MakeDisk
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MakeDisk v1.5
Copyright (c) Darren Birks 1999.
email: darren@fatal-design.com
www: http://makedisk.atari.org
10th November 1999.
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After more than two years, I have decided to update MakeDisk. This will
probably be the last version of MakeDisk for DOS as I am now learning to
program for the Windows 95/98/2000 environment.
The main reason for this release was to fix a number of bugs (such as
making WinSTon/Real Atari friendly disk images) and to add the virus
scanning code I wrote some time ago.
What is MakeDisk:
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MakeDisk is a freeware disk image utility which creates image files of
Atari ST disks. These images can be used with Atari ST emulators such
as PaCifiST, by Frederic Gidouin and WinSTon by Paul Bates. It can read
almost all Atari disks including disks with more than the conventional
79 tracks and 9 sectors.
MakeDisk can also write disk image files back to disks. If the disk is
not formatted to the same number of tracks, sectors and sides as the
original disks then it is reformatted. This means that all the disk images
found on the Internet can be converted back to disk which you can boot up
in a real Atari ST.
MakeDisk can even create blank images which PaCifiST and WinSTon can write
to. These images can be upto any size (within reason). Be warned though,
if you wish to write the images back to real floppy disks you should not use
more that 82 tracks and 10 sectors with 2 sides as these will not write
correctly to standard double density floppy disks.
The last feature of MakeDisk is the ability to clean disk images. This
replaces the boot sector of disk images and replaces it with a blank boot
sector. Use this to remove virus's and anti-virus's which are imcompatible
with the Emulator you are using.
Image Formats Supported: [*NEW in v1.4*]
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Since v1.4, MakeDisk supports two types of image files. The original (.ST)
files were just uncompressed copies of all tracks in logical order. PaCifiST
also supports images created with the Magic Shadow Archiver (.MSA). These
images are compressed and need to be unpacked before been read from or
written to. When writing images back to disks, MakeDisk will examine the image and decide
for itself if the image is a compressed MSA file or an uncompressed .ST file.
When reading images from disks, MakeDisk will assume you want to create an
uncompressed .ST file unless you specify the /MSA paramater.
Virus Scanning: [*NEW in v1.5*]
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When reading or writing disk images, MakeDisk automatically scans the disk
for a number of known virus's. If any of them are found MakeDisk will tell
you and give you the option of filtering it out. This does not affect the
source disk or image, just the destination one.
The following virus's are recognised by MakeDisk v1.5:
- BHP Virus
- C'T Virus
- Cookie #1/#2 Virus
- Directory Waster (Waister?) Virus
- Evil Virus
- Flying Chimp Virus
- Ghost (Original) Virus / Ghost (Version G) Virus / Ghost (Version H) Virus
- Green Goblins Virus
- Kobold #2 Virus
- Merlin's Fun Virus (Does not spread - has to be installed)
- OLI Virus
- Pirate Trap Virus
- Signum Virus (With/Without Key Set)
- TOI Virus (A Ghost Variant)
Usage Examples:
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MAKEDISK /READ DISK.ST /AUTO
MAKEDISK /READ DISK.ST /TRACK 80 /SECTOR 10 /SIDE 2
MAKEDISK /READ DISK.ST /AUTO /MSA
MAKEDISK /READ DISK.ST /AUTO /SLOW
MAKEDISK /WRITE DISK.ST /AUTO
MAKEDISK /WRITE DISK.ST /TRACK 80 /SECTOR 10 /SIDE 2
MAKEDISK /WRITE DISK.ST /FORMAT
MAKEDISK /CREATE DISK.ST /AUTO
MAKEDISK /CREATE DISK.ST /TRACK 80 /SECTOR 10 /SIDE 2
MAKEDISK /CLEAN DISK.ST /AUTO
MAKEDISK /CLEAN DISK.ST /TRACK 80 /SECTOR 10 /SIDE 2
Credits:
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Greetings must go to the following people:
- Frederic Gidouin http://pacifist.atari.org
- Paul Bates http://winston.atari.org
- Rich Davey http://www.atari.org and http://www.atarist.com
- Jonathan McHugh
- Andreas Muegge http://www.geocities.com/SiliconVally/Horizon/2361
- Aengus Jankowsky
- Matt Sephton
- Ben Stevenson http://planetst.atari.org
- Mug UK http://muguk.atari.org
- Showaddywaddy/D-BUG http://dbug.atari.org
- Grazey/The PHF http://tphf.atari.org
And anyone else who I know.
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Until MakeDisk 2000...
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