Emax

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@yahoogroups.com, "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...?
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>