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- Documentation for M-Disk 6.x for Atari ST
- =========================================
-
- M-Disk provides
- - a sizable removable multi-function ramdisk
- - a floppy disk copy program (with virus detection logic)
- - a fast ramdisk load/save program
- - a harddisk backup/restore program
- - a PS/2 compatible floppy disk formatting program
- - a boot sector virus destruction program
- all in one program.
-
- What's NEW:
- ===========
-
- Version 6.92: - Works under Mag!X (alias MagiX) now.
-
- Version 6.91: - Works under MultiTOS now. Fixed two little bugs.
-
- Version 6.9: - Programs like `1st Lock' or `DATAlight' don't confuse M-Disk
- any longer. But please don't use the `wipe' or `save' function
- on encrypted disks. New XBRA id `csMD'.
-
- Version 6.8: - Fixed strange bug with 'Wipe' on floppy disk; was probably
- introduced in Version 6.7
-
- Version 6.7: - 'Wipe disk' on big (BGM) partitions corrected.
- - Extend 'Label' into 'Info' function.
-
- Version 6.6: - 'Save setup' now saves defaults for source+destination
- drive too.
-
- Version 6.5: - Add one forgotten `forced disk change' after use of the
- `Copy' function.
-
- Version 6.4: - Fix one dialog box.
-
- Version 6.3: - Format+Save is much faster under TOS 2.0x and 3.0x now
- - Solved problems with 6 MB TT
- - More adaptation to TT's ``fast RAM''. (The concept is much
- clearer to me now.) Read the 'TT notes' below.
- - If drive M: is occupied use N:, O:, or P:
-
- >>> WARNING: M-Disk 6.0, 6.1 and 6.2 do not work properly on some TT's. <<<
-
- Version 6.2: - User trace default = off (because it may cause problems)
- - mouse setting is optional now (because of NVDI bug)
-
- Version 6.1: - Try to improve TT compatibility
- - some internal clean up
-
- Version 6.0: - New GEM dialog: Setting of format parameters is now inside
- the main dialog. Faster GEM dialog handling.
- - Adapted to speed boards, 68030, etc.
- - Adapted to TT (and it's brain damaged ``fast RAM'').
- - Formatting is much faster under MiNT now !
- - Verify may be turned off (Harakiris will like this).
- - The `Format selection' button (see below !!)
- - The `Clear M-Disk' button.
- - When the selected format for `save+format' is too small,
- M-Disk can do automatic format extension
- - Support for disk labels.
-
- Since Version 4.x M-Disk does not use any undocumened variables. It should work
- with any TOS Version. Tested with Disk TOS 1.0 (1986), TOS 2.05 (Mega STE TOS),
- KAOS 1.4.1, and MiNT 0.8.
-
- M-Disk 6.x should work with all known Atari ST harware configurations including
- 16-MHz-boards, 68030 Boards, STE, TT, etc.
-
- Notes about Cache: Old M-Disk Versions included a simple cache. In Version 5.8
- this went into the separate program M-Cache. M-Cache did never work, since it
- accidently forgot to install itself. I do no longer include M-Cache because:
- a) The cache does not check for media changes and thus has problems with
- media changes like in the Atari Megafile 44.
- b) The cache layout was for a fixed sector size of 512 Bytes, but did not
- check this. So it did not work with the new big Partitions of AHDI 3.0.
- c) Nowadays nearly everybody has TOS 1.4. Use CACHE100.PRG in the AUTO folder
- and this will be better and give you less problems than most cache programs
- floating around.
- d) I could adapt M-Cache to AHDI 3.0 and Megafile 44, but I don't have the
- time at the moment and since one may well use CACHE100, there is no more
- reason for having a separate cache program.
- e) If you don't have TOS 1.4 (or above) you should hurry to get it.
-
- Mixed hints:
- - do *always* have POOLFIX3.PRG in the AUTO folder when using TOS 1.4 or 1.6.
- - do *always* have FOLDR100.PRG in the AUTO folder when using TOS 1.4 or 1.6.
- - do *never* use the buggy TURBODOS.
- - do *not* use CACHExxx.PRG with old TOS Versions (below 1.4).
- - do *not* use the cache of the old M-Disk versions on Partitions that are
- bigger than 15 MB.
-
- Included files:
- ===============
-
- NAME Length Comment
-
- - MDISK.ACC 30150 the program
- - MDISK6xx.DOC 24445 this document; Version = 6.xx
- - CLEAR_M.PRG 78 utility program for very old TOS versions
-
- Installing the RamDisk:
- =======================
-
- Move MDISK.ACC to the root directory of your boot disk, then reboot.
- Now there's a Desk Accessory entry "M-Disk" that lets you select
- a size for your ramdisk. Enter a size, then click "Install". Now M-Disk
- is active. Install a disk Icon for M-Disk, so you can click on it. M-Disk
- is always on drive M.
-
- M-Disk can now be used like any normal RAM disk.
-
- Copying from/to the M-Disk:
- ===========================
-
- Since Floppy Disks are soooooo slow there is an option to load/save a whole
- Floppy Disk at once. This will make a plain copy of all files an directories,
- destroying the whole prior contents. The serial number of the Disk however
- is not changed.
-
- >>>> The load/save option actually is the clou of the program.
- >>>> Use it often, it will save you lots of time.
- >>>>
- >>>> load/save only works for Ram Disk size <= 1700 k !
-
- Use as Disk Copier:
- ===================
-
- First load the source disk into M-Disk, then save onto the target disk.
- Most common floppy formats are supported. The formats of the source and
- target disks need not be the same, so you can quick and easy copy
- a single sided disk to a double sided or IBM PS/2 or 800 KB Disk. You may
- even copy a double sided to a single sided disk if the target disk has
- enough space.
-
- If the target disk is unformatted or you want to reformat it into fast format
- use the "+ format" button. The format options are used then to select a format
- for the disk to write.
-
- If you want to make more than one copy you may want to use the 'copy' button.
- This allows you to make up to three copies and thus is equivalent to pressing
- first 'load' and then 'save' one to three times for each original to copy.
-
- The 'copy' button is a true equivalent of 'load'+'save': After the 'copy'
- operation the new RamDisk contents are still intact and may be used for
- further operations.
-
- Use as Backup Program:
- ======================
-
- Backup:
- You probably won't Backup the whole Hard disk at once. So select the
- part you want to save, then install an M-Disk that is big enough to
- hold your data. If you make it small enough to fit on your floppy disk
- you can copy files from the Harddisk to M-Disk until M-Disk is full.
- Now save the data with the "save" option onto a floppy.
- Restore:
- Load your Backup Disk into M-Disk (with "load disk"). Then copy the files
- from M-Disk to your Hard Disk. This is *much* faster than copying
- directly from floppy to harddisk.
- Incremental Backup:
- Load your (old) backup floppy into M-Disk. Delete some files, copy new
- versions from the harddisk to M-Disk. When your finished save the result
- again onto your floppy.
-
- Use as fast Ramdisk load/save program
- =====================================
-
- Don't you think loading files from floppy to your (reset resident,
- auto-compressing, super-hyper) Ram-Disk needs a little speed up ?!?
-
- Here it is:
-
- After having installed your Ram-Disk you install M-Disk, then load
- from floppy to M-Disk (with M-Disk's "load"). Now you copy everything
- as usual file-by-file to your Ram-Disk. You may kill M-Disk thereafter.
-
- Saving your work when you are finished is just the other way round:
- Copy file-by-file to M-Disk, then use M-Disk's "save".
-
- Formatting floppy disks
- =======================
-
- You may format a disk at any time. Among the various formats that can
- be formatted there are two MSDOS compatible formats:
-
- - 80 tracks, 2 sides, 9 sectors: The standard 3.5" PS/2 format.
- - 40 tracks, 2 sides, 9 sectors: The standard 5.25" MSDOS/PCDOS format.
-
- These two formats are at least "300% compatible", i. e. the logical disk
- structure is 100% compatible, the boot sector and media byte is 100% compatible
- and the physical disk structure (GAPs between sectors etc.) is 100% compatible.
- Of course you cannot boot your PS/2 computer from an Atari formatted disk.
-
- While remaining compatible the disks formatted with M-Disk still run fast
- on the ST. Since M-Disk Version 4.0, they also run fast on the PC.
-
- The `+format' button
- ====================
-
- When the `+format' button is active (dark) M-disk formats all the disks
- on-the-fly while writing out a disk from a `save' or `copy' command.
- This saves an additional format run if you want to write unformatted disks.
-
- It's also wise to reformat floppys from time to time if they
- - were not formatted on the same drive on which they are to be used.
- - have not been formatted for a long time. As the years go by, floppy disks
- may loose their formatting information.
-
- The verify flags
- ================
-
- M-Disk verifies every operation. For this reason no quick- or superquick-
- formatting routines are possible. Routines that format a 80 Track double
- sided disk in under 1 minute must time out the controller before each track
- is competely written. This leaves some garbage at the end of each track.
- If you are unlucky you would get another valid sector header in this area.
- So you might get e.g. "sector 1" two times on one track. Now these two
- will be read/written by TOS randomly, causing big problems. So M-Disk
- does not use these quick-and-dirty routines but always formats till the
- end of track assuring no anomaly can occur (additional verify is done also).
-
- Since M-Disk 6.0 the verify on 'format' and 'format+save' can be turned off.
- There may be some people out there who want to speed up writing at the
- risk of damaged disks. For the 'save' button without '+format' the normal
- TOS routines are used. Verify is then controlled by the TOS verify flag
- which is turned ON by default.
-
- There is one thing that M-Disk cannot verify: When you are formats with
- more than 80 tracks your head (floppy disk head, not yours) may run against
- the wall. You hear a click. On normal formatting programs this will result
- in a misplaced last track (slightly off correct position). But M-Disk starts
- formatting at the last track. So if you hear this click with M-Disk *all*
- tracks will be formatted on incorrect place.
-
- *** For this reason you should formats over 80 tracks only
- *** if you are absolutely sure that your floppy can hold this
- *** without running its head against the wall.
-
- The normal TOS formatted disk speed is rather slow. M-Disk formats standard
- fast-runing disks like DCFORMAT, FCOPY, CopyStar etc.
-
- If you format/write 40-track disks on a 80-tracks double-stepping disk drive
- it's wise to write the data several times if you later want to read it on
- 40-track disks (e.g. press `save' with `+ format' several times).
-
- The `Format selection' button
- =============================
-
- When the `Format selection' button is turned off (white) M-Disk automatically
- sets the Format parameters to those found on the disk on every `load'
- operation. This is especially useful with the `copy' button when used
- together with `+format':
-
- - When `Format selection' is active (dark) all copies are formatted in the
- pre-selected way.
- - When `Format selection' is inactive (white) all copies are formatted in
- the format that was found on the corrosponding original.
-
- The automatic format extension
- ==============================
-
- When the selected format for `save+format' (or `copy+format') is too small
- but it's possible to make up a format that fits, M-Disk will ask you
- if you want to extend the current format.
-
- As a consequence when copying floppy disks with `copy' you may select a small
- format for the standard, make `Format selection' active, and copy all of the
- disks onto standard-formatted disks until you get to a disk that is too big
- for it. When using the automatic format extension only those big disks will
- be formatted in the bigger format.
-
- Exercise (easy): What happens with the automatic format extension when you
- `copy+format' with `Format selection' inactive?
-
- Wiping disks
- ============
-
- The `wipe' function only clears the FATs and the root directory of the
- specified device. This is much faster than erasing every single file or
- reformatting the disk. `wipe' can also be applied to non-floppy media
- (e.g. M:). M-Disk will not wipe media with 12-Bit FATs or more than
- 5 FAT sectors without an additional reconfirmation dialog.
-
- Wipe is activated by clicking on one of the `Label' drives while the
- `CONTROL' or `SHIFT' key is pressed. So this function is somewhat hidden.
-
- Disk labels
- ===========
-
- Support for disk labels was added although GEMDOS does not support them
- very well. You can, however, see the disk label in the `Show info' dialog
- applied to a disk.
-
- Disk labels produced by PC-DOS will show up in the directory because
- GEMDOS does not allow the archive bit with disk labels but PC-DOS seems
- to set it.
-
- In old TOS versions disk labels can only be removed again via a trick (which
- M-Disk uses: Create a plain file with the label's name, then delete this
- file).
-
- Since TOS 1.4 disk labels can never be removed so M-Disk must use another
- trick here (create a label with the strange name "\xE5").
-
- Since disks without labels do well there is normally no need to use disk
- labels.
-
- The `Clear M-Disk' button
- =========================
-
- The small button that looks like a `window closer' provides a function to
- quickly clear the M-Disk. This is similar to do `wipe' on disk `M:'.
-
- What floppy Disk format should I use ?
- ======================================
-
- The 2 sides 80 track 9 sector format is the normal (and fastest) format.
- Use this whenever you do not need extremly much space on disk.
-
- 10 sector format is safe. You may well use this whenever you want some
- more space on the disk. 10 sector disks run a little slower than 9 sector
- disks.
-
- 11 sector format may only be used if your floppy disk drive is not too fast
- and do not use some cheap and bad disks. 11 sector disks run a little slower
- than 10 sector disks. It is normally better to use 11 sector formats than
- to format over 80 tracks.
-
- Formats over 80 tracks may not run on some disks and (much more evil)
- on some drives. So if it all works on your disk drive carry the disk to
- a friend and (s)he maybe will not be able to read the additional tracks.
- If the floppy disk head hits its limit while formatting you yourself
- may eventually not be able to read the disks on your own system. So use
- this option seldom or never.
-
- 40 track disks can be used for special applications e.g. formatting
- IBM PC-DOS compatible 5.25 inch floppies. You will not need this for your
- normal work with the ST.
-
- Customizing M-Disk
- ==================
-
- You may want to set up your own startup-defaults for M-Disk. To do this,
- make the drive containing M-Disk the actual drive (e.g. Top window),
- enter the value for `Ram Disk size' you want as the default value,
- then click `setup'.
-
- Set the preferences you like. The `user trace' option sets up a user
- trace vector for the TEMPLMON monitor. This user trace checks the
- validity of the RAM disk and may thus be useful in finding the critical
- point in a bad program that corrupts the M-Disk buffer.
-
- At last, click `save setup'. The setup is then saved to MDISK.ACC on
- the root of the current active drive (i.e. current window in desktop).
-
- TT notes
- ========
-
- There are two kinds of RAM in the Atari TT: The normal ST RAM (slow RAM) and
- the additional TT RAM (fast RAM). M-Disk 6.3 and later uses the TT RAM
- whenever this is possible. In cases when there is not enough TT RAM
- the ST RAM is used.
-
- You should know the behavior with reset resident disks. Currently reset
- resident disks can only be installed in ST RAM. So whenever a disk has been
- installed in TT RAM it is impossible to make it reset resident without
- removing it and installing it again (thus loosing the contents).
-
- If you have TT RAM in your computer and want a reset resident RAM-Disk
- you have to turn on the `reset resident' button inside the setup dialog
- *before* installing the RAM disk.
-
- On the other hand if you select the `reset resident' button you will force
- installation in ST RAM. But if you deselect the `reset resident' button
- M-Disk will do installation in TT RAM only if there is enough TT RAM space.
-
- Strike the Virus out !
- ======================
-
- When you use normal Disk-Copy Programs you may get a boot sector virus
- onto the copy disk. This is due to the fact that normal disk copy programs
- copy the boot sector as it is onto the copy disk. So any virus on the original
- gets copied to the copy.
-
- M-Disk however does not copy the boot sector. So boot a sector virus does not
- get copied when copying disks with M-Disk. For this reason M-Disk copies
- are more safe.
-
- M-Disk version 5.5 (and up) has an additional virus detection logic that
- detects executable boot sectors on every disk operation. You get messages of
- 2 levels:
-
- 1. "Bootsector executable. This may be a virus or bootable program."
- This message is no reason to panic. There is an executable boot sector
- on the disk. This can be a virus, but it can also be startup code for a
- game, time-setting, hard-disk related or other programs. Before destroying
- it, you should test it with a more sophisticated virus destruction program
- or the procedure described below.
-
- Conclusion: In this first case, you do not know, if you have a virus.
-
- 2. "*** Attention: VIRUS *** Your system is infected !".
- Now you should be in panic !!! You booted with a virus-infected disk and
- probably all disks, that have been in your floppy drive since the last
- re-boot are infected now ! Let's hope you did not loose data !
-
- You should destroy the virus now (with the "virus check" button),
- write-protect that disk and do a coldboot with this now virus-free
- disk inserted in the floppy drive. Pressing the reset button
- is not sufficient in this case. You must turn your computer off,
- wait for 10 seconds, and turn it on again with a non-infected disk
- in the drive. If you have TOS 1.4 and think CTRL-ALT-SHIFT-DEL is
- sufficient please note that a virus may catch this vector !
-
- Conclusion: In this second case, you do absolutely sure have a virus !!!
-
- (3. You see no message. Then you probably don't have a boot sector virus,
- but you may have a link virus or something else.)
-
- Test: Do I have a boot sector virus ?
- =====================================
-
- If you are not sure if a particular boot sector on some disk is a virus,
- you can test it with the following procedure:
-
- 1. Copy MDISK.ACC to the suspicious disk. Turn off the hard disk (we do
- not want trouble on it). Put the suspicious disk in floppy drive A: and
- press the reset button.
-
- 2. Take an unformatted disk, format it with M-Disk, then wipe it, load
- something into the M-Disk, then copy the M-Disk onto the newly formatted
- disk with M-Disk save. Load and save again, etc. When you see the message:
- "*** Attention: VIRUS *** Your system is infected !".
- somewhere in this process, you know, that you definitely have a virus.
-
- When you don't see that message, you may or may not have a virus.
-
- Little virology
- ===============
-
- There are many virus types in the world. M-Disk only recognises the most
- harmless (but also most common) type: "boot sector virus".
- This virus type sits in the boot sector and gets loaded whenever you boot
- with an infected disk in the boot drive.
-
- A boot sector virus can easily be found and destroyed. If you copy all your
- data only with M-Disk (Version 5.5 and up), you will probably never have
- trouble with any "boot sector" type virus.
-
- More trouble comes with the "link virus" type, which is not recognised by
- M-Disk. A link virus links itself to any program, therefore it can never be
- found in the boot sector. It comes to your system along with some new program
- and as time goes by infects all of your programs. Whenever you start one of
- your programs now, you activate the virus.
-
- All virus programs reproduce themselves. But that's not all. There are some,
- that give funny messages on the screen, some that produce bombs from time to
- time, some destroy data on your floppy or hard disk, some destroy your monitor
- or floppy disk drive etc. So take care to eliminate every virus as soon as
- possible.
-
- There are also some special boot sector virus types that destroy everything
- they find in the boot sector (sometimes called anti-virus) and dummy boot sector
- programs (sometimes called virus protection programs). I don't like the concept
- of the anti-virus because it is just another virus and you never know what's
- going on in your floppy drive. I prefer a clean boot sector i. e. one that
- is filled up with zeroes after the first 30 Bytes of disk information.
-
- Care for executable boot sectors
- ================================
-
- Some disks (especially some games) have executable boot sectors. These sectors
- cannot be copied with M-Disk. Use other Programs to copy those disks.
- M-Disk will warn you whenever it detects an executable boot sector
- because this could also be a virus.
-
- Copy protected disks
- ====================
-
- M-Disk cannot copy copy-protected software.
-
- Recognise disk changes !
- ========================
-
- When making backups of your data disk with normal disk copy programs
- the boot sector is copied as it is. This results in two 100% identical disks.
- The problem now is that the serial number of these two disks is the same.
- TOS uses this serial number to detect disk changes.
-
- So if you now swap between these two disks TOS does not notice any disk change
- and you may get strange results i. e. lots of garbage on your disk. This
- may go up to complete data loss.
-
- With M-Disk copy this won't happen since every disk gets a new serial number
- and so TOS will recognise every disk change correctly.
-
- CLEAR_M.PRG
- ===========
-
- Old TOS Versions (pre 1987) don't clear the _drvbits system variable on reset
- time. For proper work with M-Disk, those Systems should have CLEAR_M.PRG
- in the AUTO folder of the boot disk. TOS Versions of 1987 and later do not
- need this.
-
- WARNING:
- ========
-
- TurboDos had Problems with older M-Disk Versions. Versions >= 3.1 were
- not tested with TurboDos but it may eventually work together.
- (TurboDos is very buggy so you shouldn't use it anyway.)
-
- There's no need to use M-Disk with TurboDos. Use FATSPEED and you will get
- TurboDos speed without TurboDos. Since M-Disk Version 5.5 FATSPEED is no
- longer included in this distribution. You can get it from various sources,
- but you should better get the TOS 1.4 ROMs of April 6, 1989 (Rainbow TOS)
- into your computer.
-
- Be sure to always use POOLFIX3.PRG with TOS 1.4 and TOS 1.6 (STE TOS).
- This program fixes (or at least tries to fix) the 40-folder bug, that was
- fixed and simultaneously re-introduced in TOS 1.4.
-
- Disclaimer:
- ===========
-
- WARNING: I'm using this program every day but I do not make any warranty
- with respect to this documentation and the program it describes.
- I disclaim any implicit/explicit suggestions of usefulness for any
- particular purpose. I will not be responsible for any damages or
- data lossage caused by using this program. If you want to use it
- use it at your own risk.
-
- This Program may be used and distributed freely as long as the program is
- left unchanged and this documentation goes unchanged with it.
- It may not be sold.
-
- M-Disk was compiled with the new Lattice C 5.06.01 with a few Assembler
- subroutines.
-
- For the rare case, that anybody wants to send me a little donation, here's
- the place where you can put it: Account No. '2197 04-507' at the
- 'Postgiroamt Koeln', 'BLZ 370 100 50' (Germany).
-
- Christoph Strunk
- Wartburgstr. 10
- W-4630 Bochum 7
- (Federal Republic of Germany)
-
-
- P.S.: The answer to above exercise is: You will never see it.
-
- - End of Document -
-