Fixing an ADF DOS contents

[sTe]

Looking for some ideas / thoughts.

I have a disk I have backed up to ADF.
It has some bad blocks ... which im willing to live with, as I intend to fix the contents with minimal changes.

One of the files wont open, due to the bad block.
I have found the file on another collection disk.

I have managed to open both files in a hex editor and the contents seem to match. The file size is the exact same size and has been crunched ... so Im certain these two files are exactly the same.

My problem disk, this specific file is fragmented ... so opening the ADF in a hex editor on the PC and pasting the Hex file from the working file isnt possible.

I thought about using a hex editor on the Amiga ... I tried ZAP ... as soon as I skip a few pages, the bad block reports to the OS a read/write error and stops me from doing anything.

I have tried disksalv... that didnt help.

I am looking for a way to overwrite all the contents of the file, so that it overwrites all the blocks on the fragmented file. I don't want to create a new ADF and manually copy good contents from all the files I can access ... I want to try and retain everything as it was originally created ... with the same bytes in the same places as the old ADF file I have.

I tried using windows subsystem for linux, to try and mount the ADF ... but I think WSL isnt able to do it... I was hoping to then access the mount / specific file with a hex editor ... but I couldn't get the ADF to mount.

My laptop isnt powerful to run a VM of unbuntu.

Looking for any ideas anyone might have...

[chip]

I can't help you directly, since sincerely i don't know

But you could ask to TOSEC members "mai" and "Crashdisk"

I really think they fix disks for the TOSEC project

Good luck

[ross]

First idea that come to my mind.
Use an utility to fill up all the sectors in the BAM (so the disk is now with 0 bytes free).
Delete the corrupted file, insert the right, reapply the old BAM.

Done

[Steffest]

Ok, I'm intrigued ...
I wrote some ADF parsing utilities.
One of them is http://www.stef.be/adfviewer/ (no download, the website is the tool)
You can drag/drop your own ADF files on the "Drop your .adf files here" box.
It disregards all checksums and "bad blocks" so you won't get any warnings about that.
You can browse the disk, extract/upload files, read files as hex, read sector as hex ...
Currently you can not WRITE raw blocks as hex, but this might be a good reas on for me to add that feature ....

Feel free to send me the ADF so I can have a look.
Or if you want I could add the feature that can can paste the hex content of the file into the edit box and write it back so you can fix it yourself.

[sTe]

Thanks for everyone who has had a think about this one.

Steffest, I've sent a private message to you.

It would be awesome if it would be possible to add this as a feature for all.
I am sure others may have the chances to inject a fix file over the same exact bytes. It might be worth warning/aborting if the sizes of the two files dont match ... and would be nice if it compared the two files ... confirmed if they have some partial match in regards to the contents before overwriting and then at the end reporting how many bytes was written, that actually fixed the file.

Regards

Stephen

No rush, and thanks for replying.

[mai]

i could try to help, but guess, you have to upload your very secret ADF!

[sTe]

Hi mai,

I've sent you a link if you want to give it a look.
Nothing secret or special about the disk... just didnt want to publicly share it until the file was fixed (if it was possible to find the exe to fix the one file).

No rush ... that physical disk has been like that for 20 years? So only recently got imaged via an Armiga a few years ago.

[mai]

fixed , have sent pm.

[sTe]

Many thanks. I will upload to the FTP site this weekend -- with some other ADFs.
As I said the ADF is nothing special ... but it might mean something to someone out there.

Thank you everyone.

[mai]

Originally Posted by sTe

I will upload to the FTP site this weekend -- with some other ADFs.

Great!

[DamienD]

So what is this disk?

Was a 100% working copy not already in TOSEC?

[sTe]

Hi DamienD,

As far as I checked the ADF isnt in TOSEC.
Its some guys demo compilation DOS disk... when it boots its called "Neil Presents: Some Demos!".
It has :
Rebels Coma Demo
Trilogy Mini-Intro
Animates Demo
Miracle Party Invite
OZ Demo
Anarchy Demo
Armada Demo

I've uploaded to the well know FTP site, its in the uploads/sTe folder if you want to take a look. Ill be uploading a few other ADFs this weekend.

Cheers

[Steffest]

Originally Posted by mai

fixed , have sent pm.

Faster than his (and my) shadow! :-)
Nice one Mai!

[Retro1234]

Disk Doctor

[mai]

Originally Posted by sTe

As far as I checked the ADF isnt in TOSEC.
Its some guys demo compilation DOS disk... when it boots its called "Neil Presents: Some Demos!".

Indeed, the disk is not in TOSEC, completely unknown, no similarity to any known TOSEC disk!
Anyway, i have to ask:
Do you know, if those "Neil" was an independent guy, or was he a demo scener?
the disk name is "M.FIELDS-COSY", but has probably nothing to do with those "Neil", i suppose!?

[sTe]

Steffest ... still interested if you create a paste bytes fix ... no rush though. If I can fix it myself, Id like to give it a chance (if future ADFs I have come with problems).

Retro1234... I assume your calling mai a disk doctor ... I cant argue with you there If only workbench disk doctor would work.

mai : I'm not sure who Neil is ... I saw the same when I looked at the disk label ... I was unsure how to label it myself... I went with the only information I had was that from the menu loader. I dont mind it being re-named to whatever best fits / and fits with the TOSEC naming convention.

Just as a side note, I have now uploaded the rest of what I've imaged / scanned... I think 45 more disks... a few duplicates, some not in TOSEC... feel free to use / delete / use for spare parts on other disks etc. These disks will now go to a landfill

I do have some more disks ive imaged ... just needs some work on them before I pass them over.

[chip]

Hi Ste

Thanks for the first disks

Can you please inform us when Batch 2 of your disks will be ready ?

Regards, chip

[sTe]

The last lot aren't as interesting ... I will upload as and when I can.
I think these are only worthy of being used for spare bits or if they can fix any thing else.

Ill let you all know once i've done with these last few... but I cant say when exactly.

maik has been a great help with the fixes I've requested. Big thanks for the help.

[Retro1234]

Originally Posted by sTe

If only workbench disk doctor would work.

[sTe]

Bath 2 now uploaded. Some bad ADF files that need fixing / using for spare parts... but they are out there now. Just to note there are a bunch of good disks there too

I am looking at the last bunch of files ... might upload these as "spares" ... to be used for spare parts, dont think there is anything interesting in these ... but will upload the last batch tomorrow.

Cheers