Msg: 6534 *Conference*

05-20-96 08:52:28

From: RICHARD HANSON

To : GARY WEBER

Subj: REPLY TO MSG #6533 (TS-DOS/BOOSTER PAK ORDER)

Let's talk about cold starting Model "T"s ... the how and why.

First off, due to the nature of the machine; whereas it is always on; whereas
some very specific area of RAM contains some very important system code;
whereas these machines do not have all the built in safety features of modern
processors, it is generally agreed that code starting Model "T"s is a sound
maintenance procedure.

Despite good maintanance, there are times, however, when your Model "T" will
code start with work in progress still in RAM ... usually, as Mr. Murphy knows
so well, is not backed up, printed out, etc.  In these cases, the knowledgable
Model "T" owner keeps a cold start recovery program handy (...see (T)op menu
(H)elpfiles, or the Whole Enchilada document series).

Some really, really, really knowledgable Model "T" users have their own tricks
and add-on programs, including certain option ROM's secret, undocumented, hiden
code start recovery routines.  One such ROM is the TS-DOS ROM.

Back in June 1991, I accidently ran across the following:

 ROM                            CALL
 TS-DOS ROM Model 200           921,2

At that time I asked for feedback on other, undocumented ROM calls for
recovering from cold starts.  Then, on 4/14/92 I wrote that Model 200 TS-DOS
ROM's cold start call is:  921,146

Then, on 6/13/92, Tim Mihulka discovered the Model 100/102 TS-DOS ROM call for
cold start recovery.  He found:  63013,0

Hmmm... could 63013,0 be "the" call for all Model 100/102 Traveling Software
ROMs?  Or perhaps the 921,xxx is a special area for Model 200's?

There may still be secret ROM calls lurking in various ROMs.  Who knows what
evil lurks in the hearts of men ... the shadow does!  Ha ha haaaa! :)

At your service ... -Rick-

FYI: See msg #3431, subj "yet another recovery pgm"