rodneylives
Member
gumpy pointed out that the 1541 version of 175 has always been corrupted and unbootable in Loadstar Compleat, so I set about seeing if I could fix them. I think I (largely) have, and the fixed versions are attached. But there are a few caveats--
The 1541 disks are often very tight for space, for example the 1541 version of 175 Side 1 had only one block free. So they compressed their text files (compressed files begin with a "p." prefix before the filename). But that means I can't just get the files off the 1581 disk version of the disk, they're too big.
gumpy found the tool used to compress the text files, and that's an option, but instead, since many of the files and the disk directories of the 1541 disks are still intact, I got the files from the original disks using DirMaster, and it _seems_ to have worked okay, for the most part.
I've attached the fixed versions, and their text files are all readable, but there are some notes:
- The Censible Software list on Side 1 seems to cut off partway through. I haven't rated this as a priority to fix since this data is not part of a program's documentation or an editorial, it's just an ancient ad for a vanished company.
- One of the items, a replacement for a bad pic from the previous issue, is outright not on the 1541 issue of issue 175, at all, it seems. Presenter thinks the file is on Side 1, but it wasn't there. it _is_ on the 1581 version, but there's just not enough room for it, or its documentation, on 175's Disk 1 at all. If you try to read its text file on even the fixed version of 175 it'll tell you the wrong disk side is in (Loadstar's go-to error for missing files).
- Loadstar used spacer files on some issues, empty files with filenames like "----------------", to prettify their directories and group together related files. Each file still takes up a block of disk space though, and with them there's not enough room on Side 1, and I presume the other sides too. I haven't bothered to include these files at all, I'm not sure DiskMaster will even allow them to be added since, on this issue, all of those files have the same filename. I've just focused on getting the issue working as it would have if it had come in the mail today.
All of this only applies to the 1541 version of the disks, which isn't the focus of my efforts overall since swapping disks is a chore. But if you care about having a working version, here are the files. I'll update the itch.io collection soon--maybe even by the time you've read this.
The 1541 disks are often very tight for space, for example the 1541 version of 175 Side 1 had only one block free. So they compressed their text files (compressed files begin with a "p." prefix before the filename). But that means I can't just get the files off the 1581 disk version of the disk, they're too big.
gumpy found the tool used to compress the text files, and that's an option, but instead, since many of the files and the disk directories of the 1541 disks are still intact, I got the files from the original disks using DirMaster, and it _seems_ to have worked okay, for the most part.
I've attached the fixed versions, and their text files are all readable, but there are some notes:
- The Censible Software list on Side 1 seems to cut off partway through. I haven't rated this as a priority to fix since this data is not part of a program's documentation or an editorial, it's just an ancient ad for a vanished company.
- One of the items, a replacement for a bad pic from the previous issue, is outright not on the 1541 issue of issue 175, at all, it seems. Presenter thinks the file is on Side 1, but it wasn't there. it _is_ on the 1581 version, but there's just not enough room for it, or its documentation, on 175's Disk 1 at all. If you try to read its text file on even the fixed version of 175 it'll tell you the wrong disk side is in (Loadstar's go-to error for missing files).
- Loadstar used spacer files on some issues, empty files with filenames like "----------------", to prettify their directories and group together related files. Each file still takes up a block of disk space though, and with them there's not enough room on Side 1, and I presume the other sides too. I haven't bothered to include these files at all, I'm not sure DiskMaster will even allow them to be added since, on this issue, all of those files have the same filename. I've just focused on getting the issue working as it would have if it had come in the mail today.
All of this only applies to the 1541 version of the disks, which isn't the focus of my efforts overall since swapping disks is a chore. But if you care about having a working version, here are the files. I'll update the itch.io collection soon--maybe even by the time you've read this.
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