************************************************************************** - THE LEGENDARY >> SUBSOFTWARE << IN 90 !!! =========================================== - CONTACT US - BP: 36 - - 1380 REBECK - - BELGIUM - - DON'T SEND ANY DISKS - ************************************************************************** BOOTSAVER --------- BootSaver was written for ST/AMIGA FORMAT in assembley by Stephen Warden(in 1988). --------- BootSaver is an easy to use boot sector copier. --------- But as well as letting you copy the boot sectors of one disk to another, it gives you the option of saving the data to a disk file for later use. If you are wondering what use this is to you i will now explain. When you insert a disk at the KICKSTART 1.2 prompt the first two sectors of the disk are read into memory by the computer. This code is then run,and therefor decides what is going to happen next. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU INSERT A NORMAL DOS DISK THAT'S BEEN INSTALLED< ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When you insert a normal DOS disk (one that has been installed using the INSTALL command that can be found in the C directory of you workbench disk) you will be confronted by the AmigaDOS window that then tries to execute any CLI command that are listed in the Startup-Sequence file that can be found in the S directory. -------------------------------------------------------------- >WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU INSERT A DISK WITH CUSTOM BOOT SECTORS< -------------------------------------------------------------- But on more and more of the commercial software(espesily games) the first two sectors of the disk are ocpyed by a custom program that does not hand contr- ol over to INTUITION and AmigaDOS. Insteed it does it's own thing so to speek. e.g. loads data from predefined postion on disk. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A VIRUS WRITES ITSELF ONTO THE BOOT SECTORS OF A CUSTOM DISK< -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IT DOSEN'T WORK, THAT'S WHAT! (I know,it's happened to me and if i ever get my hands on the guy who started the Amiga viruses i'll murder the !#@$@#@!!!) ---------------------- >HOW TO USE BootSaver< ---------------------- I designed BootSaver with ease of use in mind, so it could be used by the new Amiga owners as well as the old(so there isn't alot to explain). ------------------------------------------------------ >THE MENU (BootSaver is completely control from here)< ------------------------------------------------------ NOTE: 'Read Boot' and 'Write Boot' read and write only to DRIVE 0. Read Boot - This will attempt to read the first two sectors of the disk into memory, if it fails the program will alert you. If it succeds the ASCII read out of the first two sectors will be refreshed allowing you to examine them(look out for words like SCA as this generally meens a virus is present). Write Boot - This will attempt to write the data currently in memory onto the first two sectors of the disk(don't write to the boot when the memory buffer is empty i.e. the ASCII read out is full of "."'s). If it Write Boot is unsuccesful then you will be (as with Read Boot) confronted with an error message.(By the way if you try to write to a disk that is write protected this will cause the same error message to be displayed). NOTE: When using >Load Boot Data< and >Save Boot Data< you must firstly type the name of the file into the filename gadgetat the top of the screen. (don't forget to click in it first!). Load Boot Data - This will load data form a standard dos file (it will only load data that has been saved by BootSaver) into the memory buffer, so that you can then select Write Boot from them menu and write the data onto the first two sectors of the disk in DRIVE 0. Save Boot Data - This will save to a file(^see the note on the filename above^) the data of the last two boot sectors read into memory. WARNING: If a file of the same name already exits it will be written over. Quit - This will make the compter spontaneously combust. SORRY ABOUT THE COLOURS, A PEAR OF DARK GLASSES MAY POSSIBLY HELP. Tips I use BootSaver to backup all my disks that use custom boot sectors. You save yourself alot of money by simply reading the boots off yours disks(using Read Boot), and then saving the data as a file (SaveBootData).e.g. I would save the boot sectors of StargliderII(by Argonaut Software) using the file name StargliderII.BOOT Then if StargliderII got attacked by a virus then you could simply do the following: Click in the box next to FileName at the top of the screen, then type StargliderII.BOOT Next select the >Load Boot Data< item form the menu,if all goes well the ASCII read outs should refresh themselves. Then to fix StartgliderII you would simply have to select the >Write Boot< menu item from the menu.(Make sure the disk is write enabled.) There that wasn't too difficult ,was it now and you've just saved youself 24 quid. If you want to experiment with the program DON'T EVER EVER EVER USE AN ORIGIANAL DISK ALWAYS USE A COPY !!!!!!!!!!!