Amiga disk write protection

Overdoc · 18 October 2001, 01:10

There is something I wanted to know for ages, something I never really found out since I got my A-500 about 10 years ago:

Is it possible ( with softwre only ! ) to write to a write protected disk ( hole visible ) ?

I just would like to know this because my method for protecting disks against all kinds of virus always was to write-protect them. I wonder if this actually helped or if there was some workaround ?

Thanks to anyone who can clear this up for me

Codetapper · 18 October 2001, 01:36

As far as I know, nobody has ever managed to write to a write protected disk unless the little pin in the disk drive which tests for write protection is broken. However that normally causes things to work the other way reporting that the disk is write protected when it isn't!

There is certainly no CIA bits you can set to tell the drive to ignore the write protection tab and write anyway!

You would think if someone had done it they would have bragged about how they did it, so I am 99.999% certain it's impossible.

RetroMan · 18 October 2001, 10:19

Quote:

Originally posted by s4murai
I could always copy my write-protected disks with X-Copy...

but you cannot write ONTO a write protected disk

Big-Byte · 19 October 2001, 16:31

I remember way back there used to be a program which could
'play' music using your disk drive by moving (grinding?) the stepper motor.

Cant remember what the tune was though..

Anyone else remember this?

Steve · 19 October 2001, 16:48

Was that on the C64?

Tim Janssen · 19 October 2001, 17:03

Big-Byte,
I think you refer to a demo called Sinus Wave. It featured a track where the drive-LED constantly flashed with the beat. The demo featured only one section which had some boring scrolling and a flashy logo of some demo-group.

Amiga1992 · 19 October 2001, 18:25

NO, no, there WAS a program that made 'music' with you drive's motor. Geez, that must kill drives.

Anyway methinks the tune was 'El Condor Pasa'.

There was also a C64 program that made a similar thing.

RetroMan · 19 October 2001, 20:16

Yep, the tune on Amiga Disk Drive was 'El Condor Pasa' but there were a few others .... anyway, on C64 the was a tune that only worked on 1541, not on any other and that was 'La Cucaracha' but you can only play once, afterwards the floppy drive was dead ......

Tim Janssen · 22 October 2001, 09:36

I was wrong with the Sinus Wave demo. This is not the one I am referring to. The demo with the flashing drive LED can be found on a demo compilation disc called Chipbusters 4. It featured 'Follow me' by RSI, 'Vectors again', 'Sinus wave' and the unknown LED-demo. The name is on the tip of my tongue.. how frustrating!

Wow, I have never heard the story about 'La Cucaracha' which could destroy your C64 discdrive.
I know another demo on the C64 called Dutch Breeze where a naked women appeared on-screen who said 'Finger to continue'. You had to unplug the joystick and scrub your fingers on the joystick-port. Then the demo happily went on..

22 October 2001, 09:51

Quote:

Originally posted by Tim Janssen
I know another demo on the C64 called Dutch Breeze where a naked women appeared on-screen who said 'Finger to continue'. You had to unplug the joystick and scrub your fingers on the joystick-port. Then the demo happily went on..

This was also done in either Creatures 1 or Creatures 2 on the C64. It was a cheat

Basically, how it works is, the program is checking to see that all directions are being pushed on the joystick, as well as all buttons. The only way I know of to pull this off (apart from scrubbing the joystick port) is to open up your joystick and hold down all directions and buttons.

LaundroMat · 22 October 2001, 12:40

If I'm not mistaken, EagleSoft did this in one of their intro's as well.

Imagine your surprise, when suddenly your drive begins to "hum" a catchy tune. First, you think it's loading something, then you think it's an error, and eventually you discern the tune.

But - indeed - I guess it's not really good for your drive motor...

Btw, does anyone have an idea how this is done, technically speaking? Is it possible to search for specific sectors on the disk through some intuition (or rather disk) library commands?

22 October 2001, 12:48

Well, since the drive motor is a "step"-motor you can navigate the head to any possible location on the disk, so if you navigate it from track 0 to Track 20 it will be a longer "noise" than from Track 0 to Track 10 .... all this can be done with simple Assembler commands (but please don´t ask me which ones

) ....

RetroMan · 22 October 2001, 12:49

Doh

above is mine post, firewall and proxy suckz

Amiga1992 · 22 October 2001, 19:07

Tim, there is a demo I saw where the LED flashes changing teh music. This was used because, as you may know, the LED changes intensity when the Amiga's filter is ON or OFF, so this song kept changing the filter to make some sort of slight cutoff effect, or something. I rememebr I did it in some of the songs I composed with DSS. It was really useful

Overdoc · 22 October 2001, 19:31

On one issue of a C64 diskmag there even was something like a drive-music construction kit, where you could compose your own drive music songs and also load some pre-composed ones ( if your drive could still load them after the first try

)
On the C64 there were some really weird programs

I also can remember one that was called 'Burps Construction Kit', where you could design all kinds of burps. That was real fun back then

RetroMan · 23 October 2001, 01:02

something like this : http://www.createafart.com/

18 October 2001, 01:10	#1
Overdoc Commodore Collector Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Austria Age: 53 Posts: 944	Amiga disk write protection There is something I wanted to know for ages, something I never really found out since I got my A-500 about 10 years ago: Is it possible ( with softwre only ! ) to write to a write protected disk ( hole visible ) ? I just would like to know this because my method for protecting disks against all kinds of virus always was to write-protect them. I wonder if this actually helped or if there was some workaround ? Thanks to anyone who can clear this up for me

18 October 2001, 01:36	#2
Codetapper 2 contact me: email only! Join Date: May 2001 Location: Auckland / New Zealand Posts: 3,182	Write protecting is safe against viruses! As far as I know, nobody has ever managed to write to a write protected disk unless the little pin in the disk drive which tests for write protection is broken. However that normally causes things to work the other way reporting that the disk is write protected when it isn't! There is certainly no CIA bits you can set to tell the drive to ignore the write protection tab and write anyway! You would think if someone had done it they would have bragged about how they did it, so I am 99.999% certain it's impossible.

19 October 2001, 16:31	#4
Big-Byte Long time member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: UK Posts: 754	Drivemusic I remember way back there used to be a program which could 'play' music using your disk drive by moving (grinding?) the stepper motor. Cant remember what the tune was though.. Anyone else remember this?

19 October 2001, 17:03	#6
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Re: Drivemusic Big-Byte, I think you refer to a demo called Sinus Wave. It featured a track where the drive-LED constantly flashed with the beat. The demo featured only one section which had some boring scrolling and a flashy logo of some demo-group.

22 October 2001, 09:36	#9
Tim Janssen Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Den Bosch / The Netherlands Age: 47 Posts: 1,271	Oops.. I was wrong with the Sinus Wave demo. This is not the one I am referring to. The demo with the flashing drive LED can be found on a demo compilation disc called Chipbusters 4. It featured 'Follow me' by RSI, 'Vectors again', 'Sinus wave' and the unknown LED-demo. The name is on the tip of my tongue.. how frustrating! Wow, I have never heard the story about 'La Cucaracha' which could destroy your C64 discdrive. I know another demo on the C64 called Dutch Breeze where a naked women appeared on-screen who said 'Finger to continue'. You had to unplug the joystick and scrub your fingers on the joystick-port. Then the demo happily went on..

19 October 2001, 16:48	#5
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	Was that on the C64?

19 October 2001, 18:25	#7
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	NO, no, there WAS a program that made 'music' with you drive's motor. Geez, that must kill drives. Anyway methinks the tune was 'El Condor Pasa'. There was also a C64 program that made a similar thing.

19 October 2001, 20:16	#8
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	Yep, the tune on Amiga Disk Drive was 'El Condor Pasa' but there were a few others .... anyway, on C64 the was a tune that only worked on 1541, not on any other and that was 'La Cucaracha' but you can only play once, afterwards the floppy drive was dead ......

22 October 2001, 12:40	#11
LaundroMat Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: In the cellar. With your mum. Age: 49 Posts: 404	El Condor Pasa If I'm not mistaken, EagleSoft did this in one of their intro's as well. Imagine your surprise, when suddenly your drive begins to "hum" a catchy tune. First, you think it's loading something, then you think it's an error, and eventually you discern the tune. But - indeed - I guess it's not really good for your drive motor... Btw, does anyone have an idea how this is done, technically speaking? Is it possible to search for specific sectors on the disk through some intuition (or rather disk) library commands?

22 October 2001, 12:48	#12
Posts: n/a	Well, since the drive motor is a "step"-motor you can navigate the head to any possible location on the disk, so if you navigate it from track 0 to Track 20 it will be a longer "noise" than from Track 0 to Track 10 .... all this can be done with simple Assembler commands (but please don´t ask me which ones ) ....

22 October 2001, 12:49	#13
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	Doh above is mine post, firewall and proxy suckz

22 October 2001, 19:07	#14
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Tim, there is a demo I saw where the LED flashes changing teh music. This was used because, as you may know, the LED changes intensity when the Amiga's filter is ON or OFF, so this song kept changing the filter to make some sort of slight cutoff effect, or something. I rememebr I did it in some of the songs I composed with DSS. It was really useful

22 October 2001, 19:31	#15
Overdoc Commodore Collector Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Austria Age: 53 Posts: 944	On one issue of a C64 diskmag there even was something like a drive-music construction kit, where you could compose your own drive music songs and also load some pre-composed ones ( if your drive could still load them after the first try ) On the C64 there were some really weird programs I also can remember one that was called 'Burps Construction Kit', where you could design all kinds of burps. That was real fun back then

23 October 2001, 01:02	#16
RetroMan Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Germany Age: 51 Posts: 3,704	something like this : http://www.createafart.com/

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