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Vintage Computers Any vintage computer systems, calculators, video games etc., but with an emphasis on 1980s and earlier equipment.

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Old 15th Sep 2021, 4:56 pm   #41
DianeDavies
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Thanks Simondm, I didn't realise how much time had elapsed since you posted your message, for which I apologize, and which I have taken on board, but as I'm not quite as techy as the majority of people who are trying to help me I am currently trying the "apparently easier" option of finding someone local with a working machine who will let me spin these disks through to check the contents. Without knowing that it may be a waste of time looking for a means of saving or converting the data to PC, but I have visited the website of Geoff's suggestion of the company in sandbach in case I need it.
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Old 15th Sep 2021, 8:59 pm   #42
GeoffB17
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Hello Diane,

As you're not persuaded by any of the other avenues suggested, there is something else to suggest.

There is another forum you might try. This is on the CPC Wiki site, which mainly deals with the CPC range of Amstrad machines but there is a fairly busy PCW section. Might be work posting a message there?

I'm regularly on that site, so I could post a message there there for you, and pass any possible contact details back to you via this site, if that would be useful?

Geoff
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Old 16th Sep 2021, 12:58 pm   #43
DianeDavies
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Geoff that would be very helpful! Thank you for suggesting it. I don't feel really confident about modifying any of our PC hardware to deal with reading the disks, so I am also posting on local Facebook groups, but your offer is enthusiastically accepted! You know the background by now, so I have full confidence in your message being well written!
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Old 16th Sep 2021, 2:10 pm   #44
GeoffB17
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Diane,

I've posted a message. See:

https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/nc100-n...ks-but-no-pcw/

We'll see if this might help.

Geoff
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Old 21st Sep 2021, 7:49 am   #45
DianeDavies
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Thank you for your post. It is really explicit, and I am hopeful!
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Old 2nd Oct 2021, 7:01 pm   #46
ortek_service
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

3" drives were also one of the few types in many decades to use a rubber-belt to drive the disc-spindle. So the most-likely problem, if acquiring an old one / complete PCW that hasn't been used for many years is that belt has perished - - Although fortunately you can buy newly-made compatible belts for these fairly cheap, from online auction site market places etc.

The Spectrum +3 also used 3" discs, but I think drives were all fairly-low format / single-sided (These disc were flippable, like 5.25" ones could be, so could effectively still use 2nd side)
This reckons later PCW8512 + PC9512 models had D/S drives fitted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk_variants#3-inch_"Compact_Floppy_Disk"_/_"CF-2"_format

Might be more people with these still around (as with Amstrad CPC664 / 6128 Home computers or CPC464 with external drive & interface)
Although formats may be different, and still a bit more awkward to get files off these onto more standard media.

I recently saw a good webpage with the parameters of loads of old computer disc formats listed - something I'd started to compile myself years ago, when I discovered the PC 'Anadisk' program that could read from many other non-PC formats. So will see if I can find what the original formats used on these were.
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Old 3rd Oct 2021, 1:53 pm   #47
GeoffB17
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Regarding the formats, Anadisk (from Sydex) can read from just about any PC type disk, and does not need to 'know' what the format is, it works it out on the fly. Sydex also make a package called 22DISK which can be used to access CP/M type formats, and this DOES need to know what the format is, and the system comes with a file containing many disk definitions, and more can be worked out and added to the template file. The docs for Anadisk include information on using Anadisk to help work out new definitions to be used by 22DISK.

The 22DISK system that I use has definitions for most of the formats used by Amstrad, PCW and CPC, this is what I use regularly to transfer files PC <--> PCW. This is assisted by the fact that I have 3.5 and 5.25 drives attached to my PCW. While my 3" drive was broken (failed stepper motor) I was using the 5.25" drive as A: using a SS boot disk that I created using 22DISK.

A unix/linux tool called I think cpmtools uses a very similar set of format definitions for CP/M disks, again incl the Amstrad 3" types.

Geoff
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Old 26th Oct 2021, 8:28 am   #48
DianeDavies
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

I am very grateful for all these ideas and feel as if I have been on a crash course in computing! I am crossing my fingers because after hours of chasing down a working PCW 9512 I have received an offer from someone who can look at the disks for me and potentially put any useable data on a memory stick or card for me. Given the disks possibly only hold 720 kb and there's only 60 or so that will be good. I have collected the balance of the disks and it's not as many as I thought, the box also contained books and other things.
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Old 26th Oct 2021, 9:44 am   #49
SiriusHardware
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Glad this task is hopefully in the process of being completed, Diane. That's quite a big job really, copying all that material at floppy disc speed and then pushing it through some kind of file format converter so it can be read and displayed by modern computers / software.

As far as the books and other items (accessories, cables?) are concerned please don't discard those, someone may be interested in re-homing them if you offer them in the 'items offered' section, or the person doing this for you might like them if they still have a PCW themselves.

Last edited by SiriusHardware; 26th Oct 2021 at 10:05 am.
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Old 26th Oct 2021, 4:01 pm   #50
GeoffB17
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Please note also that the disks themselves will have some value, once you've been able to salvage any 'family' items from them.


The Amstrad system disks, and any system/original disks for any software that your father had, could be of interest to anyone else still using a PCW. Added to that, the quantity of 'used' disks that you have could add up to a useful total.

Look on Ebay to see what such things are advertised for.

Geoff
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Old 29th Oct 2021, 1:59 pm   #51
DianeDavies
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Default Re: Amstrad PCW owner needed

Thanks for the advice on passing on the disks, I had noticed that there is a market for used amsoft disks. From what I can see there are even some unused ones! I will let this forum know how things progress, as long as the moderator doesn't close the thread! No worries Sirius, the books were my Dad's evening college notes on boiler maintenance and technical drawing, and the other items were two phones my Dad used to contact mum downstairs and vice versa!! Actually if anyone wants them they are still available! Cheers all!��
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