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Title: Trackstar 128 Utility Program Disk v6.2
Author: Diamond Computer Systems Inc
Version: 12-Jul-1999
Entered-date: 12-Jul-1999
Description: A backup of the COPY-PROTECTED dual format
5.25 inch Trackstar 128 disk that is used in
conjunction with a Trackstar 128 Apple ][
emulation board for your PC.
N.B. The disk is dual format - part of it can be
read by a PC and part of it can only be read
by an Apple ][ already booted into DOS 3.3.
(This is all done without turning the disk over !)
The Trackstar is a hardware + software emulation
solution to enable your PC to emulate Apple ][s.
It was sold by Diamond in the late 1980's.
Keywords: Trackstar, Emulation, PC, Card, Apple ][.
Uploader: Moose@ROcknet.net.au (Mike "Moose' O'Malley)
Primary-site: ftp.asimov.net /pub/apple_II/emulators/
330 KB - Trackstar_128_full.zip
Platform: IBM PC XT / AT or higher
More Info: 12-July-1999
Files included in this archive :
1. Trackstar_128.zip (42 KB)
- A DOS copy of the files on the Trackstar v6.2 5.25 floppy
disk. NOTE: This disk is COPY Protected !
N.B. The disk is dual format - part of it can be
read by a PC and part of it can only be read
by an Apple ][ already booted into DOS 3.3.
(This is all done without turning the disk over !)
2. Trackstar_128_teledisked.zip (128 KB)
- Teledisk image of the Trackstar v6.2 5.25 COPY Protected
dual format floppy disk.
N.B. Teledisk did report disk errors while reading this
disk to geneate the disk image - so it may or may not
have been able to handle the copy-protection - and the
teledisk image may or may not work.
To turn this disk image back into a floppy disk, run
Teledisk - see next item.
3. TeleDisk - tdisk212.zip (92 KB)
- Teledisk v2.12 ZIP file for PC's.
(Included here to save people hunting all over the Net
for it if they need it).
4. File Transfer_dsk.zip (86 KB)
- The backup of the Apple ][ based "FILE TRANSFER" program
for the Trackstar 128 card. I used Copy ][+ v7.2 to copy
this file (from the Apple ][ section of the dual format
5.25 inch Trackstar 128 Utility Program Disk v6.2)
to my Apple DOS 3.3 boot disk (with ADT installed on
it), so ADT (Apple <-> PC DIsk Transfer) is also on this
disk image. I used my real Apple ][c to do this copy.
I also tried running this "File Transfer" program on my
genuine Apple ][c, and not surprisingly got loads of
rubbish and screen corruption - the program is meant
to be run on a Trackstar Apple ][ emulator only.
I am not 100% certain that this "File Transfer" program
was copied correctly by Copy ][+ as I have no way of
testing the disk image with my Trackstar card - simply
because my Trackstar card is not functioning correctly.
(See below).
5. Trackstar_128_full.txt (5 KB)
This information text file.
I have not been able to test the Teledisk Backup of this
disk - simply because the original driver disks I had
did not work with my PCs - see below.
On my old Pentium 100 PC, I had unsatisfactory results with
the Trackstar 128. After a great deal of experimentation
and talking to other Trackstar users on the internet,
I believe the reasons why the Trackstar 128 card did not
work on my Pentium 100 were :
- Bus speed too fast for the old Trackstar 128 card,
- My High density 5.25 inch would not allow the Trackstar 128
software to correctly read the strange copy-protection
on the Trackstar 128 5.25 inch disk.
On my even older 486-DX-33, the results were better - but
the card still would not work. I believe the reasons why
the Trackstar 128 card did not work on my 486-DX-33 were :
- My High density 5.25 inch would not allow the Trackstar 128
software to correctly read the strange copy-protection
on the Trackstar 128 5.25 inch disk.
i.e. there didn't appear to be any bus speed problems on
my 486.
I have been in touch with people who have had excellent
results on old slower PCs with 360 KB - not high-density
1.2 MB floppy drives - with their Trackstar cards.
I believe the copy-protection on the original disk
causes the problems with high density floppy drives.
I did download and try the Trackstar E software for use
with my Trackstar 128, and the TSUTILIT did seem to work OK
in reading disks connected to my Trackstar 128 card.
However, the Trackstar E main program would not start -
it gave "you cannot use Trackstar E drivers with the old
Trackstar 128 card" type error message - so I could not
run the emulator and check the disk images created by
Trackstar E's TSUTILIT.
Note that I do have 3 original Trackstar 128 v6.2 Utility
Program Disks - and that none of the three would work with
my Trackstar 128 card on my PCs - see above.
Note : Can you help Crack the Copy-Protection ???
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N.B. The 5.25 inch Trackstar disk is dual format - part of
it can be read by a PC and part of it can only be read
by an Apple ][ already booted into DOS 3.3.
(This is all done without turning the disk over !)
If anybody feels confident that they can crack the
copy protection on the 5.25 inch Trackstar disk - so
that it can be run from a harddisk or then floppy disk -
then let me know and I will snail-mail one of my original
disks to you for cracking. (I have 3 original disks).
I want to keep 2 original disks, but I am prepared to
sacrifice one disk for cracking so that other
Trackstar 128 users can have an easier life, and so that
the software can be backed up properly and preserved.
I haven't tried Copywrit or Anadisk to copy the Trackstar
disk yet - they may or may not work.
Until I have a low density 360 KB floppy drive on my 486
(my only PC with a slow enough bus) my Trackstar card will
probably not function, so my hands are tied as to finding
out what copy programs might work or not, etc.
Mike "Moose' O'Malley
<Moose@ROcknet.net.au>
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