FastCopy

FastCopy Pro
Author:	Martin Backschat
Developer:	Martin Backschat
OS:	TOS
Platform:	Atari ST/STE
Use:
License:	Shareware
Website:

Program-Information

    Concept, Design, Documentation and Development
         Martin Backschat

    Beta-Tester
         Rupert Kaiser & "Gogl", Manfred Messner und Stephan Englhardt

    Designer of the title picture
         Ralph Seth

    Thanks to
         Everybody, who supports the development of FastCopy III,
         Everybody, who critizes contructively,
         Everybody, who financially supports the project,
         Everybody, who financially supported FastCopy 2.00, and
         thus indirectly also supports the III.rd part

Installation

FastCopy runs as a program and as an accessory. To start it from the Desktop, call it >>FCOPY_3.PRG<<. To make TOS recognize it as an accessory call it >>FCOPY_3.ACC<< and put it on the boot-disk (A: for drives and C: for harddisks).

How to use

You find a brief Survey of all functions FastCopy offers you in main menu under >>Help<<. But to exhaust the variety of all functions you need the manual. For 50 Deutsch-Mark (30 US $ respectively) I'll send you an printed english manual and the latest version of FastCopy on disk. In addition to that you'll be registered in the update-list, that means you'll always get a new version immediately. The disk also contains a demonstration program. To load it, click on the file >>fcpydemo.prg<< (runs in any resolution; I recommend low-res!). After a moment the outstanding title picture appears on screen and again after a short time an outstanding digital sound will come out of your monitor (extracts of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana). To quit the demo make a reset.

How to copy

A) FastCopy is Freeware. That means everbody is allowed to copy and use it for free. PD-/Freeware-mailing services should consider of acting fair against me and of making a special donation to the hard working author. B) You are only allowed to copy FastCopy as a package. This package has to contain the following files:

• FCOPY_3.PRG - The copy program itself

and/or

• FCOPY_3.ACC
• FCOPY_3.DOC - Text in German (Wordplus)
• FCOPY_3.TXT - Text in German (ASCII)
• FCOPY_3.EDC - Text in English (Wordplus)
• FCOPY_3.ETX - Text in English (ASCII)

Please notice

When using the function "New Conf." and converting a bigger format into a smaller one while needing two or more reading-acts (Insert...) you really have to use two diskettes as source and destination. This happens for example if you want to convert a 890 KByte-Disk into a 720 KByte one and only have less than 890 KByte free. But when using the function properly, that means converting a smaller format (e.g. 9 sectors per track) into a bigger one (e.g. 11 sectors per track), this problem doesn't appear.

What to do in case of...

For all not having read the manual, here some useful hints:

What to do in case of...

• ...the format function doesn't work, too many damaged tracks?

• • Some drives, especially older 5¬-inch ones, may have problems with the Fast-Format. In this case I recommend to switch to the saver regular format mode "Format Dest." by . The same problem may appear if you are using processor speeders like Hyper-Cache a.s.o. In this case use the regular format mode, too.
• ...copying a strange disk format (e.g. Spectre-128, Minix)?
  • In case of formats uncompatible to TOS (and MS-DOS) always switch off the automatic configurations recognition ("Read Disk Conf.") by <r>. Read the manual of the emulator (e.g. Spectre, Minix) and install the format they use in the field titled "Set Disk Configuration".
• ...copying only the used sectors (Get Sectors: used) doesn't work?
  • This problem can result from several reasons:
    • A. The Disk has a strange format, in this case have a look on the hint above...
    • B. The FAT of the disk is damaged, the table containing the information which sectors are free, used or damaged is unreadable. In this case switch off to the "Get Sector: all"-mode by <g>. In this mode FastCopy ignores the FAT.
• ...the step rate is always set to 3 ms?
  • The step rate is installed with help of TOS. FastCopy only supports the official versions 1.0, 1.2 (Blitter-TOS), 1.4, 1.6 (STE) and later. Different (inofficial) versions may cause problems. In this case you can't set up the step rate. Solution: Boot an official TOS.

Origins of documentation

The final Note:

Everbody, for who FastCopy is a precious tool for working with the ST, can send their donations and/or their contructive critic to

    Martin Backschat
    Bergstr. 16
    8071 Hepberg
    West Germany

Please do read -- new informations since version of 13.1.1990

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