+Allan Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Never had a happy drive before. If you copy a copy-protected program with a happy drive, can you then copy it to an ATR and run it on an emulator, or can you only copy it to another physical disk? I have some copy-protected disks that were never converted to ATRs and want to do that. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 You could use Ape Pro for that, I don't think the Happy software was ever set up to make images although the Compactor sort of did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 I think the Happy just re-creates the copy protection on a new disk for you. Simple protection relies on sector 17 (for example) being unreadable. A stock Atari disk drive cannot make a sector unreadable, so you cannot copy the disk. The Happy can make 'bad' sectors. There are other tricks to copy-protect a disk - the Happy can duplicate them but you still can't move them to an .ATR. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Larry Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 A 1050 Happy Drive can also be used to make a limited number of .ATX files in the VAPI system. Read about it at Atarimania. These could be used on a modified (IIRC) version of the Atari800WinPlus emulator. There were plans to be able to write these out to a Happy Drive, but the project stalled. As mentioned, APE ProSys makes copy-protected images using a regular 1050 drive and these can be loaded by APE. Works pretty well, but tough on old disks. The Happy Backup Program later used the "PDB" (pre-defined backup?) that allowed copying some really tough protection schemes. These were (IIRC) instructions to the drive to provide specific responses that mimic what a drive would produce if the disk actually had the copy protection on it. Slick idea, but not too many were actually issued. -Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted June 26, 2014 Author Share Posted June 26, 2014 So the only way to make most copy protected physical disks into atrs is to hack each program on a case by case basis by figuring out what each program uses for copy-protection and removing it? That is something I don't know a lot about. Maybe if I copy these with The Ape Prosys and have someone else edit out the copy protection? Thanks guys for your input. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+bob1200xl Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 What are you trying to convert? Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbking67 Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 You could use chipmunk to crack the games... The last versions had a pretty comprehensive set of cracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 What are you trying to convert? Bob It's an earth science program by Atari. http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-earth-science_25608.html I just got the disk with the manual and box which I will scan as well this weekend. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 The ATR format doesn't support copy protection methods - as mentioned the ATX format has some support there but whatever emulator in use needs to support it as well. If you have something that's protected and no cracked version exists then you might try a normal copy then upload the ATR here, someone could probably crack it fairly quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Allan Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 Thanks Rybags, That was what I was really trying to figure out. I didn't want to buy a happy board if it wasn't going to help me convert my disks into ATRs images. I would rather spend money getting more rare programs, manuals and books. I still need to get another sio2pc device since mine no longer works. My siotosd adapter isn't working either. When I get my iMac back from being fixed I will copy the disk and post it. Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Happy only useful for it's turbo and higher density modes and creating real copies of some protected disks. IIRC, many of the ATX images could actually be created using a stock drive - as all they need to do is replicate error states, missing or duplicated sectors and the like - the right software with a normal drive should be able to deduce many protection schemes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Jefferson Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 One good thing about making at ATX of the copy protected disk and is that we have a 100% original copy of the software with copy protection for preservation. You never know what's been done by a cracker (most often), nor whether the crack was 100% or not. I'd suggest you either get a happy drive yourself, or send the disk to someone who can make an ATX for you, and send to Atarimania for preservation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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