IBM-DOS-Disk
8 messages in this thread
Don and Don,
Thanks to both of you for the reply. I should have made it a little clearer
on what i have. It's called PC-Task, and it comes up on the screen as an IBM
and says "Insert bootable DOS disk in drive". The docks say that i can use it
to run IBM-DOS programs. Is there a way to use Cross-DOS to make a IBM system
disk to boot from. I don't have access to an IBM at all. I do have several old
programs for the IBM, some on low density disks, some on high density. I guess
i need to buy an high density drive, but how do i hook it up to my Amiga 500.
Also, if i download an IBM program from Compuserve, can i transfer it from my
hard drive to my PC disks and then use them with PC-Task?
Thanks again for the help…:>)
—Stephen—
===On Auto Pilot 1.77 With Intel "All over my desk"===
Cross-DOS is an Amiga program to let your Amiga read and write IBM formatted
disk. It is not an IBM operating system. That is what you need. Without access
to an IBM machine your only choice is to buy MS-DOS. the trick is to find it on
the 720K floppies. If you can get this, I can tell you how to make a boot disk.
On the HD floppy issue, there are some hardware hacks in the lib's for
installing one (I am going to try this very shortly on my A1000). Next, you can
probably run the downloaded IBM program if PC-Task can recognize your Amiga
harddrive and find the program. Before you get to far along with this, and I
don't know if you just want to run a few IBM programs or a lot, just remember
your A500 is not an IBM PC. It will only be able to run the oldest IBM
programs, some of which are worse than what a C64 could do. It takes a lot of
horsepower for any computer to emulate another, which is why if you want to run
IBM programs, get an IBM or a REALLY FAST Amiga. If you just need to get one or
two programs to work, that's a different matter.
Don, Guess what…I called the private university here in town, Yea, a
university in a town of 1900 people, and they told me to come on over and use
their computer lab to make all the system disks i wanted. Sooo, thats what i
did. I have got Cross-Dos to boot up and run my old programs. My 500 is almost
a 2000 anyway. I am running at 28mhz so it's not to slow, in fact, many on
these programs i have were written in an old 8086 cpu back when i was in
school. Now i'm not saying that it didn't take quite a while to remember some
of those MS-Dos commands, but i was successful.:>)
The only problem i still have is getting PC-Task to use my harddrive. It has a
setting to setup a 2meg file on it to use for IBM programs, but when i try to
c: at the a: it says "invalid drive". If you have any idea on that one, please
let me know.
Thank's for your help…
—Stephen—
===On Auto Pilot 1.77 With Intel "All over my desk"===
I'm not exactly positive, but I think you need to re-partition your hard drive
and leave an empty partition for the IBM C: drive. I have CrossPC (= PC-Task)
which comes with CrossDos V5.0 (purchased separately from the Amiga OS). It
mentions you can edit the ToolType for CrossPC and have it boot from the MS-DOS
partition on your hard drive. It mentions using the DOS FDISK command to set up
a primary MS-DOS partition and using FORMAT C: /s /v to format it, make it
bootable, and let you name it. WARNING! These commands are very dangerous. If
you don't know what you are doing you might end up with an entire MS-DOS
bootable hard disk with nothing else on it-not very useful to an Amiga
Computer. First off, you will probably need to re-partition (with AmigaDos)
your hard disk to make room for an MS-DOS partition. Once you dodge that
bullet, you should be able to use the MS-DOS command FDISK (while in PC-Task)
to set it as the primary partition (to MS-DOS), then format it as stated above
to make it bootable. I am not sure if PC-Task has a tooltype to edit like Cross
PC, but if it does, you can change this (don't ask me how-the manual doesn't
bother to tell what to edit it to) and your Amiga should boot from the MS-DOS
C: drive partition :). Good luck and be CAREFUL.
Thank's…I plan on being very carefull when it comes to my one and only hard
drive. Thank you for the info…:>)
—Stephen—
===On Auto Pilot 1.77 With Intel "All over my desk"===
What you need at this point is MS-DOS. You have the emulator, but not the DOS,
and until you have a DOS bootable disk you can't get started. Cross-DOS won't
do it — it doesn't include MS-DOS, it's just a program that allows the Amiga
to recognize IBM disks. It's actually a little tough to get MS-DOS if you don't
have access to an IBM computer. I don't think MS-DOS is usually sold
directly–it's included with computers. You can't usually buy it in a
store–the versions available are generally upgrades, and you have to own it
already to upgrade it. You also need to get it on a 720K disk so PC-Task will
boot from your drive.
Marion Deland
CROSSINGS – Newsletter for Amiga/PC/Mac compatibility
Thank's…I went to the university here in town yesterday an got a copy. All is
well now except that i cannot get PC-Task to access my hard drive. It sets up
the 2 meg file ok but when i try to go to c: drive it comes back with an "drive
not available" error…:^|
—Stephen—
===On Auto Pilot 1.77 With Intel "All over my desk"===
Stephen,
My only valid reply to you at this point is to *BUY* a legal copy of
MS-DOS.
Yes, I read your messages to others and see you have copied it from the
local university. I can only add that that route is illegal.
Don