EMXP - The Emax Disk Utility for Windows XP (by ///E-Synthesist)
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CONTENTS of this file:

	- Version
	- Caution (important information !!!)
	- System requirements
	- Installing EMXP
	- Uninstalling EMXP
	- Using the EMXP software




	* * *





VERSION:

	- this is version 0.91 of EMXP
	  Changes compared to v0.90:
		- Formatting EMAX disks is supported now
		- Some additional tests have been included (type of floppy disk,
		  type of format, has Emax driver been installed, ...)
		- Program can be left at some points by pressing ESC
	- the software and the driver have only been tested on the WinXP SP1 machine
	  of the author
	- copyright information:
		- the Emax Floppy Disk Driver is based on the FLPYDISK driver source 
		  code of the DDK Samples, copyrighted by Microsoft.
		- the EMXP program is based on EMX, credits to Mike Prudence.
		- no other copyrights exist on this software.



CAUTION: READ THIS FIRST
	 IF YOU DON'T AGREE, DON'T INSTALL EMXP AND THE EMAX FLOPPY DISK DRIVER

 
	- Using EMXP and the Emax Floppy Disk Driver (*) is at own risk !
	  The author ///E-Synthesist is not responsible nor accountable for any damage
          caused by using EMXP and the Emax Floppy Disk Driver ! (read (*))

	- Do not use EMXP without first installing the Emax Floppy Disk Driver !
	  (see installation instructions below)

	- Do not use the original EMX software with the Emax Floppy Disk Driver, it
	  will generate corrupt Emax disks and Emax images.

	- After installing the Emax Floppy Disk Driver:
		- 720K DSDD floppies will NOT be supported anymore by Windows XP
		- 1.44 MB floppies will still be supported by Windows XP (I think)
		- 800K DSDD floppies (720K+) will only be supported by the EMXP software,
		  not by any other Windows program.

	  You will be able to read from and write to DSDD disks in Windows Explorer, 
	  but the results are unpredictable and will be corrupt.  SO DON'T DO IT !!

	  There should be no problem however with (the more common) 1.44MB High Density
	  floppies.
	  As 720K floppies are rarely used today (except by EMAX users :-) and 1.44MB floppies
	  should still be supported by the Emax Floppy Disk Driver, there should be no 
	  problem to keep the Emax Floppy Disk Driver as your default floppy driver.

	  However if you really want to use 720K floppies in Windows XP, you should 
	  replace the Emax Floppy Disk Driver by the original Microsoft driver after using EMXP.

	- EMXP has almost the same features as the original EMX software. 


	(*) the Emax Floppy Disk Driver is based on the original Microsoft flpydisk.sys
	    driver from the DDK Sample library. Some minor changes have been applied to
	    the parameters of the 3.5" 720K MEDIA definition in the FLO_DATA header file:
		- the number of sectors/track has been increased from 9 to 10;
		- the formatgap has been decreased from 50hex to 28hex.
	    I'm sure the Emax Floppy Disk Driver CONTAINS BUGS because I only changed those
	    parameters needed by the EMXP program. Therefore the driver should only
	    be used for EMXP purposes, although I'm pretty sure it works fine for 1.44MB HD 
	    disks by other software as well.

	  


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

	- Windows XP
	- A generic internal 3.5" floppy drive capable of running (old) DSDD floppy disks

	EMXP does not work:
	- in native MS-DOS
	- in Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000(**) and NT(**)
	- with add-on floppy drives, e.g. external USB drives

	(**) perhaps it works on a 2000 or NT system, this has not been tested.




INSTALLING EMXP:

	EMXP needs the Emax Floppy Disk Driver to be installed in order to work correctly.
	If you have not installed this driver, EMXP will create wrong Emax disks or wrong
	Emax disk images.


	INSTALLING THE DRIVER

	1. Download the EMXP software package

		a) create a folder "Emax Driver" (e.g. in "My Documents")
		b) unzip the package
		c) put following files in this folder:
			- flpyemax.inf
			- flpyemax.sys

	2. Make a backup of the current floppy driver of your system:

		a) create a folder "Backup Driver" (e.g. in "My Documents")
		b) copy following two files to this folder:
			- C:\WINDOWS\inf\flpydisk.inf (setup file)
			- C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\flpydisk.sys (system file)

		This is just a safety measure. Windows XP should be able to reactivate
		the original drivers automatically in case of trouble.

	3. Choose 
		a) START (--> SETTINGS) --> CONTROL PANEL
		b) click on the SYSTEM ICON
		c) choose the HARDWARE tab
		d) click on the DEVICE MANAGER button
		e) unfold [+] Floppy Disk Drives (not the Floppy Disk Controllers !)
		f) rightclick the floppy disk device and choose UPDATE DRIVER

		The Hardware wizard pops up.
		
	4. In the Hardware Wizard:
		a) choose INSTALL FROM A LIST OR SPECIFIC LOCATION (ADVANCED)
		b) click NEXT
		c) choose DON'T SEARCH, I WILL CHOOSE THE DRIVER TO INSTALL
		d) click NEXT
		e) click BROWSE and again BROWSE. Browse to the folder "Emax Driver" 
		   in which the FLPYEMAX.INF and FLPYEMAX.SYS files have been saved 
		   (see step 1)
		f) click on FLPYEMAX (.inf) 
		g) click NEXT

		The Hardware wizards start the installation of the driver.

	5. If you get a warning about (...) NO COMPATIBILITY WITH XP (...)
 	  	click CONTINUE 
 
		(the driver has no XP signature but it works fine on my XP system)

	The driver has been installed now.



	INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE


 	6. Extract the EMXP.EXE file from the EMXP zip package and put it in any
	   folder.
	
	7. (optional): Create a shortcut to EMXP.EXE on your Desktop

	
	Installation has finished.

	The driver is automatically activated (plug and play) so you can start using
	EMXP now !




UNINSTALLING EMXP:

	Uninstalling EMXP means:
	- replacing the Emax Floppy Disk Driver by the original Microsoft Driver
	  (so that you can use 720K floppies again)
	- (optional) removing the EMXP.EXE file


	1. Choose 
		a) START --> SETTINGS --> CONTROL PANEL
		b) click on SYSTEM ICON
		c) choose the HARDWARE tab
		d) click on the DEVICE MANAGER button
		e) unfold [+] Floppy Disk Drives (! not the Floppy Disk Controllers)
		f) rightclick the floppy disk device and choose UPDATE DRIVER

		The Hardware wizard pops up.
		
	2. In the Hardware Wizard:
		a) Choose INSTALL FROM A LIST OR SPECIFIC LOCATION (ADVANCED)
		b) click NEXT
		c) Choose DON'T SEARCH, I WILL CHOOSE THE DRIVER TO INSTALL
		d) click NEXT
		e) either:
			- click on the original driver (probably called "Floppy Disk Drive")
		   or:
			- click BROWSE and again BROWSE. Browse to the folder "Backup Driver"
			  in which the FLPYDISK.INF and FLPYDISK.SYS files have been saved 
			  (see step 2 in the installation instructions)
			- click on FLPYDISK (.inf) 
		f) click NEXT

		The Hardware wizards start the installation of the driver.

	3. If you get a warning about (...) NO COMPATIBILITY WITH XP (...)
 	  	click CONTINUE 
 
		(the driver has no XP signature but it works fine on my XP system)

		The driver has been installed now.

	4. (optional) Remove the EMXP.EXE file from your system.

	5. (optional) Remove the shortcut to EMXP.EXE from your desktop



USING THE EMXP SOFTWARE

	1. Start the program
		- either by doubleclicking on the EMXP.EXE file in Windows Explorer
		- or by doubleclicking the EMXP shortcut on your desktop (see step 7 in
		  installation instructions)
		- or by opening a DOS window, by going to the directory of EMXP with the
		  "CD" DOS command and by starting EMXP.EXE from the DOS-prompt.

	2. Put an EMAX FORMATTED DSDD floppy in your floppy drive.

	3. Choose one of the 5 menu options:
		- Read an EMAX disk bank: 
				this will create an EMX-compatible image from the floppy
				disk and save it in the folder of EMXP.
		- Write an EMAX disk bank:
				this will create an EMAX disk from an EMX-compatible image
				residing in the folder of EMXP.
		- Read EMAX OS from disk:
				this will extract the EMAX OS from the floppy disk and save
				it in the folder of EMXP.
		- Write EMAX OS to disk:
				this will write an EMAX OS to the floppy disk without
				destroying the samples and preset data on the floppy disk.
		- Format an EMAX disk:
				this will format an EMAX floppy disk and write the EMAX OS
				on it (assumed that the EMAX OS can be found in EMAXOS.EMX)

	The EMXP software has the same (DOS-like) Look&Feel as the original EMX software.
	



	
	

	


