Emax

Nice work...;) I was fiddling around trying something similar with a 
free demo of MacDrive, but it got my PC into a horrible state - I 
wouldn't recommend letting this software anywhere near your 
computer. I'll have another crack at it with this approach. 

) --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "esynthesist" <esynthesist@...> wrote:
>
> Just FYI: I managed to format a ZIP disk on a Windows XP machine 
in 
> such way that the disk is readable and bootable by an Emax.
> 
> I'll just explain exactly what I did:
> 
> 1/ I formatted the disk using a free demo-version of MacDisk (for 
> WinXP). I used the HFS (not HFS+) format option.
> 
> --> This disk is not usable on an Emax yet, but at least the 
original 
> MS-DOS format structure is "killed" :-)
> 
> 2/ Then I re-formatted the very same disk using the IomegaWare 
format 
> function (I have IomegaWare running on my PC, this package adds 
some 
> functions to the Windows Explorer menu, of which also Iomega 
Format).
> I used the short format (30 seconds) procedure.
> 
> --> This format resulted in an error... 
> 
> 3/ Immediately after this Iomega Format I re-formatted the very 
same 
> disk again, this time simply with the standard Format Disk 
function 
> in Windows Explorer. I used the "long" format option. The format 
> capacity I selected was 96 MB (the only possible one).
> 
> Then I copied an EMAX-II HD image to that ZIP disk with EMXP.
> 
> --> This disk can be read and booted on my EMAX-II !
> 
> 
> Maybe step 2 can be skipped, I don't know because I don't have any 
> non-EMAX zip disks left so I can't do another test anymore.
> 
> Anyway, whatever format tools you try, it is extremely important 
that 
> you are able to format the disk with a 96 MB capacity. So not the 
> 95.7 MB which is the default capacity suggested by Windows 
Explorer...
> 
> So it seems possible to create an EMAX-II ZIP disk from scratch 
> without any need for a Mac computer or EMAX-II sampler !
> 
> 
> Have fun,
> 
> ///E-Synthesist
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "esynthesist" <esynthesist@> wrote:
> >
> > No, the restore function always works.
> > Windows formatted ZIP disks are almost the same as Emax/MAC 
> formatted 
> > ZIP disks. But Emax/Mac machines format a few more sectors on 
the 
> > disk, and unfortunately Emax seems to check the existence of 
these 
> > additional sectors. If it can't find them, it gives an error 
> > message "Not an EMAX-II disk" or something like that.
> > 
> > I haven't found a way yet to format ZIP disks with those 
additonal 
> > sectors under Windows XP. I think it's possible with parallel 
> > versions and old Iomega drivers, but most of us use USB drives 
of 
> > course.
> > Anyway, that's the reason why there's no "format ZIP" function 
in 
> > EMXP...
> > 
> > So I hope you have access to a Mac computer somewhere ?
> > (or pre-formatted ZIP-disks for MAC, those exist too !)
> > 
> > ///E-Synthesist
> > 
> > --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "b_j_glover" <b_j_glover@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Thanks for the extra info. When I was trying the ZIP method, I 
> was 
> > > using a PC formatted (250MB) disk, though you warned this 
might 
> not 
> > > work. However, the "Restore" function in EMXP seemed to 
operate 
> > > correctly. But is the fact that Restore can be used to put an 
> image 
> > > on the disk enough to guarantee that the disk is in an 
acceptable 
> > > format to the Emax...?
> > > 
> > > > That's strange !
> > > > 
> > > > I have an EMAX-II rack without any internal HD.
> > > > The only two disk devices connected to this EMAX-II are:
> > > > - the internal floppy drive
> > > > - an external 100 MB ZIP drive with ID = 6 and terminator = 
ON.
> > > > (the Boot SCSI ID in the Master Module is set to 4 however)
> > > > 
> > > > When I boot the EMAX-II without any floppy disk in the 
drive, 
> but 
> > > > with an EMAX-II formatted ZIP disk with OS in the ZIP drive, 
it 
> > > boots 
> > > > from that ZIP disk !
> > > > 
> > > > The EMAX-II always scans the complete SCSI chain if it 
doesn't 
> > find 
> > > > an OS on the floppy disk or on the "default SCSI device" set 
by 
> > the 
> > > > SCSI ID you mentioned in the Master module. 
> > > > This Master setting does not mean that the OS can only be 
> loaded 
> > > from 
> > > > that device. The Master SCSI ID must be set if your EMAX-II 
has 
> > > > multiple HD's (or ZIP disks) each carrying its own OS. In 
that 
> > > case, 
> > > > you have to tell the EMAX-II which OS device is the 
preferred 
> > > > one/should be used. It indicates the first HD which will be 
> > checked 
> > > > by the EMAX-II. If no OS resides on that HD, EMAX-II will 
start 
> > the 
> > > > SCSI chain search.
> > > > 
> > > > So normally you should not have any problem with booting 
from 
> an 
> > > > external ZIP drive. 
> > > > (on EMAX-I however, the ZIP drive MUST have SCSI ID = 0)
> > > > 
> > > > Regards
> > > > 
> > > > ///E-Synthesist
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > --- In emax@yahoogroups.com, "b_j_glover" <b_j_glover@> 
wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi -
> > > > > 
> > > > > Thanks for the quick reply - that's an excellent utility.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Unfortunately the Emax II seems to want to read its OS 
from 
> the 
> > > > > floppy unless you change the SCSI Boot ID to something 
else. 
> > The 
> > > > > manual says:
> > > > > 
> > > > > "This function allows you to select which SCSI drive 
> (0=floppy, 
> > 1-
> > > > > 7=HD) Emax II will scan on initial power up for its 
operating 
> > > > > software. Note: Emax II will always boot from floppy if a 
> > > formatted 
> > > > > floppy disk resides in the drive on power up"
> > > > > 
> > > > > My external ZIP drive only allows the 5/6 ID setting. I 
also 
> > > tried 
> > > > > booting up from a prepared internal SCSI drive set to ID 
0, 
> and 
> > > > using 
> > > > > the trick of putting a jumper on pins 25/26 of the floppy 
> > > connector 
> > > > > to avert the system check, but it hangs on "Pease Insert 
> Disk". 
> > I 
> > > > > don't know whether that's because the drive doesn't spin 
up 
> in 
> > > > time, 
> > > > > or whether the thing is canny enough to know it's been 
> > hoodwinked.
> > > > > 
> > > > > Bleugh - after pulling apart my PC, my Emax and my 
Kurzweil 
> to 
> > > get 
> > > > > this far, I think I'm going to have to surrender to Route 
> > 66...;) 
> > > > But 
> > > > > once I get it working, I'll definitely be making more use 
of 
> > the 
> > > > > wondrous EMXP...
> > > > > 
> > > > > specify otherwise --- In 
emax@yahoogroups.com, "esynthesist" 
> > > > > <esynthesist@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Yes there is.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > You can create an EMAX-II ZIP disk image with EMXP v2.02.
> > > > > > (using the "manage Emax HD/CD images"->"create new 
image" 
> > > menu). 
> > > > > After 
> > > > > > the 96 MB image-file has been created by EMXP, you can 
add 
> an 
> > > > Emax-
> > > > > II 
> > > > > > OS to it (again with EMXP v2.02). OS files can be 
> downloaded 
> > in 
> > > > > this 
> > > > > > group or from the emulatorarchive website.
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > Then you have to copy the image to a ZIP disk (connected 
to 
> > > your 
> > > > > PC).
> > > > > > Again use EMXP for this :-) (via "restore" function)
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > One important note though !
> > > > > > The ZIP disk must have been formatted first in an "emax-
> > > > compatible" 
> > > > > way.
> > > > > > You don't need an EMAX to do that, but unfortunately my 
> > > > experience 
> > > > > > shows that simply formatting a ZIP disk on a Windows 
> machine 
> > > does 
> > > > > not 
> > > > > > guarantee an EMAX-compatible ZIP disk.
> > > > > > I always format them first on an old Mac Classic. This 
> format 
> > > > > procedure 
> > > > > > seems to be compatible with Emax...
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > ///E-Synthesist
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > 
> > > > > > --- In emax@...m, "b_j_glover" <b_j_glover@> 
> wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Hi -
> > > > > > > 
> > > > > > > I've got an Emax II (2212) which I haven't been able 
to 
> > boot 
> > > > up - 
> > > > > > I've 
> > > > > > > tried creating boot floppies, but they've never 
worked, 
> and 
> > I 
> > > > > think 
> > > > > > the 
> > > > > > > drive might need replacing. But I've got a 100MB SCSI 
Zip 
> > > > drive, 
> > > > > and 
> > > > > > I 
> > > > > > > was wondering if there might be any way to create a 
> > bootable 
> > > > > image on 
> > > > > > > that via a PC...?
> > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>