**************************************›     HAVING 8-BIT COPYING PROBLEMS?››             by Ken Wickert››      (Ed.  While  this  was written in› 1990, I'm sure that thre are many  new› users  that  will benefit from reading› this article, as  the  information  is› still valid and informative. A.P.)››   Reprinted  from  the ACE of Syracuse› Newsletter by  THE  OL'  HACKERS  AUG,› Inc,  N.Y.,  With notes and updates by› Thomas J. Andrews, member  of  ACE  of› Syracuse,  and  THE  OL'  HACKERS AUG,› Inc.››   Making  copies  of  8-bit  disks?››   As  you might guess, I copy a lot of› disks so  I  look  for  the  best  and› fastest  way  to  do  them  with   the› highest  reproduction accuracy.  ( Ken› was 8-bit  Vice  President  and  8-bit› disk  librarian  of ACE of Syracuse at› the time this was originally  written.› TJA)››   The  problems  I've  encountered are› mostly   with   the   Atari   Enhanced› Density,  the 1050 density.  I've also› heard it referred to as Dual  Density.› (Editor's  Note:  Single Density disks› format as 40 tracks of 18 sectors each› with  128 bytes per sector for a total› of 720 sectors and 90 kilobytes  on  a› disk.   Enhanced  density disks format› as 40 tracks of 26  sectors  with  128› bytes  persector  for  a total of 1040› sectors and 130 kilobytes  per  disk. › Double Density disks have 40 tracks of› 18 sectors each  with  256  bytes  per› sector  for a total of 720 sectors and› 180 kilobytes on a disk. VWS) (VWS  is› Vern Smith, Contributing Editor of the› ACE Newsletter.  Double  sided  double› density  disks  have  80  tracks of 18› sectors each  with  256  bytes  for  a› total  of   1440   sectors   and   360› kilobytes. TJA)››   Many  disks  I  receive  are in this› "medium" density.   I  use  it  myself› and,  as  I've  not  had  any problems› except for copying, I continue to  use› it.  I seldom use true Double Density,› as it limits the people I can exchange› disks with. ››   So, if, like me, you have a disk you› want to copy and share with a  friend,› (Great!  That's what PD is all about!)› you'll probably  want  a  sector  copy› utility  to do the job.  Plain old DOS› just takes too long.››   Now the fun begins.  You might  just› assume  you'll get a mirror copy using› any sector copier.  SURPRISE!  You may› not.  I've  made  this  error  several› times.   If you select CopyMate 4.3 or› 4.4, you may not notice it misses  the› middle of the road density completely. › If you don't know you have an enhanced› density  disk,  you'll  have a copy of› the disk,  but  only  up  to  the  720› sectors  formated  in  single density.› (Remember, there are 1040 sectors on a› 1050  density  disk.)    If  the  disk› isn't  full,  you  may  get  all   the› information  on  it, but if it is full› you don't get it all  and  that  is  a› problem.››   MyCopyR  is a good sector copier and› will sense proper density  of  single,› dual, and double density, EXCEPT on an› Atari XF551, where  it  always  senses› single.  (See update at the end of the› article. TJA) Why?  Well, I  wrote  to› the  author  of  MyCopyR, Glenn Smith,› and the letter was returned,  unopened› and  unable  to forward.  Then I tried› to leave him e-mail on CompuServe only› to  be  notified  that  he  no  longer› subscribes.   Probably  the hope of an› upgrade or  update  is  lost.  MyCopyR› properly  senses  density  on  a stock› 1050 drive and on the Indus GT drive.››   I would like to use My CopyR  as  my› permanent  copy  program  because   it› gives  me  the  option  to  get a disk› directory before and after use.   This› is  important  when  doing  a  lot  of› copying  as  you may lose your place. › Without this feature,  you  must  back› out  of the copy program and go to DOS› to get a directory.   The  MyCopyR  DC› file  states  that it will work with a› memory-upgraded machine, but I've  not› been  able  to  get it to work with my› RAMBO  upgrade  without  the  problems› described.››   USCOPY by E.  Reuss  is  by  far  my› favorite  copying program, despite the› fact   that   you   can't   check  the› directory of a disk.  Key features are› that  it  works properly with my RAMBO› upgrade and shows the RAM available on› screen.   It  does  not   sense   Dual› density  on  the  XF551   drive   (See› Update! TJA) but it does work properly› on the 1050 drive and on the Indus GT. › USCOPY  only  needs to read the source› disk once and is the best  for  making› multiple  copies  of  enhanced density› disks with an extended memory  machine› or with a 130XE using single density.››   All  of the above copy programs will› correctly copy a  disk  regardless  of› the memory of your 8-bit, but you must› know the density of your source disk. › They  will  also  correctly copy Print› Shop Icon disks which use  a  type  of› single density.››   I  do  quite a bit of Downloading of› files from GEnie  and  CompuServe  and› then  inspect  and  assign  them  to a› respective disk.  For  this  I  use  a› FILE  copier.  The file copier is very› similar to the demonstration on Sparta› DOS  given  by  Fred  Dunaway  at  our› September  1990  meeting.  You get the› contents of the disk and select  which› files  you  want  to copy by using the› arrow  keys  and  pressing  RETURN  to› highlight your choice.››   There are several file  copiers  for› use  with Atari DOS 2.* and density is› not a problem as you format  the  disk› yourself before you start to make your› special disk.››               UPDATE!›        ›      Contrary  to  what  Ken  believed› when  he  wrote  this  article,   both› MyCopyR  and  USCOPY  will detect disk› density on  an  XF551.   There  is  an› undocumented  trick   that   must   be› performed  first  though,  one  that I› discovered quite by accident.››      All you have to do is press RESET› just  before  you  copy  a  disk  of a› density different from  the  one  last› read on that drive.  This seems to re-› initialize either the disk handler  or› the  drive  itself  (I  vote  for  the› handler).   Just  to be sure, I ALWAYS› press RESET, whether I think the  disk› is the same density or not.››      When  Ken wrote this, I was still› using my original 800 computer.   When› I  tried  to  use MyCopyR, I found out› that it wouldn't work with  the  older› machine,  so  I put it to one side and› worked with another.  USCOPY does work› with the 800, so I was used to that by› the time I switched to my  800XL,  and› Ken  wasn't  recommending  it  for use› with my XF551 drive, anyway.››      I needed a sector copier one  day› recently,  and had misplaced my USCOPY› disk.  I was searching for it  when  I› came across the MyCopyR disk again, so› I tried that.  Naturally, I ran  right› up  against the problems Ken describes› here.  I  had  come  across  the  same› problem with USCOPY and had found that› pressing RESET "cured" it, so I  tried› it with MyCopyR and it worked again!››      None  of  these copiers will copy› double-sided disks.  A quick review of› the  GEnie  Atari8 library revealed no› entries   there   that  would  do  so,› either.  If you want to make a copy of› a  double-sided  disk, you'll probably› have to use the particular DOS  to  do› it.›      Double-sided  disks  and   drives› have  a  problem  all  their  own.  By› double-sided, I mean a drive that  can› use  both  sides  of  a  disk  without› turning  it  over.  I  don't  maen the› "flippies" that Atari users have  been› using  for  years.)  It seems that the› different   manufacturers  of  double-› sided drives  used  differing  formats› when  designing them.  This means that› it's almost necessary to use a double-› sided  disk in the same brand of drive› that produced it.   Because  of  that,› you  should  try  not  to   distribute› double-sided disks to other people, as› they may find them unusable.››      MyCopyR does use the extra memory› of  an extended XL or XE.  Both single› and double density  disks  are  copied› with  one  pass with my RAMBO'ed XL.  › For double density this requires 180k,› so  the  program  MUST  be  using  the› expanded  memory.   For  some  reason,› though,  MyCopyR does enhanced density› disks differently, using two  passes. › It copies the first 720 sectors on the› first   pass,  and  the  rest  on  the› second.  This is done even though  the› program  knows there is sufficient RAM› to do it in one pass.››      The best of all worlds,  and  I'm› sure Ken would agree with me, would be› a new copier that would properly sense› density,  provide  a  directory,  make› multiple  copies  from  RAM, and would› work with all  double  sided  drives. › Will  someone  ever   write   such   a› program?  I wish I knew...›› *************************************›