+++++++=  .::::  :!!@+++O@@#!!.  :!@@@@*.  +&@&: .:+@@@%:  |@@@@@@-  ,!@/ :%@@@@|.  |@@@@@@-  /@@%= ,@@@@@|  |@@@@@@-  /@@@#! ,@@@@@|  |@@@@@@-  /@@@@@ ,@@@@@|   |@@@@@@-  +%%/ -@@@@@|   |@@@@@-  -@@@@@O=  :@@%!+-,  +@@@@,  -@@@@|,  :&@@@@@#%!+-.  +@@@@,  =%@@@@-  !@@@@@@@@@@#O!+:. +@@@@,  .|@@@%. -++++++++++++++++++O@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&O|: +@@@@,  |@@#! %@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@/ +@@@@,  +%@%= -++++++++++++++++++O@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@&O|: :/@@!.  /@@/  !@@@@@@@@@@#O!+:.  -@@  %@@|  :&@@@@@#%!+-.  -@@  %@O=  :@@%!+-,  -@@  %@+  ,  -@@  ,:.   .++    ++++:  .::::  .!@@@@%+  :!@@@@*.  ,@@@@@@/  |@@@@@@-  .%@@@@&|  |@@@@@@-  !!!!=  =%%%%.     READERS' QUESTIONS  Ed: As usual thanks to Andrew Wong, Steve Bolton and various other kind and knowledgeable souls for helping me out when my limited knowledge got stretched beyond its elastic limit. By the way, please feel free to send in any answers to the questions here or anything that relates to them, and please don't think that our answers are the final word - if you think they're lacking in accuracy or clarity, or are just plain wrong, please let us know. »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« Reader's Question: AmiNet CD-ROM --------------------------------- Can anyone help me, please? Not long ago I acquired an NEC-25 external SCSI CD-ROM drive and plugged it into my A3000-25 (which is unaltered apart from extra RAM.) Using the Xetec v2.01 software, I got the drive going without too much trouble, although, like Mick Slater (his review of the same setup appeared in MD38A) I had to change the SCSI identity number of the Quantum 52MB hard drive in order to forestall apparent contention at bootup time. Anyway, the "Fish and More" disc supplied by Xetec works perfectly. And I've had no trouble with the Almathera DEMO disc: if some of its contents are reluctant to run, at least they are readily accessible. Music CDs, too, play as they should. The trouble began when I got the AmiNet CD-ROM disc (Feb 94 issue): a vast collection of Amiga files from the Internet. Now, this disc is a marvellous resource which I am keen to mine, but getting the stuff out is proving very bothersome. Often, after issuing the "mount" command (or changing from another disc) the system ignores AmiNet's presence; or a requester will appear saying "no disk in drive CD0:" or "Not a DOS disk..." Occasionally, after lifting the disk out, turning it to a fresh alignment and replacing, it will start. Sometimes it even starts at the first try, but that's not the end of it. Seeking even a brief text file can take many seconds; operations on files, even simply copying a file to RAM:, can hang fire, leading to resets and more attempts at restarting. Well, I thought, perhaps it's a faulty pressing: eccentric tracks, maybe. So I persuaded the vendor to replace it, but no improvement. Incompatible with the Xetec driver? I managed to extract the AmiCDROM software from AmiNet itself and installed its cdrom-handler and mountlist in my system; but although it works well on other discs, it too has trouble with AmiNet. I've tried fiddling with driver settings, altering SCSI numbers of the CD and hard drives and removing terminating resistors, to no avail. One thing: the disc is inscribed "FORMAT ISO 9660 with Rock Ridge extensions". The Rock Ridge part may make it a little different from other discs; even so, the AmiCDROM driver is supposed to cater for it, and I've included this option in the mountlist. [In passing, a point about the Xetec v2.01 driver when used with 1.3 or 2.0 systems: the "errata" text says that the format for mounting a CD drive is: mount cd0: from cd0 This won't work; the command has to be: mount cd0: from devs:cd0 because the mount file is placed in the devs directory and has to be called from there. Possibly this will help someone else.] So, if any reader has experienced similar trouble with the Aminet CD and managed to resolve it, or anyone knows of a possible solution through familiarity with SCSI systems generally, I'd much appreciate a note in Megadisc. (If discussion is in order, a telephone number would help.) Alan Jones ---------- Ed: If you have info for Alan, call us and get his number/address. - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -  HDBACKUP I have had no luck in restoring a file which was backed up under the HDBackup utility provided in WB2. Has anyone got any suggestions? The program thinks it's completed the job (after cycling through all the backup discs), but I can't find the file itself. HI-RES POINTERS Now that I have a flicker-fixer, I am really enjoying using a Hi-Res Workbench. The only thing that detracts is the chunky pointer. Are better ones available now? Ed: Yes, make your own! Check out the Pointer icon in your Prefs drawer on WB2 or 3 (or Preferences in WB1.3) - double-clicking this will bring up a pointer editor which you can use to reshape the pointer at will. Also there are numerous pre-made pointers on the Public domain disks that we have - call and ask if you can't find them in the catalogue. CASTLE This PD game (from BOF28) is supposed to be a simple introduction to adventure-style games, but I can't even find the way into the castle. Can anyone help? Hayley Hummerston 11 William Edward Street Longueville 2066 Tel (02) 427 3625 - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -  HomeoCD Wanted Could you please find the CDROM called HomeoCD. I noticed an ad for it in ACAR about a year ago. It was from somewhere in Queensland that it was being sold. The topic is Homeopathic Medicine and hopefully it will contain the entire Materia Medica with great filters and search routines. As it was being advertised in an Amiga magazine, I assume that it was developed on Amigas too. Vince Schubert, (065) 668488 [We were unable find this title at all. It is a very specialised title so I doubt whether it is in an Amiga friendly form on CDROM (you may still be able to make use of the data if it is in standard ASCII text and/or pictures which can be easily displayed/converted on Amiga. Anyone out there able to shed some light on this title at all? -S] - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -  Dear Tim, First of all thank you for your prompt response for terminal prgrams (UT270). I am using an A500 connected to a Maxima hard drive via a Scram 500 (Both the HD and the Scram were purchased through MegaDisc) I have a total of three meg of memory all up to play with. The modem I am using is a SmartConnect 24e borrowed from a workmate and my problems are as follows: Firstly, NComm V1.92 as supplied on UT270 will not jump up and run. Double clicking on the icon makes things whiz and whir for a few seconds then the screen falshes once and nothing further occurs. The documentationstates that "xprjmodem and xprquickb libraries" have not been included. Could this be the problem?  [From memory, NComm uses some custom fonts. You'll need to have a look  using shell or a directory utility at the contents of the disk and look  for some font. These will need to be copied to your FONTS: directory.  -S-] JRComm V1.02 loads but will not dial out on my modem. The documentation assumes a certain level of knowledge on the part of the reader. I unfortunately fall somewhat short of this level and it was only with a good deal of trial and error that I finally succeeded in getting the program to save some phone numbers into its directory. Commanding the program to dial one of these has had the following result. The modem purrs like a kitten then cuts out and the program displays the message "No dial-tone detected". All this has led to a very frustrating weekend. Any suggestions as to what to try next would be greatly appreciated.  Regards, Gavin.  [I'm not an expert on modems but the fact that you are not getting a  dial tone suggests that the cable connecting the modem to the phone line  is not connected properly, other phones on the same line are causing the  problem or perhaps it's a faulty cable. Apart from that, when you are  configuring a modem make sure that you check your workbench preferences  serial settings to make sure that they correspond with what you have set  in your comms package. -S-] - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = - = -  Space Hulk  How do you get this game to run from hard disk, as the manufacturer claims it can only be run from floppy. This game is painfully slow to run this way and I am jealous of IBM owners in this case as it is easily installed for them. I have tried the ASSIGN command in many different combinations with no success. Any suggestions most welcome. Brian Cooper. Ed: Can someone help Brian out? »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41« »41«