[Request] Amstrad PC (PC3000 series, PC7000 series, Mega-PC, etc.) OEM System Disks and software

edited September 2018 in Offers & Requests

I'm currently refurbishing some real Amstrad PCs, as well as looking to emulate several models, and I am hoping that anyone who has any old Amstrad system disks and OEM software would be willing to share images of them.

So far, I have all the System Disks for the PC1512 XT and PC1640 XT, as well as complete sets of software for the PC4386SX and PC5286 (System Disks, Counterpoint, Games bundle, and Windows 3.0 for the PC4386SX).

If anyone has the system disks for other machines (such as the PC3000 series, the PC7000 series, or the Mega-PC series) I would really appreciate you getting in touch or sharing the images of the disks.

The software I am most eager to find (in order of priority) are:

  • Amstrad Desktop Graphical Interface and tutor (bundled with the Mega-PC); this is not Counterpoint!
  • Amstrad Games Pack #2 (included Steel Empires, Elite Plus and Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker).
  • Multi-Works for Windows (bundled with the Mega-PC); this is not the DOS version.
  • Amstrad OEM version of the game Contraption Zack (bundled with the Mega-PC).
  • Amstrad OEM DOS 4.01 in English (WinWorld has this in French only).
  • Amstrad OEM Windows 2.1 & Windows 386.

Thanks to anyone who can help with anything at all!

Comments

  • I got two Amstrad disks here but have no idea whether they are useful or not:

    https://rushfiles.one/client/publiclink.aspx?id=8np0MtTshM

    Seems to be some kind of demo disks.

  • edited September 2018

    Thanks heaps! Yes, they're not system disks sadly (although I already have the PC1512 ones anyway) but they are very cool sales demonstration disks that I've never seen before!

    Disk 2 is bootable, and is an awesome rolling sales demo for the Amstrad PC1512! Not only nostalgic, but it actually "advertised" some programs I didn't know about that would run well on a PC1512. Most notably, I learned that there was a PC1512 specific version of Wordstar thanks to this demo... and it's here on WinWorld! The demo also shows off the better-than-standard-CGA colours of the PC1512, which does make it a shame that few games actually took advantage of this.

    Disk 1 faisl to boot despite looking like it should. It seems to be a GEM Desktop demo for the 1512, but I can't get it to work so far, as it wants to load a second disk in drive b for the slideshow itself (the slideshow file being called is nowhere to be found on either disk). It's probable that the real "Disk 2" to this "Disk 1" is missing. :( At least the slideshow.app for GEM is useable, though, so that's a nice find, at least, though I don't know how to make slideshows for it.

    Regardless, I very much appreciate the link, Demolition! A cool find! Can I ask where you found the link to those files?

    I'm still on the search for Amstrad system disks. I will upload mine here when I get chance during this week. :)

    EDIT: Just found Amstrad OEM Windows 2.1 on WinWorld, apparently in English. Don't know how I missed it, but happy that's one thing crossed off the list! :)

  • The disks are some that I got from my old employer who cleaned out lots of his old stuff in the shop a little while back and I was allowed to take whatever I thought could be useful. I can't just watch old disks being trashed, so I had to grab them and dump as much as possible before the disks become completely unreadable.

    Although I don't know that he ever sold Amstrads, perhaps he did have a few at some point which is why he had those demos around.

    There was also another disk which is probably the disk 2 that you are looking for, however I didn't post it since it had multiple errors which I was unable to recover. A few files might still be salvageable though, so you can have it anyway if you want:

    https://rushfiles.one/client/publiclink.aspx?id=fTrCSEQNXL

  • Wow, thanks! I know what you mean about hating to see old, rare stuff just get trashed!

    That indeed appears to be the missing disk, though sadly I think it is beyond salvage. I was hoping at least the slideshow file would be there (it seems this is what was on the disk) but I'll have a play and see if I can rescue anything!

    Again, I really appreciate it... I've never even heard of these demo disks existing!

  • Hello, Banjo.
    I am very sorry, as I am not able to help you, however I am desperately looking for PC5286 system disks. Is there any chance to get them from you?
    Thank you very much!

  • Absolutely, er_capi! I can't promise how quickly, as I've got a busy week ahead, but I am wanting to make these disks public as I've never seen them online anywhere. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a PM to chat about them!

  • For anyone interested, I've posted several system disks on my blog here. Feel free to use them, reupload them on Winworld or share them so they don't vanish from posterity!

  • Cool. My first IBM compatible was a PC1512, and despite having the 20MB HD model I didn't have disk 5 either. Also interestingly, disk 3 in your set contains BASIC 2 1.16 whereas my disk has 1.12.

    Also thanks to demolition for the demo disks. It's a shame about the corruption on disk 2, non-Atari GEM software is so rare and I hate to see it lost.

  • Hello, Banjo. I stumbled across this post while searching if by any chance someone finally had software bundled with the Amstrad MegaPC (it still doesn't seem to be the case).

    I'm also looking for them (the infamous ADT, its 3 big-button menu and its huge digital clock, but also that tutorial teaching the basics of using a computer) as they were lost when I had an incident with the original hard drive (my lack of experience back then -- 20 years ago -- made me low-level format that drive, as it wouldn't work anymore).

    In fact, I also posted to mention that someone by the name of Shane McRetro has shared disk images of the disks bundled with some MegaPCs (not mine): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3Rk2eO8E26vRXMtTU1uWm1BOGM

    You'll also find that Games Pack Disk 2 in there.

  • Thank yo SO much! That link is awesome, and I can't believe I've finally got hold of Games Pack 2 after all these years (I really just wanted those extra Counterpoint icons, LOL!).

    Still - like you - want that ADT shell software... the "Holy Grail" of Amstrad stuff, for me! :)

    If I ever find them, rest assured they will be posted on my blog too:
    https://banjosmods.wordpress.com/

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