»

Hello people.
I've got this CD full of games. So I decided to copy one of the .dms files onto a PC1: disk using my PC to read the CD and do the copy to my pcs a:\ . Once I've done that I've stuck the PC1: disk into the amiga and run Directory Opus 4. I noticed a Button called 'DMS' so I figured this will do it. Anyhow, the program asks to select a destination which I've done. But I run into trouble when the program asks me to insert disk into DF0:
For starters my DF0: drive is broken and doesn't read disks and I'm totally new to amigas , And I think I need to use a PC1: drive to read the disk anyway. Ok I guess I can copy the .dms file onto my HD. But the problem still remains with the .dms program asking for DF0:

Is there a way of configuring the program to ask for PC1: or HD0: ? or can I maybe run this program from a shell? and if so attach a tag specifiying the 'source' as being PC1: or HD0:
If so can any one help me out in doing this.

Thanks,
Pete

[Hardboy]

If you have no diskdrive, what fun is there in using disks anyway??

If you can run dms from cli, then you can specify destination drive, like:

dms from yourfile.dms to df1:

You can also use virtual floppy drives, try searching for them on aminet...

[Spidey]

Hello pete_pumpkin,

Hardboy is right about the extracting part.

With DOpus:
You can have this problem if you specify a destination with spaces inside the volume name.
So DMS will ask for DF0: instead your PC1: device.

If I get it right: your DF0: is broken, but you've got an external drive DF1:?

The next point of Hardboy about virtual drives:
On Aminet you can find FMS V2.0.

If you install this good software, you can create a virtual floppy in your Ram: (that is the available memory). Usually this "drive" is called FF0:
Now you can extract your DMS file to FF0:

One problem though: if you have a DMS file of a NON Workbench floppy (with this I mean the floppy doesn't have icons etc. to display on Workbench but is meant to startup from) you will not see anyting in your FF0: device.

Good luck! :-)

Spidey

[xeron]

DMS is short for "Disk Masher", which was a program that created a compressed disk image. These have to be written back to a floppy (or virtual floppy, but lets not worry about that

Amiga floppy disk drives are named DF0: to DF3: (depending on how many drives you have). Reading from and writing to DFx: will read and write Amiga disks. CrossDOS provides PC0: to PC3: for the same drives, which when written to or read from will use MS-DOS format, so your external drive is actually DF1, when writing DMS files.

OK heres what to do:

1) Copy the DMS file from PC1: to the Ram Disk
2) Take out the disk from the drive
3) Open a shell, and do the following:

1.Workbench> RAM:
1.Ram Disk> DMS WRITE filename.dms TO DF1:

The DMS program will prompt you to insert a disk, then write the contents of the DMS file to it.

It should now write to DF1. Note that if you want to boot the game in the external disk drive, you'll have to do the following:

1) Reboot with the disk in DF1, while holding down both mousebuttons
2) Continue to hold both mousebuttons until the early boot menu appears
3) Select "Boot Options", then in the "Boot Device" lister, highlight DF1. This will make DF1 temporarily have a higher boot priority than your hard disk (by default a bootable disk in DF0 overrides your hard disk, but DF1 doesn't, so you have to select it manually), click "Use" and then click "Boot".

Note that SOME old games don't work from an external drive.

An alternative is to download "WHDLoad" from whdload.de, and the installer for your game. Once the game has been un-dms'd to disk, you can use the WHDLoad installer to install the game onto your hard disk.