PowerCopy Pro

[Hewitson]

Wow.. I haven't thought of that software for at least 20 years.

[kipper2k]

Does anyone have the dongle for powercopy, i'm interested to see what it looks like?

[mr.vince]

Originally Posted by Codetapper

Unless you have hardware, I can't see how RNWarp can write back a working copylock as it can't physically slow down the motor on your floppy drive. A copylock times a "slow" sector and it must be ~15% slower than the rest to pass the copylock check. (Assuming the check has been implemented correctly!)

I think the trick is not to replicate a Copylock. I bet someone has found a way to obfuscate data in such a way that the effect is the same. A standard Amiga (68k, 7Mhz) is (afaik) not capable of reading the exact original signature, but the effect (being "slower" to read).

So to make a genuine copy with the original protection in place you need full control over bitcell width, which is locked to basically 2us or 4us on the Amiga. There's no way around that unless you change disk drive motor speed. In such scenario you of course run into trouble for fast changes of cell length (=changing speed of drive as well which won't work as drives were made for good constant speed; PWM could help but never worked very well on Cyclone). Changing drive speed beyond factor X will also mean you are using a too strong or too weak magnetic field. This is theory. Works to some extent practically, but I would not want to rely on such copy. You end up using HD disks sooner or later to cope with things like missing precomping for shifted copies (with a hardware).

It could be that the Powercopy hardware dongle has some supporting circuit built into it. Might actually attach it and make a copy and see what shows up when making a dump with KryoFlux.

Originally Posted by kipper2k

Does anyone have the dongle for powercopy, i'm interested to see what it looks like?

Yes. Long brick, like a Cyclone, but longer. Encasing is made of metal... And no signs of a way to open it up. I think I also remember someone saying the ICs had their surface etched to remove markings. You'll end up with GALs that have the protection fuse set, so you need some skills to look into this.

I am actually thinking about parting with mine as I regard it obsolete tech. Might end up in the marketplace.

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by Don_Adan

Maybe you can try to put Ferox code inside Powercopy for write RNC copylocks too?

This would be very hard (let's say impossible) to do. StingRay would have to modify PowerCopy without having sources, hints, etc.

Some years ago I found copier for Dragon's Lair original disks (longtracks if I remember right), due I don't have original disks I can't check this copier, but it slowdown Amiga drive for longtracks writing. Maybe it was called Marauder II, but I'm not sure.

REALLY? I have a very vague memory of it, but I thought it was a fake (copying DL without hardware like Cyclone etc.)...
Do you know where can I find that version of Marauder II which is able to do that? I have Dragon's Lair original, I can test it.

[Retro1234]

Has anyone had any luck with RNWarp ive tried copying a few games then writing copylock with RNWarp with no luck - what are some games know to work?

[dlfrsilver]

RNWARP => not working when writing without drive motor control.....

Powercopy NEEDS the dongle to process the RNC track correctly

Well if i post pics of the pcb board inside it would it help some people ?

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

Here are the titles where the RNC track is not recognized :

Chase HQ

Didn't find any protected version of that game.

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

Fighter Bomber

Copylock track is detected correctly.

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

Push Over

Copylock track is detected correctly.

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by StingRay

Didn't find any protected version of that game.

Chase HQ use a copylock, RNwarp is unable to detect it.

fighter Bomber, Copylock track is not detected.

I tried my original copy of push over, Copylock track is not detected correctly.[/quote]

[marty]

Chase HQ, IPF 0212 contains a RNC track & routine

[dlfrsilver]

None of those titles are detected with my originals when using RNWARP

RNWARP read nameofthegame.rob unit 0 track 1

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

fighter Bomber, Copylock track is not detected.

SPS 1134: Copylock track detected correctly.
SPS 1135: No copylock used.

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

I tried my original copy of push over, Copylock track is not detected correctly.

SPS 1267: Copylock track detected correctly.
SPS 1268: Copylock track detected correctly.

Originally Posted by marty

Chase HQ, IPF 0212 contains a RNC track & routine

True indeed, thanks.

[Galahad/FLT]

Try F-29 Retaliator.

[dlfrsilver]

Ok i'll check it tonight.

PS : My push over is version SPS 1268. is the copylock present on disk 1 or disk 2 ?

[marty]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

Ok i'll check it tonight.

PS : My push over is version SPS 1268. is the copylock present on disk 1 or disk 2 ?

Disk 2

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

Try F-29 Retaliator.

Copylock track not detected.

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

PS : My push over is version SPS 1268. is the copylock present on disk 1 or disk 2 ?

Disk 2.

[Don_Adan]

Originally Posted by Supamax

This would be very hard (let's say impossible) to do. StingRay would have to modify PowerCopy without having sources, hints, etc.

I have RNCWarp v1.0c by Ferox source code, but perhaps StingRay has these sources too.

Originally Posted by Supamax

REALLY? I have a very vague memory of it, but I thought it was a fake (copying DL without hardware like Cyclone etc.)...
Do you know where can I find that version of Marauder II which is able to do that? I have Dragon's Lair original, I can test it.

You must have "Marauder II" for slowdown drive, and "ACU Copier" for Dragon's Lair disks copy. Perhaps I have both programs somewhere on my CD/HD or DAT, but better try to search TOSEC collection (mostly compilations) for these programs.

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by StingRay

Copylock track not detected.

Didn't think it would

I think its a modified track by Turbo Slug/Quartex, who had a part in coding the game.

Pity the implementation of the Copylock in the game was so monumentally useless that no-one thought the game was unprotected!

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by Don_Adan

I have RNCWarp v1.0c by Ferox source code, but perhaps StingRay has these sources too.

But he would need PowerCopy Pro sources... and they are not available (the author denied their distribution)

You must have "Marauder II" for slowdown drive

Do you mean Marauder II is able to slowdown the drive by software? Cool!!!!
(I suppose it uses some sort of software PWM)

"ACU Copier" for Dragon's Lair disks copy

You're right, I remember seeing it on one of my utility compilation floppies...

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

Pity the implementation of the Copylock in the game was so monumentally useless that no-one thought the game was unprotected!

I don't understand: are you meaning that the game is "unprotected"? (Meaning that it has the RNC track but doesn't make use of it? So that a copy without that track will work anyway?)

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by Supamax

But he would need PowerCopy Pro sources... and they are not available (the author denied their distribution)



Do you mean Marauder II is able to slowdown the drive by software? Cool!!!!
(I suppose it uses some sort of software PWM)


You're right, I remember seeing it on one of my utility compilation floppies...



I don't understand: are you meaning that the game is "unprotected"? (Meaning that it has the RNC track but doesn't make use of it? So that a copy without that track will work anyway?)

No. F-29 Retaliator IS Copylock protected, but the format of the Copylock track itself is different to the usual Copylock.

for instance, in every usual circumstance, if you try to copy Copylock, it will show up as an error.

The F-29 Retaliator Copylock doesn't show up at all when copying the original, it appears as a normal dos track.

I suspect its a variant of the Anco protection track which if memory serves was designed by Rob Northen anyway.

I guess the intention was that if any would be crackers checked the disk, they would see no protection track and then simply release as is, but the Copylock routine is still obvious in the gamecode, so they really rather wasted their time.

[dlfrsilver]

what is the track format then ? what does it do as not regular RNC track ?