OLd Sartin Prgms and Win98

[lefty359]

I have found 2 of my old Sartin prgms on 3.5 disks. Entropy and Synthesis.
Does anyone know for sure if they will run on Win98? I'm thinking they do but not sure.

[Dave Schwartz]

They should.

Win98 could run old DOS porgrams (i.e. 16-bit).

[lefty359]

Thanks, Dave. Guess I need to try and find an old win98 laptop.

[Dave Schwartz]

Lefty,

Probably a Win7-32 laptop would be fine. Just make sure that it is Win7, 32-bit.

Take your disk with you and make sure it will run. (They can always add a 3.5" disk drive for a few bucks.)

There has to be a computer store in Las Vegas that specializes in refurbs.

Try this search: refurbished laptops las vegas (https://www.google.com/search?q=refurbished+laptops+las+vegas&rlz=1C1NHXL_enUS738US738&oq=refurbished+laptops+Las+Vegas&aqs=chrome.0.0.10247j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

[lefty359]

Thanks again, Dave. Most appreciated. I have begun the search.

[michiken]

Try this free dos emulator called DOSBOX (https://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1).

I use it on linux.

Ken

[lefty359]

Thanks, michiken.

[lefty359]

Lefty,

Probably a Win7-32 laptop would be fine. Just make sure that it is Win7, 32-bit.

Take your disk with you and make sure it will run. (They can always add a 3.5" disk drive for a few bucks.)

There has to be a computer store in Las Vegas that specializes in refurbs.

Try this search: refurbished laptops las vegas (https://www.google.com/search?q=refurbished+laptops+las+vegas&rlz=1C1NHXL_enUS738US738&oq=refurbished+laptops+Las+Vegas&aqs=chrome.0.0.10247j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

Dave, I have an old win7 laptop, think it's a 32 bit, but when I plug in 3.5 external disk drive and try to run the disks it says disks need to be formatted. Frustrating as hell.
Thanks.

[Ted Craven]

Dosbox runs all the old Sartin programs fine on all Windows versions.

http://paceandcap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11618

Ted

[lefty359]

Can't use dosbox cause I can't get these prgms to my computer. I use an external floppy disk drive and EVERY 3.5 disk I have it says disk may need to be formatted. I'm wondering if it's because I have a 64 bit system?

[Pensacola Pete]

Can't use dosbox cause I can't get these prgms to my computer. I use an external floppy disk drive and EVERY 3.5 disk I have it says disk may need to be formatted. I'm wondering if it's because I have a 64 bit system?

Floppy disk drives don't play well on newer systems, because the file storage is probably 16 bit, and many new systems only understand FAT32 and NTFS.

Try this first: Try moving the data from the floppy disks to your hard drive through the command line of DOSBox, via:

md c:\temp-folder-name
move F:\*.* C:\temp-folder-name
Then run Setup for that program.

Where F is the letter of the floppy drive and C is the letter of your hard drive. If that works, use a separate folder/directory name for each program.

If that doesn't work, take the floppies to a computer shop and have the tech transfer the data to a flash drive, again using a different folder/directory for each floppy.

When it's transferred to the flash drive, be sure to have DOSBox (and not Windows) install each program from the flash drive.

[headhawg]

Floppies use the FAT12 file system and that is independent of the OS file system and also whether or not the o/s is 32 or 64 bit. It doesn't sound like a driver issue as Windows reports back that the disk needs to be formatted. The most likely issue is that the heads of the external drive don't line up with the floppy tracks thus making it unreadable, and lefty gets the "need to format" message.

Another possibility is that the external drive will only read 720K or 1.44MB disks, one or the other. So if it will only read 1.44 and the Sartin disks are 720K that's a problem. You would think backward compatibility but maybe not.

Or it could just be that the data is gone. Floppy disks were not the most reliable medium.

[lefty359]

Thanks, guys I could understand if data is gone from 1-2 disks but I get same msg from every disk I've tried even my Synergism 4 disk.
Anyway, next thing I;m gonna try is using a win98 laptop. I just bough one on Ebay. Hopefully that will work. If not, I'm going for Ted's RDSS. I just hate to buy data at prices these days. I really can afford to dl only a track a day. I guess the old tsn fifty cent files spoiled me.

[Dave Schwartz]

Lefty,

I've still got a whole pack of XP machines, although most are simply in storage for my next AI run.

From where I am sitting, I can see two of them that have 3.5" drives.

If you want to send me the disk, I will see if it is readable. If it is, I will put it on a CD and send it back, or, if you prefer, put it on my server and you can download it.

About the only thing I can't do is burn you a new 3.5" disk (because I don't have any).


Dave

[lefty359]

Dave, that's a mighty generous offer. I will get the win98 in a few days. If it doesn't work, I'll send you the disk. Plus I have some blank 3.5 disks.
Thank you.

[Dave Schwartz]

Dave, that's a mighty generous offer. I will get the win98 in a few days. If it doesn't work, I'll send you the disk. Plus I have some blank 3.5 disks.
Thank you.

Not a big deal. Maybe it will take 15 minutes.

You are welcome.

[lefty359]

I got the Compaq Win 98 computer today. Maybe I forgot something. I go to MSDOS and it says C/windows. I put in command that's written
right on the disk and I get BAD COMMAND mag.
Did this wih 3 disks. Have I forgotten something? No manual came with the computer.
Thanks in advance..,

[Dave Schwartz]

Change to the floppy drive.

Not sure what drive it would be for you, probably D: or E:

So...

1. D: {Enter}
2. [Program Name] {Enter}

[lefty359]

Thanks, Dave, knew I was forgetting something' I'll give it a go...

[lefty359]

Nuts. In this Win98computerI just bght I go to my computer and it identifies the 3.5 floppy drive as drive A. When I try to access it It says drive not accessible, not ready. Have I bght a pig in a poke or am I still not doing something right?

[Dave Schwartz]

Nuts. In this Win98computerI just bght I go to my computer and it identifies the 3.5 floppy drive as drive A. When I try to access it It says drive not accessible, not ready. Have I bght a pig in a poke or am I still not doing something right?

Oh, of course! I forgot that floppy drives are A & B. LOL

It has been so long.

Sounds like your diskette is hosed, Lefty. Sorry.

[rlopez781]

Lefty,

The best ting you can do is have somebody email you the Sartin programs and you can just set it up easily and run it through the dos environment,so you don't have to go through the floppy drive.You don't have to go through all these headaches.

Ray

[lefty359]

Thanks, Dave. Guess you're right.

[lefty359]

Ray,Offhand I don't know anyone with old Sartin programs that could email them

Dave, maybe since the drive on win 98 says not accessible that it's bad. I wonder...

[Dave Schwartz]

Lefty,

Got your disks.

(2 were the same.)

They all read just fine.

Put them on all on one CD, then made a 2nd CD.

Seems I am out of USB drives or I'd put them on one of those as well.

Beth will send them to you tomorrow.


Dave

[lefty359]

Thanks, Dave,you really came through for me and I appreciate it.