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--- x68000:installing_games_to_hard_drive [2012/02/18 04:57] – eidis
+++ x68000:installing_games_to_hard_drive [2012/02/21 01:47] – eidis
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 http://www.vector.co.jp/soft/win95/util/se151106.html
-==== Chapter 3: Floppy Drive vs Hard Drive ====
+==== Chapter 3: Writing !Start.bat files ====
+ Upon booting, the X68000 executes files from config.sys and usually they have X or SYS extensions.
+  * *.X files, which are required for the game to run, in almost all cases can be executed from *.BAT files or command line.
+  * *.SYS files and some rare *.X files need ADDDRV (Example #4). ADDDRV is very picky and most of the times incompatible.
+**Combining lines from Config.sys and Autoexec.bat**
+**Crystal Tower** is used to illustrate this example:
+Original Config.sys
+<code>
+FILES = 15
+BUFFERS = 20 1024
+LASTDRIVE = Z
+BREAK = KILL
+VERIFY = ON
+TITLE = \CONFIG\TITLE.SYS
+KEY = \KEY.SYS
+USKCG = \USKCG.SYS
+BELL = \CONFIG\BEEP.SYS
+DEVICE = \SYS\OPMDRV3.X
+DEVICE = \SYS\FLOAT2.X
+DEVICE = \SYS\IOCS.X
+</code>
+Here we can see drivers being loaded and environmental variables being set up.
+  *The mandatory variables and drivers like **USKCG.SYS** and **FLOAT2.X** are being set up each time when booting from HDD so most of these lines can be safely ignored.
+  *Drivers are usually loaded from **SYS** and **BIN** directories.
+In this example **OPMDRV3.X** and **IOCS.X** are the ones which interest us. First we must check if they can be executed after the system has fully booted. If yes, then there is a good chance that the game can be installed to HDD.
+Original Autoexec.bat
+<code>
+echo off
+PATH A:\;A:\SHELL;A:\SYS;A:\BIN;A:\ETC
+tone3.x
+chdir ct
+ctmain
+</code>
+Here we can see another environmental variable called **PATH** being set up. In this case we can go with the lazy method and **SUBST** to the directory (Example #2) where we have copied the game or we can change the paths so that we don't have to do **SUBST**. Please note that there are games which still need **SUBST** even after modifying the **PATH** variable.
+  *Remove references to **\** **A:\** **B:\** if they are present
+  *Write **OPMDRV3.X** and **IOCS.X** after the line which defines **PATH**
+  *Rename autoexec.bat to !Start.bat.
+The resulting !Start.bat should look like this:
+<code>
+echo off
+PATH SHELL;SYS;BIN;ETC
+OPMDRV3.X
+IOCS.X
+tone3.x
+chdir ct
+ctmain
+</code>
- We all know that Hard drive is the ultimate thing to have on X68000 so to cut a long story short, we want games on hard drive, and we want them now ;)
 ==== Example #1 - Installing Fantasy Zone and running it from Hard Drive ====
@@ Line 100: / Line 158: @@
 ==== Example #5 - Installing Pipe Dream and running it from Hard Drive ====
- This method uses 2HDSIM.X to mount XDF floppy image files and DRIVE.X to assign drive letters A and B for them. It was discovered by Caius and is very effective for many stubborn games.
+ This method uses 2HDSIM.X to mount XDF floppy image files and DRIVE.X to assign drive letters A and B for them. It was discovered by Caius and is the next preferred method after SUBST.
 Download 2HDSIM.X and DRIVE.X from here:
@@ Line 121: / Line 179: @@
  The first four lines arrange the following drive mappings:
-  *Disk1 = A:
+  *A: = Disk1
-  *Disk2 = B:
+  *B: = Disk2
-  *Hard Disk = C:
+  *C: = Hard Disk
+The same principle applies to one disk games as well, just omit the fourth line. After the drives have been mapped and image files mounted, !Start.bat changes to drive A: and executes autoexec.bat. Please note that every game is individual and sometimes requires combining lines from config.sys and autoexec.bat files.
+**The following rules must be met for image files to mount:**
+|All image files must be defragmented (one continuous block).|
+|Use [[http://nfggames.com/X68000/Misc/liner.zip|Liner]] to defragment the images when required.|
+Syntax example:
+<code>
+liner disk1
+</code>
- The same principle applies for one disk games as well, just omit the fourth line. After the drives have been mapped and image files mounted, !Start.bat changes to A: drive and executes autoexec.bat
+|Image files must be 1261568 bytes long. Sometimes while copying them with DiskExplorer their original size changes to 1263616.|
+|Use [[http://nfggames.com/X68000/PC_Tools/jsplit.zip|JSplit]] to cut off the excess and restore their original size. If that does not help, reimport the original image files.|