The Sinclair QL Forum

Outsoft wrote:This is the BEST dump I can do on 5 different Bandersnatch MD's I found until then (see attachment).

I was off-Forum for a while (summertime).

GREAT NEWS! This is the most important QL MIA software found since 68K/OS in 2009.

Question: IIRC there was more than just one Bandersnatch cartridge in this US joblot. Did you refelt and dump all of them? And did you compare the sectors, the data (byte by byte)? If the various cartridges hold good and bad data in different sectors one may maybe glue together a 100% good version.

QL forever!

Urs

I've been trying to restore the bad sectors from the the failed reads stored in the dump file, Without much success. Although I am narrowing in on where it all goes wrong.

So maybe I can forget it now

QLvsJAGUAR wrote:

Outsoft wrote:This is the BEST dump I can do on 5 different Bandersnatch MD's I found until then (see attachment).

I was off-Forum for a while (summertime).

GREAT NEWS! This is the most important QL MIA software found since 68K/OS in 2009.

Question: IIRC there was more than just one Bandersnatch cartridge in this US joblot. Did you refelt and dump all of them? And did you compare the sectors, the data (byte by byte)? If the various cartridges hold good and bad data in different sectors one may maybe glue together a 100% good version.

QL forever!

Urs

Just do it: one Md's was totally empty and other have so many bad sectors that can't be absolutely used to compare files.

This dump is the best ever: you know that we have make progress on dumping MD's with mDoubler (release 4.03) and mDump 2 (alpha 2): so is absolutely the best dump possible from now.

Outsoft wrote:Just do it: one Md's was totally empty and other have so many bad sectors that can't be absolutely used to compare files.

Understand. But still, can you please post the other dumps here too? Me and others can then try to seek for parts (even parts of a sector) which can be taken and patched into your best image. Kind of a team work. Thanks!

QLvsJAGUAR wrote:

Outsoft wrote:Just do it: one Md's was totally empty and other have so many bad sectors that can't be absolutely used to compare files.

Understand. But still, can you please post the other dumps here too? Me and others can then try to seek for parts (even parts of a sector) which can be taken and patched into your best image. Kind of a team work. Thanks!

As I told you we have just discharged.

One was empty, so absolutely not interesting, the other one was totally broken.

There are really no other ways guys: we were lucky to find a good md like this one to make a test of joining blocks.

The Game is in Alpha stadium and fortunately it works as It was dumped (only some rooms and features)

But don't worry: I receive 250/300 MD's every 2 months so It will be another possibility very soon.

A question for you: how about dumping all your original MD's for preservation?

Best regards.

Hi,

I have found a dissembley of the Atari ST version. It looks like alot of work to convert to the QL. There is much use of the hardware Blitter chip, which the QL does not have.

Could a software blitter routine be fast enough to perform the block transfer of data in parallel with the CPU operation?

The Minerva fast memory move vector could probably achieve this. Assuming the routine could be multitasked.

Outsoft wrote:
A question for you: how about dumping all your original MD's for preservation?

I have literally (and physically) "dumped" all my microdrives already 20 years ago - Nothing much to worry, as I didn't really have any rare stuff. But, once I had disk drives, there wasn't much reason to keep them.

Tobias

tofro wrote:

Outsoft wrote:
A question for you: how about dumping all your original MD's for preservation?

I have literally (and physically) "dumped" all my microdrives already 20 years ago - Nothing much to worry, as I didn't really have any rare stuff. But, once I had disk drives, there wasn't much reason to keep them.

Tobias

Dumped in which way, mdump?

Because for preserve all original protections of the MD's we need real physical dumps.

Morning Simon,

"dumped", in English, has many meanings:

• Discarded, thrown away.
• Dumped by your partner = no longer your partner.
• To take a backup of software or data.
• To use the toilet!!!!

I think Tobias means that he got rid of all his MD cartridges.

Cheers,
Norm.

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

I have found a dissembley of the Atari ST version. It looks like alot of work to convert to the QL. There is much use of the hardware Blitter chip, which the QL does not have.

I have done a disassembly of the QL version. The dump that was posted here has a problem in the data file seg_aaa

I was trying to find where the program accesses that part of the seg_aaa file that is corrupted. So I could try to find what was going wrong.

I was getting close, It seems to be in the middle of a recursive routine, that not only calls itself. But also calls routines that call the recursive routine.

As another copy of the program has surfaced, I have put it on hold. If this other copy is posted here I will try to use it to fix the broken one.