Begin Title: Trackstar 128 Utility Program Disk v6.2 Author: Diamond Computer Systems Inc Version: 12-Jul-1999 Entered-date: 12-Jul-1999 Description: A backup of the COPY-PROTECTED dual format 5.25 inch Trackstar 128 disk that is used in conjunction with a Trackstar 128 Apple ][ emulation board for your PC. N.B. The disk is dual format - part of it can be read by a PC and part of it can only be read by an Apple ][ already booted into DOS 3.3. (This is all done without turning the disk over !) The Trackstar is a hardware + software emulation solution to enable your PC to emulate Apple ][s. It was sold by Diamond in the late 1980's. Keywords: Trackstar, Emulation, PC, Card, Apple ][. Uploader: Moose@ROcknet.net.au (Mike "Moose' O'Malley) Primary-site: ftp.asimov.net /pub/apple_II/emulators/ 330 KB - Trackstar_128_full.zip Platform: IBM PC XT / AT or higher More Info: 12-July-1999 Files included in this archive : 1. Trackstar_128.zip (42 KB) - A DOS copy of the files on the Trackstar v6.2 5.25 floppy disk. NOTE: This disk is COPY Protected ! N.B. The disk is dual format - part of it can be read by a PC and part of it can only be read by an Apple ][ already booted into DOS 3.3. (This is all done without turning the disk over !) 2. Trackstar_128_teledisked.zip (128 KB) - Teledisk image of the Trackstar v6.2 5.25 COPY Protected dual format floppy disk. N.B. Teledisk did report disk errors while reading this disk to geneate the disk image - so it may or may not have been able to handle the copy-protection - and the teledisk image may or may not work. To turn this disk image back into a floppy disk, run Teledisk - see next item. 3. TeleDisk - tdisk212.zip (92 KB) - Teledisk v2.12 ZIP file for PC's. (Included here to save people hunting all over the Net for it if they need it). 4. File Transfer_dsk.zip (86 KB) - The backup of the Apple ][ based "FILE TRANSFER" program for the Trackstar 128 card. I used Copy ][+ v7.2 to copy this file (from the Apple ][ section of the dual format 5.25 inch Trackstar 128 Utility Program Disk v6.2) to my Apple DOS 3.3 boot disk (with ADT installed on it), so ADT (Apple <-> PC DIsk Transfer) is also on this disk image. I used my real Apple ][c to do this copy. I also tried running this "File Transfer" program on my genuine Apple ][c, and not surprisingly got loads of rubbish and screen corruption - the program is meant to be run on a Trackstar Apple ][ emulator only. I am not 100% certain that this "File Transfer" program was copied correctly by Copy ][+ as I have no way of testing the disk image with my Trackstar card - simply because my Trackstar card is not functioning correctly. (See below). 5. Trackstar_128_full.txt (5 KB) This information text file. I have not been able to test the Teledisk Backup of this disk - simply because the original driver disks I had did not work with my PCs - see below. On my old Pentium 100 PC, I had unsatisfactory results with the Trackstar 128. After a great deal of experimentation and talking to other Trackstar users on the internet, I believe the reasons why the Trackstar 128 card did not work on my Pentium 100 were : - Bus speed too fast for the old Trackstar 128 card, - My High density 5.25 inch would not allow the Trackstar 128 software to correctly read the strange copy-protection on the Trackstar 128 5.25 inch disk. On my even older 486-DX-33, the results were better - but the card still would not work. I believe the reasons why the Trackstar 128 card did not work on my 486-DX-33 were : - My High density 5.25 inch would not allow the Trackstar 128 software to correctly read the strange copy-protection on the Trackstar 128 5.25 inch disk. i.e. there didn't appear to be any bus speed problems on my 486. I have been in touch with people who have had excellent results on old slower PCs with 360 KB - not high-density 1.2 MB floppy drives - with their Trackstar cards. I believe the copy-protection on the original disk causes the problems with high density floppy drives. I did download and try the Trackstar E software for use with my Trackstar 128, and the TSUTILIT did seem to work OK in reading disks connected to my Trackstar 128 card. However, the Trackstar E main program would not start - it gave "you cannot use Trackstar E drivers with the old Trackstar 128 card" type error message - so I could not run the emulator and check the disk images created by Trackstar E's TSUTILIT. Note that I do have 3 original Trackstar 128 v6.2 Utility Program Disks - and that none of the three would work with my Trackstar 128 card on my PCs - see above. Note : Can you help Crack the Copy-Protection ??? ------ N.B. The 5.25 inch Trackstar disk is dual format - part of it can be read by a PC and part of it can only be read by an Apple ][ already booted into DOS 3.3. (This is all done without turning the disk over !) If anybody feels confident that they can crack the copy protection on the 5.25 inch Trackstar disk - so that it can be run from a harddisk or then floppy disk - then let me know and I will snail-mail one of my original disks to you for cracking. (I have 3 original disks). I want to keep 2 original disks, but I am prepared to sacrifice one disk for cracking so that other Trackstar 128 users can have an easier life, and so that the software can be backed up properly and preserved. I haven't tried Copywrit or Anadisk to copy the Trackstar disk yet - they may or may not work. Until I have a low density 360 KB floppy drive on my 486 (my only PC with a slow enough bus) my Trackstar card will probably not function, so my hands are tied as to finding out what copy programs might work or not, etc. Mike "Moose' O'Malley End