[offer] Microsoft Multiplan 1.05 for Compaq [5.25] (SCP, TD0)

callmejack

I'm not quite sure what this version exactly is. There's a custom label on top of the original label that reads "version : B:83.03.14" which could mean it's a beta version dated 1983.03.14 but when you start the program it just shows version 1.05 (which corresponds to the version written after serial number on the label).

I'm also afraid it has been modified, as the file MP.HLP is dated 1.1.1980.

Anyway, here it is, in SCP and Teledisk format, with a subdir containing the files.

https://mega.nz/file/TLgUUY5L#E4GQfFhXg5Gyqs5sCef1x00Xz1D5ZqTgRToax2NZG50

ibmpc5150

Wow, thanks very much for rare version of Multiplan.

SomeGuy

Uhhh, there is something horribly wrong with these SCP dumps. Only every other track is present.

If you used a 360k drive to dump these, make sure double stepping is disabled.

If that does not correct the problem, try dumping it with a 1.2mb floppy drive. (double stepping off, 80 tracks).

I think the TD0 files are OK.

callmejack

Thanks for pointing the problem. I’ll do another dump when I find a more reliable floppy drive.

johnlennon364

Nice Find @callmejack. Do have Microsoft Chart for DOS and Microsoft Sort

jafir

Are you in the US? I’ve probably got an extra full height MPI drive from an IBM PC or XT.

callmejack

@jafir no, I’m in Europe. Thanks very much for your kind offer though. I have to dig out in my boxes, I know I have another drive somewhere.

callmejack

@SomeGuy Here is the link to a new dump using SCP.

https://mega.nz/file/qHoUASoZ#gM4y8rV8LpGzbpghmPDUiwcDex3rNh-Mf4wtmO1T-Y4

Do you know why I cannot view any files in HXC floppy emulator, even if I choose 5.25" 180KB SSDD 300rpm ?



Is there an easy way to check that the content is ok ?

SomeGuy

Thanks very much.

First of all, these are 160k disks, not 180k, but even then these are formatted for DOS 1.x. They do not have Bios Parameter Block geometry data in the boot sector like most DOS 2.x disks do. Due to this, file extraction tools written to DOS 2.x specifications usually fail to open DOS 1.x disks.

ibmpc5150

Thanks for re-dump. Unfortulately program disk seems to be modified by COMMAND.COM

callmejack

@ibmpc5150 bad news, that’s what I feared when I saw the disk labels.

callmejack

@SomeGuy thanks for the explanation. I still don’t understand why the hxc software, which seems to know about the 160kb format, is not able to recognize and decode such images.

DeFacto

The disk geometry/format and the BIOS parameter block (BPB) are two separate things. Software can understand a particular format (or not), and it may require a BPB for this (or not). 160/320k disks are often DOS 1.x-formatted (as they predate the XT which introduced the 9 SPT 180/360k formats and DOS 2.0 BPB), so there's no BPB present. Most later formats will pretty much always come with a BPB when formatted under DOS 2.0 or later, though this isn't technically required - you could create a 1.44MB disk without a BPB and software that ignores the BPB but otherwise understands 1.44MB disks would still read it.

What's probably happening here is that HxC relies on the BPB, and if it's not present, it rejects the image as invalid. Same thing happens with WinImage, if you add a BPB to such images they'll suddenly work fine.

callmejack

@DeFacto very interesting, I learned something new. It's a little disappointing that HxC, with such a high level of expertise, is not able to decode them.