Floppy Boot on 800XL vs 400

[pmazza]

I have pulled out the Atari 400 with Intec 64K upgrade my family got in 1982. It runs ok, but the memory upgrade is flaky at times so I picked up a cheap 800XL. Everything checks out ok on the 800XL self tests. The floppy drive I have is a standard 1050.

 

In addition to carts and games on original media I have a bunch of floppies that have game binaries and load a menu on boot. Most of the menus are very basic and look something like this:

 

00 - One on One 01 - Pitstop 2 02 - Dimension X

?

 

Typing the 2 digit code loads the game. I do not see any file or program that corresponds to these menus however, a file list only shows the program binaries

 

One disk has a more elaborate menu with an Atari graphic at the top and program listing below with codes. This particular disk shows an 'AUTORUN.SYS' file on it.

 

All of the games load and play fine on the 400. The 400 also runs the programs if you just boot to DOS and load the binary without the menus.

 

Here is my issue: The 800XL runs the carts and games on original media. However it will not recognize any of the menus I described above. It acts like it is loading from the floppy, but usually just cycles the drive off and on with a blank blue screen. If I boot to DOS (bypass built in BASIC) it will load a few of the smaller game binaries. A larger game like One on One will load, but ends up with a graphics screen full of garbled ASCII characters and color blocks. The disk with AUTORUN loads something but just ends in a blue screen with a single character white block in the upper left.

 

Is there a method or utilities I can use to determine how these floppy disks autorun the menus and if they are incompatible for some reason with the 800XL. Should I be looking to just pull off the executables to new media? Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

 

Phil

[Bryan]

You do know that holding OPTION while turning on the 800XL disables BASIC right? The 400 had BASIC on cartridge, but it's built-in on the 800XL and must be disabled for most games to work.

 

If your game menu software is incompatible with the XL OS, then you need a Translator disk to make them work.

[pmazza]

Thanks for the reply. I am aware of the OPTION key disabling BASIC and that is how I am booting with these floppies.

 

I'll try a translator, it just does not make sense to me why that would be required. None of the games are on the 400/800 only list, but as these disks are 20+ years old, I have forgotten how we created them in the first place.

 

Phil

[walter_J64bit]

I have pulled out the Atari 400 with Intec 64K upgrade

 

WoW, what can you do with a 64k Atari 400? I know that XL/XE program won't run on it If any thing you use a XL RAMDISK

[+bf2k+]

I do remember way back in the dark ages that there were certain menus out there that were NOT xl compatible. Also, some of the menus reside in the 1st three sectors of the disk and do not show up in the DOS menu.

Edited December 2, 2007 by bf2k+

[Bryan]

I do remember way back in the dark ages that there were certain menus out there that were NOT xl compatible. Also, some of the menus reside in the 1st three sectors of the disk and do not show up in the DOS menu.

I think that's the problem. The menu program is doing something that messes up the XL's.

[+bf2k+]

I do remember way back in the dark ages that there were certain menus out there that were NOT xl compatible. Also, some of the menus reside in the 1st three sectors of the disk and do not show up in the DOS menu.

I think that's the problem. The menu program is doing something that messes up the XL's.

 

 

Well... the translator should fix that.

[pmazza]

I appreciate the responses, working on the translator disk now.

 

Phil

[Roydea6]

Hi,

Diskette density can cause some floppies to fail boot. Make sure your drive and DOS can boot and read SD, ED, and DD floppies. Also some game disks are basic programs that require Basic be loaded usually driven by Autorun.sys