Msg: 1123 *Conference*

12-16-91 05:33:42

From: ELWIN HENNIS

To : ALL

Subj: TPDD TO TPDD2 DISK FILE CONVERSIONS

 In reply to Msg#: 5521 *Conference*
 11-30-91 13:12:09
 From: RICHARD HANSON
   To: ELWIN HENNIS
 
     Richard, I lost my TPDD and bought a new TPDD2.  I could read my TPDD disk
files O.K., but I couldn't make changes to them.  With the FLOPPY2 program that
came with the TPDD2 I could transfer one file at a time from the old TPDD disks
to the TPDD2 disks.  To do this using the FLOPPY2 program one must both access
"Load" (F2) and type in the file name and its extention for each file being
transferred.  When the Model 100/102's memory will not accept any more files,
you must both "Save" (F3) and type in the file name and its extention for each
file being saved to a TPDD2 formated disk that had previously been formated
using "Frt" (F7).  It takes me a solid day to make a 40 file transfer in this
way.  Once the 40 file transfer has been completed, a back-up disk of the files
is a cinch to make with the BACKUP.BA program that comes with the TPDD2.  It
both formats a new disk and makes a back-up copy of all files on any disk using
the TPDD2 format.  Transfering all files, one-at-a-time from my 20 disks and 20
back-ups would have taken quite a long time using this method.

     You said, "There is no automated backup from TPDD to TPDD2 utility that I
know of.  The fastest method of converting TPDD disks to TPDD2 is via Lapdos II
running on a DOS computer."

     This would be the fastest way, but I thought to myself "are there other
ways I could do the TPDD to TPDD2 transfer reasonably fast?"

     Although I've never used it, I figured that TS-DOS would be easier to use
because more than one file at a time can be transfered at a time.  Although I
ordered TS-DOS, I needed something to start making transfers right away.  I
subscribed to the Library, and upon looking through the different software,
found something promising or at least worth trying.

     After trying it I found that it is reasonably fast in comparison to using
the FLOPPY2 method alone.  After accessing the CLUB 100 BBS Library's DRIVES
data base, I down loaded COPYFL.100, loaded it as COPYFL.BA and saved a copy on
disk.  Using the following proceedure I was able make the TPDD to TPDD2
transformation fairly easily.

GETTING READY FOR THE TRANSFORMATION

1- Clear out as much memory as possible.  A minimum of 8K of free memory is
necessary to make the transformation possible.

2- Load and run IPL.BA for the TPDD2 which loads FLOPPY.  This program should
be used to compare the size of remaining disk space between a disk and its
back-up to insure they are the same before converting them from the TPDD format
to the TPDD2 format.  FLOPPY is also used by COPYFL.BA and to format disks for
copying.

3- Load BACKUP.BA from the TPDD2 Utilities disk.

4- Load COPYFL.BA

THE TPDD-TPDD2 FILE TRANSFORMATION PROCEEDURE

1- Write protect the disk containing the TPDD formated files using the write
protect slip tab on the disk.

2- Run FLOPPY, format a disk using F7 "Fmt".

3- Exit FLOPPY using F8 "Menu".

4- Run COPYFL.BA, press "0" (zero) or "1" when prompted to do so to choose the
disk BANK to be copied to.  The program then reads the disk directory and
prompts the user to incert the disk to be copied from.

5- Incert the write protected TPDD formated disk into the TPDD2.

6- Press "0" (zero) because you will be reading the only "BANK" on the disk
which is the 0 BANK.

7- After the program reads the disk directory, the program prompts the user to
<M>ark files.  Press "M" for all files to be copied to the newly formated disk.

8- Make disk swaps when the program prompts the user to.  Be very careful to
incert the right disk in the drive at the prompt or the program ends and the
user must restart COPYFL.BA and redue the entire process above.  (This is a
weakness in COPYFL.BA that could  certainly be improved.  BACKUP.BA has a good
error traping routine in it that lets the user know that the wrong disk has
been incerted.  It allows the user to put in the right disk and continue the
program without having to start the whole copying proceedure over again.)

When the program is finished it writes the new disk directory on the new disk
and then ends the running of the program.

THE NEW TPDD2 DISK BACK-UP PROCEEDURE

1- Switch the write protect tabs to opposite positions on the new TPDD2 disk
and the old TPDD disk.

2- Run BACKUP.BA

3- Do the disk swaps as instructed by the program.  Soon you will have 2 disks
converted to the new TPDD2 format.

4- The protected disk can now have its write protect tab placed in the window
closed write enable position.  Redo the above process for each disk and back-up
disk to be transformed.

From Elwin Hennis, Club 100 BBS user, (707) 426-0840, 710 Chula Vista Way,
Suisun City, CA  94585-3032, 12/15/91