Amiga Format - Coverdisk hunt

[prowler]

Originally Posted by dirkies

as I am the author of DiskSqueeze, I may be of help investigating why some files will not unpack correctly.

Hi dirkies,

There were some DiskSqueeze archives on the EAB File Server which were supposedly Amiga Format Subscriber disks 81-87. They are no longer there, but I could upload an archive containing them to the Zone for you.

The files were rejected as DiskSqueeze archives by the DiskSqueeze program, but I managed to unpack them with the LZX command line tool, but the resulting files were still not accepted as DiskSqueeze archives.

The original files have an LZX header and the unpacked files have a PKD header. Following the header, the unpacked files look very ADF-like in their structure, but they are not valid disk images and they are not the correct size either (some are larger, some are smaller).

I can upload another archive containing the unpacked files if you are interested.

Thanks.

Edit: AF132 ADFs in the Zone, TCD!

[TCD]

And added to the file server
Gonna do 131 as well now and then call it a night

Edit : AF 131 coverdisks plus some others that are only available in dms format in the zone now prowler

[prowler]

Various Amiga Format ADFs in the Zone for you now, TCD!

Goodnight, mate!

[TCD]

Thanks a lot prowler for converting them Added the lot now and more for you tomorrow mate
Oh and here as well now

Edit : I got some more stuff for you prowler When you get back, just let me know.

Edit 2 : The CD for issue 122 (#38) doesn't contain a DMS for the first disk. Just the data as folders, with some special Amiga formatted names for ShapeShifter.

Edit 3 : After checking 120 and 121, I'm pretty sure that the first one that included the coverdisks in DMS format was 122 (and that only for the second one).

[prowler]

Hi TCD,

I've just downloaded the archive from the Zone, thanks. I'll convert them for you shortly.

Those DiskSqueeze archives on the server were basically sound, but they had broken headers so wouldn't extract. I'll soon be be posting a question for dirkies about the header format to allow me to fix similar archives in future, but I'll unpack your ADF images first.

[TCD]

Cheers prowler That will reduce the MIA list quite a bit. Seems like the last ones are rather hard to come by, as those are all within the 'CD/disk on cover' range.

[prowler]

Time to check the Zone again, TCD!

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Seems like the last ones are rather hard to come by, as those are all within the 'CD/disk on cover' range.

Hard, but not impossible. Someone must have them. Let us hope that as the MIA list gets smaller, the effort to find them becomes more determined!

[antonvaltaz]

Just a thought, I think Amiga Format actually included the coverdisks on the CDs, possibly as DMS files or maybe just folders, I can't remember. It should in theory be possible to manually create the floppy images from the CD ISOs.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by antonvaltaz

Just a thought, I think Amiga Format actually included the coverdisks on the CDs, possibly as DMS files or maybe just folders, I can't remember. It should in theory be possible to manually create the floppy images from the CD ISOs.

Those folders (which are the only thing that's available before issue 122) are incomplete. At least they lack the startup-sequence, but for example on issue 121 there are only 3 kb of data for the first disk. You can have a look yourself of course, as all cover CDs are available

@prowler
All added now

[antonvaltaz]

TCD,

Sorry, I've just realised I didn't read some of your previous posts properly, so my last post was irrelevant.

My bad!

[prowler]

Originally Posted by antonvaltaz

Just a thought, I think Amiga Format actually included the coverdisks on the CDs, possibly as DMS files or maybe just folders, I can't remember. It should in theory be possible to manually create the floppy images from the CD ISOs.

TCD has posted above that the first AFCD to include the coverdisks as DMS images was CD39 (Issue 123), and that was only for the second disk.

In other cases where the coverdisk files are included on the CD, they appear as a directory tree for each disk.

Although it would be possible to recreate the coverdisks from these files, it would not be easy for the reason that some of the files have had their default tools reassigned to point to those included on the CD.

Edit: Don't worry, antonvaltaz, your thoughts are not completely irrelevant. The only reason I realize the difficulties involved is because I have tried to use CD files in the past to repair corrupted coverdisks.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by prowler

TCD has posted above that the first AFCD to include the coverdisks as DMS images was CD39 (Issue 123), and that was only for the second disk.

Actually it's CD38 (Issue 122) Like I said, there could be some possibility to create disks from the folders on the CDs, but we can never be sure how complete those are, so I guess that's a no-go.

[ElectroBlaster]

I found my adf'd sub disks if they are of any use. They are numbered but I cannot be 100% sure if the numbers are accurate. I need to find the actual disks and then I can scan the labels:

04
50
50a
51
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

[TCD]

Thanks for having a look ElectroBlaster, but we got those already

[antonvaltaz]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

Thanks for having a look ElectroBlaster, but we got those already

Although I don't think AMR has scans for all of them? That would be useful (at least to me )

[TCD]

No idea You could check AMR and PM ElectroBlaster what's missing

[antonvaltaz]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

No idea You could check AMR and PM ElectroBlaster what's missing

I'll do that... at some point...

[ElectroBlaster]

I suspect my adf's are already in that collection but I never got around to scanning them... I will try and hunt them out and scan them at the weekend. We have a decent scanner aswell this time

[prowler]

Airey36 on eBay makes the following claim:
"I have several thousand magazine coverdisks in stock at 50p each saving you £1.50 per disk on recent listings. Let me know the disks you require to complete your collection."

Always on the lookout for a bargain, I have just sent him a PM requesting the coverdisks required to complete our AF collection.

[TCD]

Nice one prowler Fingers crossed that you get them