Atari Falcon Game Loading Help Please

[StarshipUK]

I recently bought an Atari Falcon 030 with CF HDD. I have never owned one before but they seem quite easy to use.

I have found a load of games here, but most do not seem to work.

For example: Axels Magic Hammer shows this will work with a Falcon and I have downloaded the Hard Disk version. I have copied the game onto a floppy disk and then onto the Falcons CF HDD on Partition D. I am clicking on START.TOS to load the game. I get a cursor appear in the top left hand corner of the screen for a few seconds and then just a blank white screen and nothing else. The only way to get back to the desktop is to switch the machine off and back on. Quite a few games I have tried are doing this.

Another game called Atomix is showing a message:
Too much low RAM occupied.
Read usage how to fix it.

I cant find the Usage file which explains how to fix it, and the machine has 14MB RAM.

I am using a VGA adaptor but have also tried using a SCART cable and the same thing is happening.

If anyone could please help out or offer any advice I would be very grateful.

[Petari]

Since you have CF card, why you use floppy to copy games ? When can attach CF card to PC (or MAC) via card reader and copy files simply, and fast .
I recommend to you solution which will solve problem with running games + easy copy of files to CF card with PC. It is TOS/DOS compatible partitioning and driver for it. That driver is specially made for gaming, so you will be able to run practically everything from site.
http://atari.8bitchip.info/pphdr.php

Gaming from hard disk on Ataris is not so simple as some may think, and older adaptations are made less compatible with some SW .
http://atari.8bitchip.info/GamexUsage.html

[StarshipUK]

Thank you for your reply. Using the Floppy Drive was the only way I could figure out how to copy the games across. When I plugged the CF card in my Windows XP Card Reader the drive showed, but would not read any files and was asking to format it.

For information I now know the Hard Drive driver being used is ICD Pro 6.5.5 and is using 385KB RAM - it is a 2GB CF Card split into 4 partitions. I reduced this to 285KB by changing settings, but there are still issues (using new conversion Sensible Soccer to test)

So it sounds like if I buy the driver from you it will do what I want it to do. But will this wipe everything from the existing card and mean I have to reinstall TOS and GEM and if so do I need a copy of TOS and GEM on disk? I am presuming TOS is like PC DOS and GEM is the equivalent of Windows for the Atari. You will have to excuse me I am a newbie, but a quick learner.

The Falcon also has PowerUP2 installed (32MHz Power-UP2 Software Switchable Clock-doubling processor accelerator) and a 68882 Floating Point Processor (FPU) installed. The RAM is 14MB.

The Disks I got with the Falcon are:
    Atari Setup/language disks
    Atari MultiTOS
    GDOS disks
    Atari Works Disks
    ICD SCSI PRO disks
    Power-UP2 Accelerator dirver disk
    Millenium Driver disk

If you could let me know what I would need to do I would be grateful, and would be happy to buy the driver from you if it will solve everything and enable most (if not all) of your wonderful Falcon conversion games to work without issues and problems.

[Petari]

Hi    Well, things becoming more clear now. I'm pretty sure that problem is with installed resident SW - GDOS, PowerUp accelerator etc.  As quick temporary and simple solution you can try booting with Control key held down - it means doing it few seconds after reset. Then resident SW will not load in RAM, so will be free.

Windows with Card Reader sees not your files because it is TOS partitioned, what Windows can not access. But you may access files with this:  http://atari.8bitchip.info/drimus.php
However, better solution is TOS/DOS compatible partitioning - then you can do all file transfer easier and faster.  Yes, you will loose everything on CF card or hard disk when making new partitioning.  But if before it save that disk as image file on PC (with SW above) then will lose nothing. Instead saving as image file, you may extract from CF card files which are important for you.

Considering buying my driver: it will not solve everything. Since you have Falcon with accelerator, it needs more care. Basically, when gaming you need to turn off accelerator. I guess that when it's driver is not loaded, it is inactive - so clean boot will serve for that too.  Best would be that you keep your CF cats as is, and buy another one, for gaming - 4 GB card is not much expensive - however, you need some better card, like Sandisk, because may have writing errors with some brands on Falcon.
Things are never simple with Ataris and hard disks. My driver will solve easy transfer of files with PC (TOS/DOS compat.) . And maybe more benefit will be that can run older game adapts. fine, which are more sensitive on RAM usage.
Some games may have smaller issues with speed and graphic on Falcon - because they are made for ST machines, but most should run pretty fine. In any case, I did not test much of them until end on Falcon, so if you encounter some problem feel free to report it. If post saved state before problem, it helps to fix it faster.
And sorry if I was too harsh at Atariage 

[StarshipUK]

Thank you for the information - Very helpful. I have just Paypal'ed the money to you for the driver.

To confirm what I will need to do:
-Install new 2GB Sandisk CF Card in Falcon. (Keep old one as working Backup)
-Install Atari MultiTOS from Disk and boot into this.
-Run SPP8U.PRG from disk and create four 511MB partitions.
-Run AUI_12.TOS to install the HardDisk Driver.
-Remove CF Card and place into PC to Copy Games onto Card. Fit back into Falcon and Enjoy.

Are there any limitations to the amount of folders that can be placed inside a directory please? My idea was to create folders A, B, C etc.. and place games starting with those letters inside those folders.

I am guessing if I do not install the Power-UP2 Accelerator driver it will remain inactive and not use any memory for drivers.

With 700+ games to choose from I will be quite happy if the more common important games load and play. I never had an Atari ST or Amiga growing up, but when going through the games was surprised to see so many familiar software houses and game names. I never realised so many good games were released for the Atari ST.

I will also be taking this Falcon to major retro computer events in the future for others to use and enjoy, so having an easy to use system with lots of game choice like this is what I am aiming for. Its a shame folder names are limited to 8 Characters as this sometimes makes it difficult to find a specific game with a long name. I guess at some point I will create a Spreadsheet to help identify the 8 character folder names to what the full game name is.

[Petari]

OK. I'll post it to your e-mail address, as stays in transaction details:  mrsteveperry.....  .
Don't install Atari MultiTOS at all ! You don't need it for gaming - it just eats RAM, and is not really good multitasking. If want multitasking on Falcon there are better ways - like Mint. But about it later, if interested.
Will need to run PPP12U.PRG and after that IDEAUB.TOS  - this are concrete filenames with IDE driver. In partitioner must first click on Master (as IDE Master), then it will show capacity .... (video is made with different hard disk interface).
You will have not full 2GB with 2GB cards, total capacity is usually about 1800-1900MB.

Only count of files and directories for Root directory is limited. It is 511.  Subdirectories can hold more files, sub-subdirectories (they can expand self). But I don't think that you need more than 512 - then it is hard to handle.
Yes, idea with folders named by begin letter is good, and used wide.

Some + notes:  Falcon has TOS (as other Atari machines) in ROM, unlike DOS or Windows. It contains simple WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus...) user interface, Desktop. So, you can run SW comfortable from it.
Maybe most important is that you take care about using strictly 'limited' filenames on your Falcon SD cards. If copy there some Windows long file name  it will make problems - you will be not able to delete it on Atari for instance.  So, if some filename has not all letters capital.  Like:  PacMan.PRG  you need to rename it to PACMAN.PRG .  If is longer, must short it: Packmania.tos to PACKMANI.TOS .  I use Total Commander for file copy - there you can select to not use long file names in Display Options.

[StarshipUK]

Thank you for your help. Most games I tried are now working with new CF card and Driver, and copying games was easier using the PC Card Reader to copy them to the CF card, rather than slow floppy disk method.

I have two more questions, not really relating to the games but you might be able to help please:
1. Is it possible to mute or reduce volume control of the built in speaker using software (or otherwise). Can external speakers be plugged into the headphone socket on the back of the falcon?
2. The control panel is no longer available. Is there a way to change mouse click sensitivity/timings using other software? The default (with original Atari mouse) is pretty diabolical.

[Petari]

There is a way to turn off Falcon internal speaker by SW - can not control volume separately, as I know, just turning off.  Here is thread where is discussed a bit:   http://atariage.com/forums/topic/41312-falcon-question/
I just detached it, as found it useless and annoying. Of course, you need to open machine for that.
You need to copy CONTROL.ACC from your other CF card in ROOT of your C partition.   It will not affect mouse sensitivity in most of games, though.
Just to add that you can make couple startup configs and choose which one will be C by pressing keys D-F during hard disk driver boot.  So, as default one config with some ACCessories, what will be C without keypress at boot. If press D during boot, default D will become C, and C will be D, and then ACCessories, and programs in AUTO will not load.  Usually, it is solved by some boot managers to activate/deactivate diverse resident SW, but I think that this is simpler for usage, and much faster.