kasahara@hpujsda.HP.COM (Hiroyuki Kasahara) (09/26/90)
I am using Amiga500 and SupraDrive 500XP now. Before I got a hard drive, I always used PalBooter to get a PAL screen. But when I tried it with hard drive, SupraMount program caused an error and the drive was not mounted. Then I tried the other screen mode switcher, GoPAL and FastPAL. But these programs only change a sync-rate of the output signal, and the vertical resolution of the WorkBench didn't change. (Bottom half inch of the screen is always black) So, someone please tell me the way to: 1. mount a hard drive with PalBooter. 2. change a vertical resolution of the WorkBench in PAL mode. 3. modify a hardware to change the screen mode by switch. Any help is appreciated; thanks. Hiroyuki Kasahara (kasahara@hpujisa.yhp.hp.com) ---
chem194@canterbury.ac.nz (John Davis, chem dept, Uni of Canterbury) (09/28/90)
In article <1380001@hpujsda.HP.COM>, kasahara@hpujsda.HP.COM (Hiroyuki Kasahara) writes: > I am using Amiga500 and SupraDrive 500XP now. Before I got a hard > drive, I always used PalBooter to get a PAL screen. But when I tried > it with hard drive, SupraMount program caused an error and the drive > was not mounted. .. > Any help is appreciated; thanks. > > Hiroyuki Kasahara (kasahara@hpujisa.yhp.hp.com) > --- Well, I've got a program that _may_ help. I had a look at things like PALBoot, and whilst they work well, I realised that they were no-go with anything that used it's own boot block ( like many games ), and also wouldn't work with most HD's (as they don't use the bootblock). Anyway, what I came up with was a program that wedges itself into memory (on the coldcapture and coolcapture vectors) and gives you a menu on re-boot, allowing you to choose screen mode as PAL or NTSC, and also whether to disable all auto-config devices (this will make your hard-disk invisible to viruses - helps for peace of mind). Hence every time you boot you can just select PAL. with a click of a mouse button. Of course, the _first_ time you power up the machine it's not going to work, so you'll have to boot one and run this, then reboot, but after that you should be fine ( barring total system reboots ). Anyway, it's in an archive called BootMenu.lzh, and you can find it in /incoming/amiga on Abcfd20 (xanth II) now. I apologise for not e-mailing a uuencoded copy direct, but email costs _way_ too much out here for that. If you haven't got access to FTP, well you could always ask some kindly sole in the US to get it and email it to you. Another alternative would be to simply pull the 500 apart and do the mod to make the Amiga a PAL machine (if it's a rev6 board that means just shifting one jumper, on older machines you need to actually pull the agnus and bend out one pin, or cut a rather fine trace on the mother board ). The route you take (software or hardware) will depend on which you feel happier with (actually, if you do go for the hardware route, fit a toggle switch on the pin, as that way you can quickly choose screen mode - PAL is best for most things, but NTSC is handy for a lot of games to help prevent aspect ratio distortions ) cheers...John ----------------------------------------------------------- | o John Davis - CHEM194@canterbury.ac.nz o | | o (Depart)mental Programmer,Chemistry Department o | | o University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand o | | o o | | o co-sysop AmigaINFO BBS,1200/2400 baud CCITT, o | | o 24 hours a day, ph NZ +3-3371-531 o |