Error 144 when I copy a disk using a 1050 drive

[joelm]

First off, for those who aren't familiar with me, I am new to the Atari 800 but not to Atari consoles. I am a relative noob with these computers and so it is possible I am not understanding something with how DOS 2.5 works. At any rate, I am trying to make a copy of a commercial SSI game disk, so I don't have to risk the original. I use the "Duplicate Disk" command, I believe option "J", and I go through identifying the source and destination drive (I only have one drive so I use "1,1") and then it prompts me to insert the source disk. When I do this it hums along for about a minute then generates Error 144 and prompts me to return to the DOD menu. I looked Error 144 up and it seems it can mean that I am trying to write to a protected disk, etc., or there is an issue with drive speed. I'm not sure what to think about the error becuase I have copied other disks (included DOS) without issue. Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Perhaps a trick or two to get around it? Or should I just plan on using the original disk for gameplay and not worry about a backup copy? Thank you ahead of time for any help you can provide.

[Rybags]

It's probably a copy-protected disk.

 

Error 144 is pretty generic, covers all sorts of things:

Drive door open, no floppy present, write protected, sector not found, sector unwritable, sector bad CRC, sector unreadable, wrong track ID, and probably a few others.

 

Likely the game is available as a cracked version online but then you need a SIO2PC type interface to be able to transfer it from the PC.

[joelm]

Thanks for the fast reply, the thing is that the manual states "The program accompanying this Rule Book may be copied, by the original purchaser only, as necessary for use on the computer for which it was purchased". That makes it seem like there wouldn't be copy protection, or am I missing something? The game loads and works just fine so I don't suspect a bad track on the disk or anything, but maybe I am too optimistic. I didn't get my start in computers until the mid-1980s with Microsoft DOS on PCs and I only have very limited experience with C64s and Apple IIs (mostly just running software) so I am really behind the curve on these late 1970s-early 1980s computers and how they function.

[Rybags]

It's possible that the disk is bad still.

 

But DOS isn't good for many copying situations. Most games don't use a DOS file structure which means it usually won't copy them properly.

 

Better off using a copier that just does it by raw sector duplication.

[BillC]

Many of the SSI games images are available on Atarimania or other sites. I also recommend getting a device which will allow you to use ATR images instead of floppy, when using an ATR image you don't have to worry about the floppy failing because of age or being corrupted by a faulty drive.

[Mclaneinc]

Most likely its got a bad sector on it after all his time (I presume you are using real disks and real hard ie not emulated?)

 

Magnetic media tends to bit rot after a period of time depending on the way its stored.

[+bob1200xl]

What SSI disk is it?

 

Bob

[joelm]

What SSI disk is it?

 

Bob

Combat Leader.

 

I would like to stick with disks if possible but I guess I may need to start looking into more modern data storage solutions.

[russg]

First off, for those who aren't familiar with me, I am new to the Atari 800 but not to Atari consoles. I am a relative noob with these computers and so it is possible I am not understanding something with how DOS 2.5 works. At any rate, I am trying to make a copy of a commercial SSI game disk, so I don't have to risk the original. I use the "Duplicate Disk" command, I believe option "J", and I go through identifying the source and destination drive (I only have one drive so I use "1,1") and then it prompts me to insert the source disk. When I do this it hums along for about a minute then generates Error 144 and prompts me to return to the DOD menu. I looked Error 144 up and it seems it can mean that I am trying to write to a protected disk, etc., or there is an issue with drive speed. I'm not sure what to think about the error becuase I have copied other disks (included DOS) without issue. Does anyone else have thoughts on this? Perhaps a trick or two to get around it? Or should I just plan on using the original disk for gameplay and not worry about a backup copy? Thank you ahead of time for any help you can provide.

Already said, probably copy protected 'bad' sector(s). DOS 2.5 J isn't very informative as to what the problem is. A disk backup program would report what the error is and on what sector(s), like 'Disk Wizard II'. You have

to have a SIO2PC/APE interface to use a disk image (a .ATR file) on your PC. A APE or SIO2PC interface is very useful, frees up your real floppy. DWII isn't a copy protection defeating utility, for that you'd need

a special floppy drive. But you can already get a cracked one to run on a APE or SIO2PC adapter from ftppigwa.net or probably atarimania.net.

DISKWZD.zip

Edited May 31, 2014 by russg

[joelm]

I guess I will just deal with it for the time being, I really don't have the resources to invest in the system anymore for a month or so. I would have assumed, since it said in the manual that the purchaser was allowed to copy the program, that it would not have any form of copy protection. Perhaps a sector is bad on the disk somewhere and that is affecting it. Was there a cartridge or disk based program available like a disk utilities which could properly copy a disk but also inspect the disk for damage or bad sectors. I remember in the late 80s or early 90s being able to use Norton Disk Doctor on my PC to make "bad" disks and data usable again, was anything like that available for the Atari?

[Bryan]

I'm pretty sure anything from SSI is protected. Just about every Atari game had some form of copy protection and cannot be copied by DOS alone. Just because they're saying you have permission to make a backup doesn't mean they made it easy.

 

Buy a Happy 1050 upgrade if you want to be able to back up game disks directly. But, as others have stated, getting an SIO2PC cable and making disks from cracked disk images is probably the better bet.

[joelm]

I'll look into the SIO2PC cable then. Thank you all for your replies.

[Bryan]

Although you can make an SIO2PC on the cheap if you're handy, Atarimax has high-quality interfaces for sale. The PC software can be configured to appear as a 2nd drive on the Atari and then you just do a sector copy to a real disk (or you can boot the game directly from the PC).

 

http://www.atarimax.com/sio2pc/documentation/

[+bob1200xl]

I tried a working original disk. It does have bad sectors starting with sector 091 (first sector in track 6 - probably the whole track is 'bad'). The game does check for a bad sector, so you can't just ignore the bad sectors.

 

You need a 'cracked' version if you want to run a copy. You can back up the good sectors and use that data to make a new copy - not such a simple process.

 

Bob

[BillC]

I'll look into the SIO2PC cable then. Thank you all for your replies.

You can purchase complete SIO2PC devices from Atarimax(customized version to work with APE/Prosystem software), atari8warez(works with AspeQT), and other sources. If you want an inexpensive version the following board from eBay just requires 4 SIO signals connected. This post shows that it's small enough to mount inside an SIO hood if desired, though the header needs to be removed.

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 310510484589

[russg]

I'll look into the SIO2PC cable then. Thank you all for your replies.

You can buy one here from Atari8bitwarez. AtariMax USB one and APE software would set you back about $100, but is rock solid.

For about $10 in parts (a 14C82 chip, a resistor, a diode and a cap, and a SIO cable, and a serial PC cable, you can make your own. You have to have a serial port on your PC, which you can add to a PCI slot for about $13

on ebay. It is a little complicated, but not so hard if you can do a little soldering. Oh, and you'd need a small project board to put it on. You could then use ASPEQT free software, free last I knew, also from

Atari8bitwarez.

(I think these instructions are from Rick Cortese). (That's atari8warez, not atari8bitwarez)

SIO2PC.zip

Edited June 1, 2014 by russg