Disk Database DiscussionPosted By Salient (on 02/05/2013 @ 14:10)
Subject: Update/trash entry
Hello,
Could someone edit one of my entries, namely the one with serial number WGC253092.
I registered it under the name "Salient" before I even turned the thing on and tested it. :)
It turns out to have a fried SID chip as well as issues with either the CIA chip or RAM.
I think the database is only meant for C64's that are alive so it's better to remove the entry as this commodore will be cannibalized for its intestines.
Thanks!
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Posted By Markus Benko (on 07/31/2012 @ 19:00)
Subject: Quiwi is copy protected
Today I've dumped Quiwi with KryoFlux and track 1 sector 20 is clearly partially written at 4.0us instead of 3.25us (speed zone 0 instead of 3 if I remember correctly), which is obviously not a mastering error.
And it actually *is* a copy protection: The game is a Trivial Pursuit clone, so everybody not speaking German now has an idea what's the game about. As in Trivial Pursuit, questions have to be answered. The game is controlled with joystick in port 1. Just enter anything as player's name and press F1. When "KNOPF" appears in the upper left corner, press fire button in port 1 to see the first question.
When copy protection check failed, all questions (including the first) will be "Ist dies eine Raubkopie?" -> fire -> correct answer is "Ja!!!". Translation: Q "Is this an illegal copy?" A "Yes!!!" - great sense of humour. :)
I remembered that older versions of VICE passed bytes from G64 files regardless of selected read density, so I tried to decode that sector properly (from flux timings to GCR, many manual corrections due to weak data in that 4.0us area) and succeeded. After that I modified the DTC-generated G64 file to hold my decoded track 1 and gave it a try in WinVICE 2.2 - and it works! Tried it in CCS64 3.8 and it worked, too. So does CCS64 3.8 also ignore selected read density? Maybe.
The more advanced the disk emulation of an emulator is, the smaller is the chance the protection will pass, i.e. soon there will be no emulator left actually letting the protection pass.
So in the end Quiwi is another disk which will need working density / speed zone map support in emulators to work properly and work on purpose from a G64 image.
Unluckily the G64 format only supports four different cell widths in that map which is sufficient for Quiwi but will probably fail for some other case.
It's time for G64v2. Btw: Pete, you've got an email.
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Posted By Mike351 (on 07/14/2012 @ 07:12)
Subject: Where to upload?
Hi,
I checked the FAQ and browsed around the website but for the life of me I could not work out where I am meant to upload disk images. Can someone please explain where to submit them to?
Thanks.
Mike
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Posted By maraud (on 04/06/2012 @ 16:33)
Subject: fix entry
Are entries editable? I just screwed up putting in C7266 and listed it as a silver sticker instead of metal.
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Posted By Arjak (on 11/27/2011 @ 21:57)
Subject: I want to help, but...
I recently got a Commodore 128, along with a bunch of disks, and I noticed that I have a couple originals that you do not appear to have archived. I would love to get them archived, but unfortunately, my computer doesn't have a parallel port! What should I do?
By the way, the disks I have are:
Overlord (Virgin/Mastertronic, NTSC)
Commodore 128 Demo Disk (Commodore, NTSC) (You might not be interested in C128 software, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.)
I'd appreciate any help you could give me to get these preserved! Thanks.
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Posted By JGL Evans (on 10/31/2011 @ 01:20)
Subject: wrong # on Database
Hi can you please correct my #
it should read HB4 015887 made in Hong Kong location mine NZ
have not yet checked the C64Cc yet
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Posted By Pete Rittwage (on 10/14/2011 @ 18:00)
Subject: Disk Preservation Updates Thread
This is the thread where database update messages will go from now on.
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Posted By J Achernar (on 05/20/2011 @ 21:14)
Subject: Abacus copy protection
I believe that the database information for several Abacus titles is incorrect. I have submitted four titles, Cadpak-128, Basic-64, Super-C 64 and Super-C 128. For the last three, the database lists the copy protection as none. Actually, they appear to use some sort of custom loaders.
For the two different versions of Super-C, from a D64 image, they boot into the C environment ok. When any of the three main programs are invoked, CE, E4 and E8, the editor, CC the compiler or CL, the linker, they each first read two blocks (different for each) from t17, move the head to t19, then move the head to the track containing the bulk of the routine (t10 for CC, t15 for CL, t20 for C64 CE and C128 E8, t22 for C128 E4) and hang. They work correctly from a nibbled G64. I haven't tried to dig into the the protection in any detail, but I suspect that they are reading something encoded at the GCR level on t19.
For Basic-64, from a d64, the boot program loads, the head moves to t35 and then the C64 resets. Using a nibbled g64, the main menu is displayed just afer the head moves to t35. I haven't tried to do anything more with Basic-64 yet.
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Posted By Lord Crass (on 05/03/2011 @ 00:33)
Subject: Sector structure protections
After looking at Infiltrator's protection, I noticed that this one is a "shrink-wrap" style protection that is used on many, many games. It counts the bytes in the data and header blocks and gets the byte before and after the sync marks. It retrieves this info from 16 sectors on a track (which differs according to the title) and builds a table that's used to decrypt the first block or two of the protected file. Frequently the protection is run through twice, sometimes on different tracks. This protection would defeat any software nibbler as it requires the track to be written in one pass.
I don't know who wrote this or what it's called, but there's usually the text "HI MIKE!" in the drive code. Referring to Mike J. Henry, perhaps? Sometimes the text is "LATER!", and once I saw "NEW TWIST" (on Fairlight). Since it's such a common protection, it should probably be given a name and referenced in the database and/or in an article. This is also the one UH1/NiVEK wrote a crack tutorial on for Robocop.
Nearly all of these titles are broken on any version of Vice newer than 1.2. The ones with the protections on the higher tracks (>=18) have a better chance of loading in newer Vice versions due to the way the sync mark is laid out.
I've attached a list of the titles that I've been able to confirm. There's probably many more. Data East, Mindscape, and Br0derbund were heavy users of it.
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Posted By hyper active (on 04/18/2011 @ 01:31)
Subject: Could lord crass email me?
Hi, could you please contact me via email?
my address is whocrazy[A.T]gmail.com
Thanks.
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Posted By Lord Crass (on 04/12/2011 @ 03:06)
Subject: V-Max versioning
How did you come up with the version numbers for V-Max, Pete?
Just curious as it doesn't really match with the versions they used to use "back in the day". For example, you have the following titles classified as V2:
Defender of the Crown
Rocket Ranger
Into the Eagle's Nest
Sinbad
Yet Sinbad and Rocket Ranger are a very different version of V-Max than the other two. They use the newer sector format that starts with the $64 byte and can only be copied with parallel or 8k drive RAM. Maverick refers to these as V2. No version number is ever given for DotC or Eagle's Nest, but I'm guessing it would be a V1 style. Here's the major differences I've noticed between versions:
V0? - V-Max loader track can be anywhere and can be easily copied. Copy protection relied on additional checks from a standard bag of tricks. eg. Star Rank Boxing (both versions), Superstar Ice Hockey, GFL Championship Football, Disk Busters 2, Disk Maker Plus.
V1? - Loader now on track 20 which can't be copied without hardware. CBM DOS sectors. Frequently used the additional header/density/sync checks. eg. Defender of the Crown, Gradius, Into the Eagle's Nest, Paperboy, Bop'N Rumble, Sidearms.
V2 - New V-Max custom sector format ($64..$46 header). Entire disk requires additional hardware to copy, no simple cracks. Earlier tricks no longer used. eg. Rocket Ranger, Three Stooges, Bad Street Brawler, Gauntlet: The Deeper Dungeons, Take Down, Sinbad.
V3 - Another new V-Max custom sector format (header is 7 x $49 bytes followed by $EE, variable sector size, sector ends with a byte that has bit 7 stripped, typically $7F). Track 20 loader changed and much more convoluted (runs in job queue area from $0001-$005B). Track 20 loader seems to be reloaded before loading each file. I still need to comment the loader disassembly. eg. Rastan, Renegade, Felony (Thunder Mountain), Road Runner.
V4 - Optimized V3 sector format. Reduced to 4 (sometimes 5) $49 bytes at start of sector. Otherwise seems the same. I still need to disassemble the loader on this one. eg. Operation Wolf, TV Sports Football, Zoom!, Alien Syndrome.
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Posted By J Achernar (on 04/09/2011 @ 23:00)
Subject: Commodore Assembler
I have been taking a second look at my original of the Commodore Assembler Developer System. My original has a few be sectors. I have a good backup, but it was a file copy. It would be nice to have a clean image that preserves the exact sector layout of the files on the original.
I noticed on the original that there is a deleted file called “basictools”. I received the Assembler in used condition. The fellow that I bought my original 1541 from included it as part of the deal. I don’t know if the disk came this way from Commodore or if it was a file that he wrote to the original disk and later deleted.
Also, my original shows 536 blocks free. The deleted "basictools" file and two additional blocks are shown as used in the BAM.
If you have an image of the original for the Assembler, please take a look at it to see if it contains that deleted file. If it does, I would really appreciate it if you could post a hex dump of track 14 sectors 3 and 10.
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Posted By Lord Crass (on 03/22/2011 @ 00:30)
Subject: Alternate Reality The Dungeon
Alternate Reality: The Dungeon is listed in the database as being signature on track 1 with half of the track being bad data and the other half $AA bytes.
It's actually the encrypted custom DOS, just like V-Max's track 20. It loads over the entire $000-$600 drive memory area (yes, right over all of zero page). Basically like restoring a snapshot of the drive state which I'm guessing caused instant problems for any drive not 100% 1541 compatible. Self-modifying decryption routines that dump drive code in the stack area ($100) and command buffer ($200) as well as the regular buffer areas. It's actually quite impressive and the length of the data being spooled in therefore requires 8k drive RAM or a parallel cable to duplicate.
It identifies itself as BOSS DOS:
BOSS DOS (C) COPYRIGHT 1986 BY INTELLICREATIONS, INC. WRITTEN BY JOHN BUTROVICHV2.4
A quick google search on this turned up an interview with the guy back in '87 where he states that it stood for "Balls Out Super Serial DOS". Apparently the guy is still active in the games programming scene:
[link]
Interesting stuff.
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Posted By Alex G (on 02/11/2011 @ 12:27)
Subject: Disks to Add and Manager
I just got my ZoomFloppy and I've been flying through backing up disks. I don't have a paraelle cable yet, so disks with copy protection I can't get to yet. Some have worked just fine from originals (Match Wits, Grandma's House, all the Commodore PD's), where do I send them?
Also, can someone show me online where Commodore's "The Manager" might be? I have the original, but can't back up as of yet. I know I can't get it from here, but I have many DB's created with this software from the 80s I'd like to take a look at. Thanks!
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Posted By hyper active (on 01/07/2011 @ 23:39)
Subject: strange emails?
Hi there.
I keep receiving strange emails from you with a mix of random letters and numbers.
Is the cat walking on the keyboard?
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