Recovery of "ARCHON" game disk

edited October 2016 in Video Games
Thanks for posting useful information about disk dump tools (or hardware).

@coolhaken

The best way is to use (copy) disk from original. No need to handle (fix) the problem on original disk.

I have fixed a lot of bad or modified disks from original disk media.

Comments

  • I learned more valuable knowledge here.
    Thanks for your explanation.
    ibmpc5150 wrote:
    The best way is to use (copy) disk from original. No need to handle (fix) the problem on original disk.
    I have fixed a lot of bad or modified disks from original disk media.

    That's great ! Do you have the game "ARCHON" ?
    Mine contains some bad sectors. Can you tell me how you fix bad or modified disks ?
    If you want, I'll upload it.

    Best regard,
    coolhaken
  • >That's great ! Do you have the game "ARCHON" ?
    >Mine contains some bad sectors. Can you tell me how you fix bad or modified disks ?
    >If you want, I'll upload it.

    I use Hex Editor of PC-Tools 4.00 or Anadisk 2.07 to fix any sectors on disk.

    No problem to upload it.
    I can check and fix it.
  • Note split topic from: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7877

    Is this an IBM PC game?

    Make sure the disk is as clean as possible, make a KF preservation dump, post it someplace, and we can take a look at it. I've actually gotten fairly good at recovering small data errors by manually editing raw MFM streams via the PCE image tools. Of course if too much is missing, then another source would be needed. If ibmpc5150 has an image for comparison, that would be great.
  • >>Is this an IBM PC game?

    Yes, this Archon is for IBM PC.
    http://www.mobygames.com/game/pc-booter ... d-the-dark

    @coolhaken

    Thanks.

    I sent fixed (correct) image of Archon as .PSI .TD0 .IMD
  • Archon (IBM PC) uses only side 0 of disk.
    I think KF image dump seems to be perfect except the following sector.

    Track : 0 / Sector : 9
    Track : 1 / Sector : 6
    Track : 4 / Sector : 8
    Track : 6 / Sector : 3
    Track : 12 / Sector : 4

    At first, you must make (copy) disk from original disk by using Kryoflux / SCO or TransCopy Optionboard.
    --> It assumes that it is first copied disk (DISK 1)
    (DISK 1 has copied correctly except bad sectors)

    This game has copy protection on Track 15. (It seems to be called as Electronic Art Superlok.)
    It can't be copied (or dumped) by Copy II PC / CopyWrite / Teledisk / ImageDisk.
    (Only possible with KF/SCP/TC)

    Second, copy my uploaded Teledisk image to another disk by using Teledisk 2.1x
    --> It assmes that it is second copied disk (DISK 2)
    (DISK 2 has not copied correctly with Track 15, but no bad sectors.)

    Then run ANADISK 2.07 and select "SECTOR" menu and seek any track / sector you're looking for.
    You can edit sector just like disk hex editor.

    How to fix bad sector.

    Example : (Track 0/Sector 9)

    Run ANADISK 2.07, then insert Disk 1 and run SECTOR menu and seek Track 0/Sector 9.
    You can see content Track 0 / Sector.

    Second replace Disk 1 with Disk 2.
    And push ALT + F2 key to save disk.
    Your bad sector on Disk 1 will be replaced by Disk 2's sector.
  • Hi,

    Thank you very much, ibmpc5150.
    The .PSI diskimage works fine in PCE.
    Is it possible to fix the bad sectors in flux level ?

    Best regard,
    coolhaken
  • >Is it possible to fix the bad sectors in flux level ?

    I don't know how to fix the bad sectors with KF / SCP.
    I only fix the disk with PC-Tools (DOS) / Anadisk / TransCopy Optionboard.

    This is only my opinion.

    Dump the copied (fixed) Archon disk by KF.

    And replace the following track/sector files with fixed ones.

    Track : 0 / Sector : 9
    Track : 1 / Sector : 6
    Track : 4 / Sector : 8
    Track : 6 / Sector : 3
    Track : 12 / Sector : 4

    (From Track 00-41)
    Track00.0.raw
    Track01.0.raw
    Track04.0.raw
    Track06.0.raw
    Track12.0.raw


    I don't know if this is correct.
  • Thank you for your reply.

    I ask this because I can't convert the working .PSI diskimage to KF's raws. ( No problem on all tracks but track 15. )
    It seems the PCE tools still can't handle some kind of protection tracks.
    If my dump(s) happen to have bad sectors on track 15, then I can't fix my dump then write them back to a new floppy.
    Any idea ?

    Best regard,
    coolhaken
  • >I ask this because I can't convert the working .PSI diskimage to KF's raws. ( No problem on all tracks but track 15. )
    >It seems the PCE tools still can't handle some kind of protection tracks.
    >If my dump(s) happen to have bad sectors on track 15, then I can't fix my dump then write them back to a new floppy.
    >Any idea ?

    I don't know. But I think there is no way to convert normal image to KF / SCP.

    The best way is to use real DOS machine with 5.25" floppy drive.
  • I guess ibmpc5150 still hasn't gotten a Kryoflux or SCP.

    PSI images can only replicate more simplistic copy protection schemes such as mis numbered sectors. When it encounters the more complicated ones that use overlapping sectors, it will sort of "unroll" them in to one huge track. The results may let the program run in the PCE emulator, but there is no way to stuff the results back on to a real disk track.

    BTW, copy protected tracks will almost always show up as "bad" during any kind of disk test or read. That is normal. If there is real damage in the protected track, then you are kind of screwed.

    At any rate, try this. Use HxC to convert the IMD file to a KF stream. Then copy the track15 raw file you read from your original over the one in the the stream you just created.

    Then write that to a fresh, new, tested blank disk and see if that runs.
  • SomeGuy wrote:
    I guess ibmpc5150 still hasn't gotten a Kryoflux or SCP.

    At any rate, try this. Use HxC to convert the IMD file to a KF stream. Then copy the track15 raw file you read from your original over the one in the the stream you just created.

    Then write that to a fresh, new, tested blank disk and see if that runs.

    Yes, I have tried this and am still hoping to make work.

    I have many recovered images in .TD0 and .PSI format that I want to write to disk.

    I tried coverting .PSI to .TD0 and dumping via HxC. It did not dump sucessfully (due to speed errors if I recall?).

    Please let me know if others are able to make this work.
  • SomeGuy wrote:
    The results may let the program run in the PCE emulator, but there is no way to stuff the results back on to a real disk track.

    I use HxC and the PCE tools to convert diskimages, too.
    This problem seems can't be solved in the near future. :cry:
  • If KF/SCP did support disk hex editor just like PC-Tools / Anadisk, it would be very easy to fix (recover) the bad disk on Windows.
  • SomeGuy wrote:

    At any rate, try this. Use HxC to convert the IMD file to a KF stream. Then copy the track15 raw file you read from your original over the one in the the stream you just created.

    Then write that to a fresh, new, tested blank disk and see if that runs.

    I have tested this and it does indeed work.

    I used a recovered .TD0 or .IMA file (thanks to ibmpc5150) and used the HxC tool to convert recovered tracks to KF RAW stream. I then wrote to fresh disk using KF.

    This may not work in all cases, but I suppose most modified tracks do not occur within the copy protected sectors.

    I wonder then if it would be possible to detect the correction, especially if recovered KF stream was written back to original diskette. I suppose a skilled enough individual would notice the trail perhaps.

    Thanks also to SomeGuy for the tip.
  • @elgibbons

    I have a question.

    Is it possible to combine (merge) the two KF images?

    For example :

    1) Original Archon KF image with copy protection but with errors.
    2) Copied and fixed Archon KF image without copy protection but no errors.


    Replace original Track00.0.raw / Track01.0.raw / Track04.0.raw / Track06.0.raw / Track12.0.raw with fixed ones.

    The only problem is on Track 00 / 01 / 04 / 06.

    P.S. I think it is easy and fast to fix the problem on real DOS machine by using ANADISK or Trans Copy option board than on Windows.
  • @ibmpc5150

    >Is it possible to combine (merge) the two KF images?

    Yes, I tried with several other dumps yesterday and it worked. I can try with Archon if needed.

    However, I did examine original and corrected streams using HxC tool on Rampage 1.0:

    The disk still runs, however it may be appropriate to align tracks properly.

    Perhaps the solution may be to correct sectors only from modified tracks, which may preserve alignment, and then convert to KF.

    Original Rampage 1.0 KF dump (modified Track 0.0 & 5.1)

    YpDfEd6.jpg

    Recovered KF dump using Tracks 0-5 from recovered .TD0 (I could have also just used the affected tracks)

    OO0L5Hv.jpg
  • Update.

    Well I notice when I export tracks to KF stream from .TD0 or .IMA/.IMG from disk tool that tracks are shifted by certain amount. The simple fix is to shift all tracks by opposite amount before exporting to KF. However, I am not sure if this is best method. Nevertheless, it does look visually correct now.

    This may need more investigation.
  • @elgibbons

    I converted your original image as follows.

    pfi track00.0.raw -r 600000 -h 0 -p double-step -p decode pri archon.pri
    pri archon.pri -p decode auto archon.psi
    psi archon.psi -e position -1 -p comment-set "" archonb.psi

    archonb.psi <-- Dumped image with broken sector on (Track 0 / Sector : 9, Track : 1 / Sector : 6, Track : 4 / Sector : 8, Track : 6 / Sector : 3, Track : 12 / Sector : 4)
  • This is screenshot of fixing (recovering) Archon on floppy drive.

    CdIImRK.png
    Run Anadisk 2.07

    SGY79bG.png
    Push SPACE Key

    ErDC9j9.png
    Select menu "SECTOR"

    AG67HU8.png
    Select Drive A: or B:

    JGyxkAY.png
    Insert Original copied disk and, Read Track 0 from Drive A: or B:

    ILW00E7.png
    Track 0 / Side 0 / Sector 9 is show as bad crc.
    Replace Fixed copied disk and, press sector 9

    dd9ETgq.png
    Sector 9 is shown as from fixed disk.
    Then replace disk with Original copied disk.
    And press "ALT + F2" to save (write) disk

    rVBk9VQ.png
    Sector 9 is written and removed BAD CRC

    tGTNwdj.png
    Next is Track 1 / Side 0 / Sector 6

    HAoM1iv.png

    ta5o5Fh.png

    Xmn6ifz.png
    Next is Track 4 / Side 0 / Sector 8

    rkb9Pv1.png

    lLhTWjt.png

    GsMG5Ir.png
    Next is Track 6 / Side 0 / Sector 3

    2lqXNwK.png

    1VhyO72.png

    4Vb8MMP.png
    Next is Track 12 / Side 0 / Sector 4

    a9F0EtA.png

    Tl0fON5.png

    EFG1QdQ.png
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