This is not meant to be a definite guide on how to copy files from the
Amiga to the PC or vice versa. It is just something that I hope will
help some of you to be able to participate in the Amiga Rediscovery
debate on c.s.a.g. If you have any suggestions, corrections or
contributions to this FAQ, please contact me at: jfroholt@c2i.net
Cross Dos Related Questions
Contents:
Q: What is Crossdos?
Q: I've got WB 3.x. What do I do?
Q: I've got an Amiga equipped with a Hard Drive, and I want the PC drive to
be automatically mounted every time I boot. How do I do that?
Q: I've got an earlier Amiga. What do I do?
Q: Are there any shareware/freeware alternatives to Crossdos?
Preferably something that runs on Kickstart 1.x as well?
Q: OK, I've got Crossdos. What next?
Q: How do I format a 720 kb disk?
Q: Help!! I can't create a 720 kb disk! What's wrong?
Q: What if I own a High Density drive for my Amiga?
Q: Ok, I've formatted a disk. What now?
Q: Hmmm. I've inserted the PC disk into my drive. Now all I get is an
empty window with no files displayed.
Q: Yikes! I'm using an older version of Crossdos (pre Weird Science),
and now the filenames are all messed up!
Q: I haven't got the software required. Where can I get it?
Q: Are there any way at all that I can get the PC to read Amiga disks?
Q: I know something that you obviosly don't. Want to hear what it is?
Crossdos Related Answers
Q: What is Crossdos?
A: Crossdos is a program that allows you to mount drives which can
read and write to MS-Dos formatted disks.
After you have mounted a drive, you can use this just like any
other drive on your Amiga. For instance, you can mount a drive
called PC0. Then every time you insert a MS-Dos formatted disk
into DF0 (the internal disk drive of your Amiga), it will be
shown as a disk in PC0. Crossdos is available for Amigas with
Kickstart 2.x and 3.x.
Q: I've got WB 3.x. What do I do?
A: Crossdos is an integral part of WB 3.x, here's how to use it:
Boot Workbench.
Insert the Storage disk.
Click on the Storage icon, then on the Dosdrivers Icon.
You'll see several dos drivers. The neccesary ones are PC0 and PC1.
PC0 is the driver you want if want to use DF0, PC1 is for DF1.
You can use both if you require. If you want to use DF2 or something,
you can easily modify the files to match your needs. See the manual.
Q: I've got an Amiga equipped with a Hard Drive, and I want the PC drive to
be automatically mounted every time I boot. How do I do that?
A: Make sure the file PC0 or PC1 (or whatever) can be found in the
Devs/Dosdrivers directory on your SYS: partition (the partition
you boot from). Just copy it from your Storage: disk or the
Storage/Dosdrivers directory on your Hard Drive (if this dir exists).
Q: I've got an earlier Amiga. What do I do?
A: You can use WB 3.x on your Kickstart 2.x computer.
If you just want Crossdos, then the newest version,
Crossdos 7, can be used on any Kickstart 2.x+ Amiga.
For Kickstart 1.x computers, see the next question.
Q: Are there any shareware/freeware alternatives to Crossdos?
Preferably something that runs on Kickstart 1.x as well?
A: Try Messydos. This is shareware, and it works on all Kickstarts
from 1.2 and up. You can get it from the Aminet.
You can probably find it in most good pd-libraries as well.
Q: OK, I've got Crossdos. What next?
A: You'll need a 720 kb MS-Dos disk. You can use a standard 1.44 Mb
disk, but you'll have to format it as a 720 kb disk.
I've never had any problems with this, but apparently you should
put a piece of tape over the left hole on the disk (not the write-
protect hole), in order to make the PC see it as a DD disk.
If you have any problems, try using an original DD (like a standard
Amiga uses) disk.
Q: How do I format a 720 kb disk?
A: Easy. In Win 95: Double-click on My Computer Right-click on A:
Choose the Format command Under the word Capacity, you'll see a menu gadget. Click on the
down-arrow, and select 720 kb 3,5 inches Select "Full". You cannot quick-format a disk if you want to
change it's capacity. Press Start. In Dos, just type: format a: /f:720
You can format a PC disk with your Amiga as well, but apparently
this option is a bit unreliable. This is done the regular way, but you must select the disk in
the mounted PC drive.
Q: Help!! I can't create a 720 kb disk! What's wrong.
A: Unfortunately, some newer PC drives does not support 720 kb disks.
I have only seen this once, on a Compaq portable computer.
I don't think there's any way around it, except perhaps to install
a new drive. Sorry.
Q: What if I own a High Density drive for my Amiga?
A: Then you can use 1.44 MB PC disks too. You're quite lucky.
Q: Ok, I've formatted a disk. What now?
A: Copy the desired files on to the disk, turn on the Amiga and
mount a PC drive (like I explained earlier).
Q: Hmmm. I've inserted the PC disk into my drive. Now all I get is an
empty window with no files displayed.
A: Make sure you've selected "show all files" from the disk menu.
If you still can't see the files, try selecting "view by name" from
the same menu. If the problem persists, then make sure you actually copied the
files to the disk :-)
Q: Yikes! I'm using an older version of Crossdos (pre-Weird Science),
and now the filenames are all messed up!
A: Before Windows 95, PC's didn't use filenames with more than 8+3 letters.
If your file is called Verylongfilename.dms, it will be renamed to
VERYLO~1.DMS As long as you're dealing with archives, this should
not be more than a minor hassle, as you're the only one who need to
know the filenames. You either choose to accept the new filenames,
or you can rename the files on your PC before copying them.
If you're copying a program with loads of files, and you haven't
archived it first, then you must take care, however.
If the program needs the file called Verylongfilename.dms, it won't
understand that VERYLO~1.DMS is the same file, so you must make
sure that you rename the files again. Also, there will be problems
if there's a file called, say, Verylongfile.dms, as this file will
also be called VERYLO~1.DMS. In this case, you should rename the files
before copying them from the PC.
Alternatively, you could upgrade to Crossdos 7.
Q: I haven't got the software required. Where can I get it?
A: Workbench 3.x can be purchased from several sources.
For instance, Epic Marketing stock it.
Crossdos 7 was published by Weird Science.
Here's the sales blurb from their website:
"CrossDos is a software product that allows the user to read and write
MS-Dos formatted disks, directly from the Amiga. CrossDos
integrates into the Amiga operating system, allowing access from
virtually any Amiga utility or application, including file requesters."
You can perform most AmigaDOS functions, for example:
Read and Write files
Create directories
Set file or directory dates and protection bits
Relable the disk name
Rename files and directories
Supported drives are as follows:
3.5" 720k floppy disks
3.5" 1.44M floppy disks
5.1/4 360k floppy disks
5.1/4 720k floppy disks
Hard drives
Zip drives
Jaz drives
- SyJet
EZ135
SyQuest and
Bernoulli
Other features include an ASCII text filter option, translation tables that
handle international text character sets, automatically senses disk
changes, floppy disks parameters are sensed automaticaly, various disk
utilities, MS-DOS hard disk configuration software and many other
improvements over the original CrossDOS.
Q: Are there any way at all that I can get the PC to read Amiga disks?
A: If you want to get your hands dirty (i.e. install some hardware on your PC), then the answer is yes.
You can buy a piece of PC kit called Catweasel. I have no experience with this thingy, but if you're serious about
this stuff, check out: Individual Computers
Q: I know something that you obviosly don't. Want to hear what it is?
A: YES!!
There are some questions I'd like answered. Like:
Are there any way to turn a DMS file into an ADF file?
Also, there will probably be a small networking part in this FAQ.
If you know a great deal about networking, please let me know.
(Unless I get any help, the FAQ will only cover the simplest
way of transfering files via a null-modem cable).
If you help me so that I can expand this FAQ, I'll be very happy,
and I'll credit you for your work. Contact me at jfroholt@c2i.net