Can't create a disk image

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Jubber
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:09 pm

Can't create a disk image

Post by Jubber »

Hi there! First up, this project is fantastic. It has helped me play tons of old games on my A3010 I've not seen in quarter of a century. Much appreciated.

Now for my question. I have original copies of a fair few games you don't yet have permission to distribute. No problem, I can make a disk image. Hard disk installation is my goal. However when I choose to Image as JFD, I get a screen that has no working right arrow options. These are supposed to bring up lists of floppy types, games (I assume) and other options - but the menus are one character wide and otherwise blank. The Title one is very long, but I still can't see anything in it. This is the same for each of these drop downs, making the process impossible to start.

I have a 4MB A3010 with ZIDEFS IDE, a pretty normal boot process with !NewerLook and not much else except for links to !Scrap and !System. Is there something I'm missing? I did have trouble playing Dune 2 because it needed IfThere, which is part of Uniboot or a later Risc OS perhaps? Maybe there's some other utility I need.

Cheers,

Robin

P.S. I wrote Gloop and Antigrav 2 back in the day (both a bit shit) so if you need permission to distribute them go right ahead - although I think the rights are with 4D or maybe APDL?

P.P.S. If I can get this JFD process fixed and there are games you need imaged, please say, as I might still have the original disks.
Qjimbo
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, Canada

Re: Can't create a disk image

Post by Qjimbo »

Until Jon comes along with a solution, I just wanted to let you know that if you have a PC with a floppy drive handy, you can also use OmniFlop. I personally use it on my Windows XP gaming machine and it works perfectly, but it also works on the latest Windows 10 as well. You just have to use Device Manager to replace the Floppy Controller and Floppy Drive drivers.
Jubber
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:09 pm

Re: Can't create a disk image

Post by Jubber »

Thanks for the tip! I'm not sure I have a PC that is in the sweet spot for having a floppy drive - mine are either too old to run anything non-dos based, or too recent to have a floppy drive. Unless Omniflop works in DOS or will work with an external USB floppy drive. I'll look into it.

Cheers,

Robin.
Qjimbo
Posts: 29
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2014 7:26 pm
Location: Vancouver, Canada

Re: Can't create a disk image

Post by Qjimbo »

You're in luck! There is a DOS version called OmniDisk that has a bootable FreeDOS version: http://www.shlock.co.uk/Utils/OmniDisk/OmniDisk.htm

But yeah doesn't work with USB drives because they don't provide the kind of low level access required to read non-PC floppy disks. There is a roject called Kyroflux for that but thats a whole other thing, haha.
JonAbbott
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:13 pm
Location: Essex
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Re: Can't create a disk image

Post by JonAbbott »

Jubber wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:46 pm First up, this project is fantastic. It has helped me play tons of old games on my A3010 I've not seen in quarter of a century. Much appreciated.
Glad you've found it useful and thanks for the compliment.
Jubber wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:46 pm when I choose to Image as JFD, I get a screen that has no working right arrow options. These are supposed to bring up lists of floppy types, games (I assume) and other options - but the menus are one character wide and otherwise blank.
A common issue that's been posted here and on Stardot several times. You need to update the Wimp Module, download the latest System resources from ROOL.
Jubber wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:46 pm P.S. I wrote Gloop and Antigrav 2 back in the day (both a bit shit) so if you need permission to distribute them go right ahead - although I think the rights are with 4D or maybe APDL?
Thank you for permission, unfortunately as you note I need permission from APDL to distribute them.
Jubber wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 10:46 pm P.P.S. If I can get this JFD process fixed and there are games you need imaged, please say, as I might still have the original disks.
Please email me a list and I let you know if there's any I need images of. You can view the current state of games in this thread.
Jubber
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:09 pm

Re: Can't create a disk image

Post by Jubber »

"You need to update the Wimp Module, download the latest "

Thanks for the info. I fear I'm going to prove a little rusty at Risc OS - do I just copy PlingSystem.zip / !System / 310 / Modules / Wimp into my hard drive's !System folder or do I need to update all the modules in there along with adding HardDisk4 to the hard drive? I wasn't actually aware you could upgrade Risc OS 3.1 to a later version just using software. Clearly I've been away a long time if we're up to version 5.

I did notice the AFD option in your application. That allowed me to image some disks but they didn't always boot. Is the AFD format less comprehensive for catching copy protection than JFD?

Sorry for the doubtless naive questions!
JonAbbott
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Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:13 pm
Location: Essex
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Re: Can't create a disk image

Post by JonAbbott »

Jubber wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 1:41 pm do I just copy PlingSystem.zip / !System / 310 / Modules / Wimp into my hard drive's !System folder or do I need to update all the modules in there along with adding HardDisk4 to the hard drive?
Just update the Wimp Module until you're more familiar with updating !Boot
Jubber wrote: Fri Nov 20, 2020 1:41 pm I did notice the AFD option in your application. That allowed me to image some disks but they didn't always boot. Is the AFD format less comprehensive for catching copy protection than JFD?
ADF doesn't support copy protection, it's simply a straight dump of the data on the floppy. JFD stores lots of additional info such as sector errors, sector geometry, sector timing etc.
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