Some help / suggestions please

[skote]

Hello y'all,
I was rather pleased when I found this forum. I've been away from an Amiga for about 15 years and recently acquired the following by various super-cheap means and assembled it all:

A1200 built 1993 (3.00 ROM, 39.106)
Workbench 3.1 disks x 5 (Workbench, Extras, Fonts, Storage, Locale, but no Install disk)
Workbench and A1200 manuals
GVP Turbo+ card, 40Mhz 68030, 4MB RAM (the "Jaws" card)
Internal 540MB 2.5" IDE HDD
Cumana external FDD
Paralell printer cable
HP DeskJet 959c (a printer with a Centronics port!)
Laplink cable (both 9 and 23 pin connectors at both ends)
Wordworth including all disks and manuals
Deluxe Paint IV as above
A load of old coverdisks (coming from eBay next week!)



Basically, I was dead chuffed when I got hold it all and got it all working. Without the "Install" disk though I can't get my HDD working so I looked to the Internet for a freeware program. I found HDInstTool or whatever it is called on AmiNet (great site!) and with a bit more searching found a disk image to install my GVP accelerator, as the disk I got with it was knackered.

Next..... I MS-DOS formatted some FDDs I had lying around on my Amiga using CrossDOS and got ready to start some full-on retro copy action across from my PC, which by now is stuffed with all sorts of ADFs sourced from the Internet which I am keen to get going. This where my problems started. Firstly, my PC sucks 4n4l beard frankly. I bought an ECS RD480 motherboard a few years ago and it has been nothing but trouble (ATi chipset doesnt work properly with my ATi graphics card, frequent lockups, has killed 2 HDDs in 3 years and the list goes on.....) . I can't format 1.44MB FDDs on it (so I can't make an MS-DOS boot disk - read on!), but I can read them and move files to and from (fiddling with the BIOS, using another FDD drive and of course turning off my virus killer don't help - this IS a BIOS problem I think, or an XP one that I can't fix - and I have scoured the Internet for a decent answer and found none). I can't read 720K disks at all I have discovered (they work fine on my PC at work so I know they're OK - but I am not allowed to transfer files to and from my PC at work due to the nature of my work, and also I have very limited access to the Internet at work). Plus, most of my friends seem to have laptops these days and none of them have FDDs!

So...... I thought I'd find a COM port linkup bit of software to transfer files from PC to Amiga. Thanks to AmiNet (again) I found TwinExpress. I had a friend at hos work copy this onto one of my MS-DOS prepped 720K disks and got it working fine on my Amiga. I then tried to get it going on my PC. I got the

>>> Malfunctioning serial device: COM1 <<<

message time and again (yes I have read the forum inside and out last night!), even if I try to run it with limited memory and in Compatibility mode. I have checked my BIOS settings and Windows also tells me the COM port is working fine. I have tried to match the settings in Windows to those on my Amiga but that doesn't work either. Basically, I think I'm knackered with my current setup.

I have considered setting up WinUAE on my PC, but (under the same motherboard setup) the last time I tried to set it up my registry got corrupted and I ended up having to reinstall Windaaz (I remember when I was a 95 / 98 user - I used to reinstall the OS every 4 months as a matter of course because it was so flaky!) so I am reluctant to try again - plus it defeats the object of actually having an Amiga on my desk! And of course I can't make an ADF file of my Workbench disks on my Amiga yet - I have no software to do it and I can't read disks that I make on my PC so I can't use Workbench in WinUAE(and I can't download ADFs because Cloanto have copyright of Workbench don't they?!!? )

I now have a number of options I think:

1) Sell my Amiga and just don't bother - kind of defeats the object though!
2) Buy some Workbench install disks (I am skint, why'd you think I'm resurrecting an old gaming machine and I also find it offensive that such old media is still copyrighted, but I guess someone is still making a buck I suppose )
3) Swap the motherboard on my PC and try to get TwinExpress / my FDD working - it is clearly a piece of cr4p, but as I have already said I am skint.....
4) Use AmigaDOS to partition and format my hard disk as DF0: so I can at least get it working properly - however, I don't have an AmigaDOS manual (and am reluctant to spend any more money), and I can't find a decent list of commands, syntax or even a guide on the Internet (I have found literally dozens of broken links though - is the Amiga community slowly becoming extinct?)

Does anyone out there have a cost-effective or clever suggestion for me so I can get myself up and running? I am tearing my hair out here!

[coze]

connect your amiga hdd to your pc, install workbench and your drivers via winUAE.

get yourself a CF card and PCMCIA cf card adapter. That's the most trouble free way of transferring files between PC & Amiga.

You have to install cfd and fat95 to your amiga for it to work. Don't forget these while you're setting up your workbench. (both available via Aminet)

check classic WB setup, it's great for your setup (try one of the minimal versions).

[skote]

Hmm.... Don't I need a Kickstart ROM image to use WinUAE though? I thought these were no longer available for free download due to the Cloanto reason I mentioned....? Therefore I'd have to make one from my Amiga's ROM, which I can do, but I can't get anything onto my Amiga from my PC or vice versa by disk or cable as I already mentioned!
I could also get a reader as you sensibly suggest, but I'd then also have to buy an SD card as I don't have one. (this probably is the only way though, but unfortunately isn't going to be as cheap as I hoped) and I am then stuck in the "can't get stuff onto my Amiga by disk or serial cable" loop so I can't install CFD or FAT95....... or did I miss a trick somewhere?

[coze]

Yes you need the kickstart rom image. You can get it by *ahem* other *cough* means though.

an SD card won't set you back more than 10 quid or so (unless you go for 4gb ones, which totally unnecessary IMHO) a 256mb one will do the job nicely. Also be sure to get a 16 bit compatible PCMCIA adapter. SD card and CF card adapters work with cfd. MemoryStick don't work cause it's propriety Sony shite. CF is the safest bet.

[skote]

Hmm. I have taken the risk of installing WinUAE and it didn;t wreck my PC this time. Nice. I think the only way I am going to be able to reasonably do this is if I write a .hdf to a 2.5" disk and stick in my Amiga. Thanks for the help. I may yet be successful.....

[skote]

I got it all working now. I am dead impressed. But.... I have lots of questions. It's good you are all so helpful!

[cosmicfrog]

welcome back to the amiga fold skote, glad to hear you got your 1200 to boot
may your fun and enjoyment continue

[skote]

It's so old..... but so satisfying. Is that wrong?

[Andec]

Originally Posted by skote

It's so old..... but so satisfying. Is that wrong?

Nothing wrong with that. I learning asm for the C64.......

I am glad that you got it all sorted.