#A1200 HD & Denise modes
5 messages in this thread
Two questions:
1) I've just got a HD for my son's A1200. I presume that when I open the
thing I'll find that no cable is needed and that I can just slide it into
place. Is it that simple?
2) I also have an A2500 that has 1MB of chip and runs 1.3. If I get the
upgrade ROM and bump up its OS, will its Denise give me any 31K scan
rates?
Thanks for replies,
Malcolm
No, installing a hard drive into an A1200 is not that simple. You will need a
standard ribbon cable for installing a 2.5-Inch IDE hard drive. Whoever sold
you the drive should have the cable, and make sure you have a 2.5-Inch drive,
not 3.5-Inch. You'll also need four small screws to hold the drive on its
mounting bracket. Once you install the drive, you will need some hard drive
partitioning utilities. This allows the system to recognize the drive. Most
A1200s did not come with this software, but most A4000s did, so if you've got a
friend with a 4000, borrow the utilities. There are some utilities in the
libraries also if you feel like looking. Once partitioned and recognized by
the system, all you do is format it and you're all set.
On the A2500, if you upgrade to version 3.1 and if you have a Super-Denise, it
very well looks like you can run in the same DoubleNTSC and DoublePAL modes
that AGA machines can use, although you'll be limited to 4-color screens. I
haven't tried this on my A3000 (already with a de-interlacer), but that's what
the manual says.
Regards, Keith.
Keith,
I thought HDToolbox was part of 3.0. Wouldn't that be in the 1200's Tools
drawer? I didn't think they made special OS disks for the 1200.
DJ
On AP from Queens, the thrill and excitement of the Big Apple
Where the ice cream truck plays Helter Skelter …
Any A1200 that didn't come with a pre-installed hard drive also did not come
with the diskette that contains the HDToolBox to my knowledge. Commodore
offered the diskette at a later date as part of a hard drive installation kit,
along with the screws and cable that I already mentioned. Browse through your
diskettes and see if you can find any HD utilities. If you do, great! Chances
are probably that you won't though, and you'll need to locate some type of
utility.
Regards, Keith.
Keith,
I ran into the same troubles looking for the screws to mount the 2.5" HD.
However, I did find a Radio Shack screw pak that does the job. Archer "PC
Board Standoffs (4)" Catalog No. 276-195A. 8 screws and 4 standoffs come in
the pak. Cost is $1 or $2 per pak. Hope this helps.
Regards,
John Chang