[Color Computer] [Coco]Re: Transfer utilities

[George Ramsower]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phill Harvey-Smith"
>
> Can't help with the specifics of the retrieve command, however I think
> you may have problems using this directly under Windows XP (or NT & 2000
>  for that matter). I believe the problem is partly that the XP floppy
> driver only supports 512 bytes/sector, where CoCo and Dragon both use
> 256 bytes/sector.
>
> There is a possible way out if you make a boot floppy and boot from that
>  you may be able to get your transfer program working.
>
> Hope that helps.
>
> Phill.

The problem I ran into with this idea was that the NTFS file system used by 
XP on the hard drive is not compatible with the older OSs. I can boot an 
older OS from a floppy, but the hard drive is inaccessible because of the 
NTFS. The files saved on the NTFS system are unavailable to the older OS 
such as 3.1, W95 and W98. There isn't enough room on a floppy to do all 
which is necessary to do the task.

 When I was trying to get Nitros9 to my coco, I tried all suggestons and 
ideas. All failed because there just isn't enough room on a single floppy 
disk to hold all the data. I finally put an old hard drive into my backup 
computer and loaded W-95 into it. Then I did the "Sneaker Net" to transfer 
files from one computer to the other(the floppies are compatible).  Then I 
could get Nitros9 onto a floppy to boot the coco. That machine is an HP and 
to swap a hard drive is like doing heart surgery.
 I'm not going to go through all that again. It seems if a person has the 
latest, greatest from MS, he cannot use all the tools available to a coco 
enthusiast.
 This is sad.

 It also seems that all the hard work folks have done to use a Doze box to 
enhance the "CoCo experience" is being lost as the newer MS operating sytems 
are released.
 In order for me to use the emulator to is fullest extent, I need a dual 
boot hard drive, a "Sneaker Net" and time. The drive I have on this box is 
not large enough to do all which needs to be done, for a 512K coco.

 I think Robert was right. I will need to move my SYS/Config directory, the 
files necessary from the CMDS directory and the scripts to make make it 
work.. to this box, and generate a new boot within MESS to get a bootable 
dsk. Lots of downloads and configuring.

 Again, this is sad. Lots of work to transfer all that, to this box to 
create a boot disk, when I already have a physical floppy that would 
work..... IF I could use it in MESS.

 I'm not bitchin' !

  I didn't have it before and I don't have it now. So I've lost nothing, 
except the time to find all this out.
  I only wish I could make this happen without many hours of work and many 
hours (or days) of waiting for help from this listserver.

  If  those of you who know how to solve my problems would just sit at your 
computer, wait for my queries and reply instantly, my problems would be 
solved in short order.

 "Dream a little dream for me"

 Dangit!

 I LOVE this listserver. I hope it lasts as long as ....

 Me.... or my cocos... whichever dies first.

 I understand my coco.
 I use my XP bos.

George



George