 33.56
23-Apr-87

I also have 917 304 free memory

I hope this means I will be able to use your tutorial. I will get CROSS-DOSS anyway. I was just pricing the Catweasel controller. (ISA version - 40 Euro) (PCI version 90 - Euro).

Incidentally can anyone tell me the difference? The more expensive pci version is obviously popular as the current model 'MK3' is sold out but the ISA version is in stock.

Getting back to the topic...I was wondering, is this a tutorial that you use yourself? Can you testify to its success on an A500?

Thanx again for your time and feedback

 

[drwho]

Just to add my 2 cents ...

If you have a PC or a Mac, which you most likely do, since you are posting here. Why not forget the A500 and just run WinUAE?

There are a lot of advantages to this. You can run ALL of your old games, and, you can even play some of the newer AGA games as well.

WinUAE provides the "ultimate" Amiga in a sense, since you can configure it to be almost any kind of Amiga you like. You also will not have to worry about getting the .adf and .adz files onto your A500, since WinUAE uses them just like they are. Plus, dead floppies will never be an issue and, no need for an RGB monitor purchase if you dont have one, or, playing games on your TV, since you can play them right on your PC's desktop.

Anyways, just a suggestion, Have Fun!

- Mike

[GreatLor]

@hunstonejw, offcourse I can guarantee that it works, I myself have downloaded my old games that I have managed to break or get read/write error, games such as:

Shadow of the Beast
Turrican 1 & 2
r-type
Rainbow Islands
James Pond
etc..

So I know what I'm talking about, so here's my tutorial: http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9052

I hope you dont find it hard, because it isnt, oh one thing to remember, do NOT care whatever "error"-message-windows the system pops up when you run asmone, its nothing, so read the tut know, and post here if yhou get any problems, I promise you will play your old games.  :-)

*EDIT*

Some notes, use this bsplit command (you must download, it's for pc, a dos-command) http://www.nmn.jp/~hidai/software/bsplit/bsplit.exe
if you have - say - one file named Turrican.adf then you write this in dos-prompt (note that the bsplit.exe must be in the same catalog as the adf-files): "bsplit Turrican.adf 220 Turrican", the command splits the Turrican.adf file into 4 (5 actually but the fith is zero KB in size so either ignore or delete it) files named "Turrican.001","Turrican.002","Turrican.003",and "Turrican.004", these will be the files that you will use according to my tutorial.

[redrumloa]

Incidentally can anyone tell me the difference? The more expensive pci version is obviously popular as the current model 'MK3' is sold out but the ISA version is in stock.

The PCI version has alot more features and better driver support. The PCI card has C= SID chip support, an Amiga keyboard inetrface and a Amiga/C= joystick port. Don't expect the ISA card to work on any OS newer than Win98.

I don't know where your located, but I still have a couple MK3s in stock.

[hunstonejw]

Hello Greatlor

Interesting Tutorial...

Quite possibly the most confusing thing i have ever read!

Here's where i got lost - the very first part!

1)
Ok so i downloaded asmone and bsplit from your link. I also downloaded a zip adf. International Karate. Do i need to unzip (how?).

All these items are in the same folder on the desktop. Is that the idea?

you wrote:
"if you have - say - one file named Turrican.adf then you write this in dos-prompt (note that the bsplit.exe must be in the same catalog as the adf-files): "bsplit Turrican.adf 220 Turrican""

I tried typing ik.adf and ik_plus in MS Dos Prompt but just get (bad command). I also tried typing bsplit ik.adf 220 ik - I don't understand ?

you wrote:
"Here's the requirement for managing to write an ADF-image to disk, you must have the ADF-filed chunked/splitted in four files, each file being 40*11*512 (or 225 280) bytes long"

How ??

2)
Ok so i open asmone and i get these options:
Add - Extract To - Test - View - Delete - Wizard - Info

you wrote:
now, When the assembler prompts for the memory type as work-ram (Chip/Fast/...)"

When does this happen, Am i even in the right place?

3)
Ok so say by some miracle of God i manage to get through all these steps. I will still end up with a disk with an adf. file on it right? So i still wont be able to use it on the amiga

I assume this is wher crass do comes in?

If cross dos is as hard to use as this i think i might as well drop my A500 from a tall building!

Also what happens if the game fits onto more than one disk (I thought this was the case for Turrican) - is that something u do in cross dos also?

And when does workbench come into it? It seems like you need a degree to perform this 'simple' operation?

Sorry to sound so negative. I do appreciate the fact that you are trying to help me. I am just so FUSTRATED that i cannot understand even 1 part of your tutorial. I was quite excited when i read your post saying you may have a solution to my problem, but now i am more discouraged than ever.

Do you think it would be possible to guide me thru your tutorial in a more simpler way as someone who knows absolutely nothing about assemblers (i dont even know what an assembler is?). Or does my technological ignorance mean it would be a waste of your time?

Ok bye for now

The struggle continues....

Moonstone, Wings of Fury, Disposable Hero will i ever get to play u again??

[GreatLor]

Ok so i downloaded asmone and bsplit from your link. I also downloaded a zip adf. International Karate. Do i need to unzip (how?).

Offcourse you need to unzip, how do you you usually unzip zip-files in your pc ? if you havent done that before then go to download.com and and download winzip.

All these items are in the same folder on the desktop. Is that the idea?

yepp !!!

you wrote:
"if you have - say - one file named Turrican.adf then you write this in dos-prompt (note that the bsplit.exe must be in the same catalog as the adf-files): "bsplit Turrican.adf 220 Turrican""

I tried typing ik.adf and ik_plus in MS Dos Prompt but just get (bad command). I also tried typing bsplit ik.adf 220 ik - I don't understand ?

Have you downloaded and placed bsplit.exe in the SAME folder as the .adf files ? (remember you have to unzip the zip-files BEFORE using them in Amiga.)

you wrote:
"Here's the requirement for managing to write an ADF-image to disk, you must have the ADF-filed chunked/splitted in four files, each file being 40*11*512 (or 225 280) bytes long"

How ??

You do that with bsplit, just like I said.

2)
Ok so i open asmone and i get these options:
Add - Extract To - Test - View - Delete - Wizard - Info

eeh ? whats that ? aaah, you mean in winzip ? well you extract them offcourse.

you wrote:
now, When the assembler prompts for the memory type as work-ram (Chip/Fast/...)"

When does this happen, Am i even in the right place?

when ?, wait, maybe I forgot to tell you that you need lha(arc) to extract asmone, could someone please post him lha(arc)?

3)
Ok so say by some miracle of God i manage to get through all these steps. I will still end up with a disk with an adf. file on it right? So i still wont be able to use it on the amiga

I assume this is wher crass do comes in?

If cross dos is as hard to use as this i think i might as well drop my A500 from a tall building!

Also what happens if the game fits onto more than one disk (I thought this was the case for Turrican) - is that something u do in cross dos also?

And when does workbench come into it? It seems like you need a degree to perform this 'simple' operation?

Sorry to sound so negative. I do appreciate the fact that you are trying to help me. I am just so FUSTRATED that i cannot understand even 1 part of your tutorial. I was quite excited when i read your post saying you may have a solution to my problem, but now i am more discouraged than ever.

Do you think it would be possible to guide me thru your tutorial in a more simpler way as someone who knows absolutely nothing about assemblers (i dont even know what an assembler is?). Or does my technological ignorance mean it would be a waste of your time?

Ok bye for now

The struggle continues....

Moonstone, Wings of Fury, Disposable Hero will i ever get to play u again??

[/quote]

zzzzzz.....

Well, it seems there are two options:

1. you better use UAE instead.
2. you can wait a few days so I can modify my tutorial so that anyone with almost no knowledge about Command Line Interface (CLI) (similar to pc's dos-prompt) can get through it, so basically you need to choose between the two options.

Well bye for now, and dont let that defeat defeat you altoghether  :-)