Updated Virtual Floppy function with my hard disk (now rather SD card) driver SW

[Petari]

  Update is for easier setting of active ST floppy image file. It was so far by renaming of files, what can be done pretty fast in Desktop, but it needs some experience with TOS and editing file names. So, I made new system, what is based on keeping active ST image file name in special file for it - what means that what is in file DEFINM (in root of C:) will be active image for Virtual Floppy A: after boot . Changing it is really simple: by using SELIMG5.TOS (or TTP)  . Or can edit DEFINM . Then it will be active one immediately. And of course, newly set active ST image will be active after reset too.
 Other features are same: max supported image size is 2 MB, so can copy content of multiple floppies in one ST image file. No need for repartitioning when install new driver version.
 And of course, this update is free for registered users.

[Petari]

 And details, for those not knowing about, or, I dare to say - being misinformed (that's why we have Atari ST 'great' forums    ) :
 About my hard disk driver/partitioner SW:
 Key features:  it works with TOS/DOS compatible partitions, which are created with my partitioner SW, running on Atari ST. What means easy and simple file/data transfers with some popular modern computer - PC with Win, Linux, MacOS ... As now Flash cards are mostly used as storage, all you need is to connect card to modern computer via USB reader (what supports write too, btw. :-) ) . Then can access partitions on SD/CF card and do transfers. Related with it is LFN filtering ( (Windows) long file name) filtering. Important thing in this Internet times, when people DL-ads lot of it from that. And I see all time archives intended for Atari ST, filled with long filenames. That's just one of many thing when it is done not properly. If files/DIRs with LFN are copied to Atari ST partition, it can make more problems than just not being able to access that file. So, LFN filtering will prevent diverse file losses in such cases,.
  Extra functions, features: simple selection of partition, which will be active: in case of hard disk usage, dirve C: will be active on, what means that AUTO folder run, loading DESKTOP.INF will be performed from it, instead of A: (floppy boot) . However users may want to boot with different configurations. For that, diverse boot managards were programmed. Using of them may be not so simple, and they eat some RAM.  There is much better and simpler solution - swapping partition C with some higher at boot. Of course, that means that higher partition will be C: , and part. C on disk will become that higher one - like E: , if user pressed key E .
 Good for easy selection between different boot configs.
 Virtual Floppy: I developed it since 2019, and it is welcome as we are in years when old Atari ST floppy drives and disks became very old, unreliable or just not working at all. Still there is lot of SW, data what people want to run, use, and it is on floppies.  Solution is to make image files of them (what should be done much earlier - I did it around 2000 with my floppies) . Can be done with little older PC (with floppy drive) or with help of someone - with equipment.  When having image files (ST format) it is well usable with Virtual Floppy SW. And combining it with hard disk driver is pretty good and efficient solution.
  More special features, not present in other driver SW:
 Adding automatically drive icons D-P to Desktop . TOS/Desktop will put automatically icon for drive C: to Desktop, regardless of how many other partitions were mounted - stays for TOS 1.xx . It can be added manually, but that needs some user's clicks and editing, for every extra partition over C: .
  Multiple Sections:  special feature, and for advanced users with some practice. It makes possible to use with Atari ST whole capacity of larger SD cards, despite of TOS limit of 7 GB storage space (max 14x max 512 MB size) . It works so, that after boot can select active section for current session, and it will act as regular  hard drive type media. While must be not at start of SD card.  Includes special driver installers for first, and for later sections.
  Supported hard disks/adapters for, Flash card adapter types:
 Basic ACSI adapters (for old SCSI hard disks up to 1 GB), IDE adapters - Falcon, ST(E), TT with IDE adapters. TOS extensions for IDE auto boot available for older TOS versions (as only TOS 2.06 has IDE autoboot) .
  And IDE adapters work with CF cards too - mostly Sandisk brand only.
  ICD extended ACSI adapters (over 1 GB accessible) - that's what is most used now:  UltraSatan, ACSI2STM, SD4ST adapters .
  And Atari ST(E) HW emulators:  MiSTer .
 And driver SW is welcome with SW Atari ST(E) emulators too - Steem (Basic ACSI), Steem SSE, Hatari . For real hard disk emulation, and not for so called GemDrive.
 Just one more note: SW compatibility is best with real hard disk emulation, driver SW . Much better than with 'GemDrive' - and no need for it, when have TOS/DOS compatibility.

 How to order:  mail me at  petari@8bitchip.info - with details - Atari model, used hard disk/storage adapter type. Will get driver/partitioner SW as ZIPped all files, including instructions. As ST floppy image file, containing same files. And another special thing from me: Short SD/CF card image file (15 MB), for floppy less partitioning and driver install . Need only to write it to SD/CF card with USB reader, and boot with it on Atari ST(E) ... Will have partitioner program on RamDisk D: at start, then driver installer. So, those without working floppy drive, Gotek and like can do it all without problems.