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Text File
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1994-01-06
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4KB
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136 lines
TANDEM v 1.0
------------
A: + B: = Tandem super-floppy
Tandem is a "fix" for programs which
don't recognize and use a second
floppy drive when there is one. The
immediate cause for it being written
was the game Spirit of Excalibur.
Tandem combines both floppies (A: and
B:) into one single disk as far as
file and folder handling goes. I.e.
all files and folders on both of the
two floppies can be accessed via any
one of them.
It can NOT help you with nonstandard
games disks lacking a file structure.
Hard disk operations won't be
affected.
Tandem is freeware and may be copied
freely as long as this documentation
is included.
HOW TO USE IT
-------------
To use Tandem, simply run it, from
Desktop or - better - from the AUTO
folder on the boot disk. If you don't
have two floppies (turned on) - Tandem
will silently quit without installing
itself, and neither harm nor good is
done. If you do have two floppy
drives, a message will remind you that
Tandem is installed.
Run Tandem again to turn it off and on
as many times as you like.
PROBLEMS
--------
As long as all files have unique (on
both floppies) names, and only read
accesses (loading data, starting
programs etc.) are being made, there
should be no problems.
Otherwise you may be reminded that the
emulation of a "super-floppy" cannot
be 100%, as long as the drives are
physically separated.
In all cases and for all operations,
the PHYSICAL DISK that will be tried
first is the one CURRENTLY SELECTED.
Except when a folder has been
specified that only exists on the
other disk.
This applies to:
1) Operations on identically named
files on both floppies.
(In a Desktop window it will make no
difference which one of two
identically named icons you select.)
2) Getting disk info such as disk free
space. (The info for the selected disk
- or the disk corresponding to the
selected folder - will be returned.)
FILE MOVE operations within the
combined floppy don't work except
within the currently selected floppy.
When using Tandem with games, there is
not much you can do, but to run Tandem
and see if it works. It either does or
it doesn't.
If it seems to work up to a point,
after which problems occur, it may be
that both floppies hold files with the
same name but with different contents.
There probably is no remedy, but if
the smaller file is on the first (A)
drive, you may try to delete it (DON'T
DO THIS ON YOUR ORIGINAL DISKS!!! -
Use Backup copies), in the hope that
it is merely a subset of - and can be
replaced with - the larger file on the
second disk.
If it doesn't work at all, this
probably is because the game uses some
non❎Ästandard method of accessing the
data on disk (sector-reading via BIOS,
XBIOS or directly via hardware).
Tandem only affects the FILE managing
of GEM BDOS.
Disclaimer
----------
Tandem comes with absolutely no
warranty, and the author is not
responsible for any harmful
consequences of using this software.
USE ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!
Technical
---------
Tandem installs itself 'cleanly' in
the GEM BDOS TRAP #1 vector according
to the XBRA-standard. Its XBRA-ID is
"Tndm". It makes no re-entrant DOS
calls and so should hopefully not
interfere with any other programs,
memory-resident or not.
______________________________________
Mårten Lindström
Sävenäsvägen 24
S-932 31 Skelleftehamn
SWEDEN