Cartridge Doctor Woes

[t0nyt]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience of using "Cartridge Doctor" please?

When I run it, it formats the destination ok but then never tries to access the source cart (whether it's source/destination = mdv1/mdv2 or mdv2/mdv1)

After the format it displays "Checking Headers" followed by "can't read directory block" though, as I say, it doesn't even attempt to read any MDV after the format (the source MDV's I've tried are all known good carts, as I'm just testing)

My QL has Trump 1, QIMSI & vMap/vDrive and I've tried it without Trump/QIMSI and it always fails the same way (maybe vMap is interfering?)

I know the software is good as it happens with 2 copies from completely different sources (my original is sadly corrupted)

I was wondering if anyone has come across this before or has any ideas please?

Many thanks
Tony

[Martin_Head]

It's been a very long time since I played with Cartridge Doctor (Decades?)

Are you trying to examine a microdrive cartridge with Cartridge Doctor, or trying to make a working copy of Cartridge Doctor from the Master Cartridge?

You say you have 2 copies from completely different sources. Are they original Masters, or working copies, or some other copy.

I seem to remember from when I converted all my microdrives into image files, I noticed that the Cartridge Doctor master had a strange microdrive map. It thinks that there are 255 good sectors on the cartridge, which is impossible in a normal cartridge, as the tape loop is not long enough. And some of the map entries point to non existent directory entries, or file blocks. I don't know if that's the 'can't read directory block' problem you are seeing.

I would have to try to dig out my original Cartridge Doctor. But I suspect if you DIR the master cartridge it would report that it had 255 sectors. It might even say that it had 0/255 sectors.

[t0nyt]

It's been a very long time since I played with Cartridge Doctor (Decades?)

Are you trying to examine a microdrive cartridge with Cartridge Doctor, or trying to make a working copy of Cartridge Doctor from the Master Cartridge?

You say you have 2 copies from completely different sources. Are they original Masters, or working copies, or some other copy.

I seem to remember from when I converted all my microdrives into image files, I noticed that the Cartridge Doctor master had a strange microdrive map. It thinks that there are 255 good sectors on the cartridge, which is impossible in a normal cartridge, as the tape loop is not long enough. And some of the map entries point to non existent directory entries, or file blocks. I don't know if that's the 'can't read directory block' problem you are seeing.

I would have to try to dig out my original Cartridge Doctor. But I suspect if you DIR the master cartridge it would report that it had 255 sectors. It might even say that it had 0/255 sectors.

Hi Martin,

It's all a bit complicated, but hopefully this explains everything

Firstly, I've never used CD before, so am just trying to see what it can do so am just trying to do Auto Clone

I have 4 versions:
Original MDV - completely corrupt (cannot even DIR)
A protected (so same as original) MDV image - works in that I can get it to load
An unprotected Floppy IMG - works in that I can get it to load
An MDV backup - won't load but a good copy (it can't find an original as part of protection scheme)

The manual says if you run from a copy you need the original in MDV2, but it never tries to access MDV2 and just hangs

Using the Mdv image or the Floppy image I can load the program but as per my original post it never tries to access the source MDV (have tried all sorts of combinations but always get the errors in the images)

It WILL run properly in Q-emuLator ironically

Many thanks
Tony

[t0nyt]

Really beginning to think vMap may be the issue (even though MDV1/2 are set as MDV1/2) as there's an unexpected flash on the vDrive after the format and before the hang up/errors

Don't want to remove vMap from my main QL but when I have sourced a working MDV2 for my spare QL I'll remove vMap from that and give it all another try

[Martin_Head]

I've just been having look and a play in Qemulator. I must be misremembering the bit about the map.
Mine in Qemulator does not seem to bother about the master cartridge being there

Note that the 255 sectors is because I'm using an image file I created that has 255 sectors

I noticed that all the drive lights are on. Could this be upsetting your vMap, thinking all the drives are running at the same time.
Which I think should not normally happen.

This is a dump of the map and directory from my image file

[t0nyt]

Thanks Martin

“I noticed that all the drive lights are on. Could this be upsetting your vMap, thinking all the drives are running at the same time.
Which I think should not normally happen.”

I forgot about that. In Q-emulator, from the moment it loaded the MDV1 stayed constantly lit up

It does look like this is where the problem lies, once I can get the spare QL running I’ll try without vMap

Many thanks