robby@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Robert Spotts) (01/05/89)
Does anyone know how to transfer DOS III files to DOS II?
Rob S.gdtltr@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Gary D Duzan) (01/05/89)
In article <2625@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU> robby@vax1.acs.udel.EDU writes: > > Does anyone know how to transfer DOS III files to DOS II? > > Rob S. > Go through DOS 2.5. There is a 2.5 utility to convert 3 -> 2.5. Since 2.5 is compatible with 2, that should do it. Gary Duzan Time Lord Third Regeneration Atari Enthusiast Extreme
Chris_F_Chiesa@cup.portal.com (01/08/89)
(I haven't yet figured out how to get Portal to 'include' text of previous postings... sigh...) I once found myself needing to transfer files from DOS 3 format to DOS 2 format, but without access to DOS 2.5 or any other "transfer utility" program. I was able to solve the problem by running a BASIC program that started out running under DOS 3, read data from the "original" file into a buffer string, then somehow (I have unfortunately forgotten the details but you might be able to re-engineer it) warm-rebooted into DOS 2 without losing the data, then opened a file (now under DOS 2) and wrote the data back out. From the program's point of view, it "transparently" READ one file, and WROTE another, using DOS-version-independent OPEN, GET, and PUT statements -- but with the altera- tion, in the middle, of the underlying DOS support, it wound up transferring data from one format to the other. (It is worth noting that transfers in the OTHER direction did NOT work when I tried them; apparently DOS 3 boots up differently from DOS 2, or its memory requirements are different, with the result that the technique I used (I believe it was a USR call into the bootup code of the OS) works ONLY in ONE direction, and not in the other. This means that you have to reboot anew into DOS 3 for each file you transfer. Also, if the file to be transferred is larger than the buffer memory size, you have to transfer the file in several pieces (transfer the first N bytes; then reboot, alter the program to SKIP the first N bytes of the file and transfer the NEXT N bytes..) and then re-APPEND them under DOS 2 when you get them there. All in all, it's probably EASIER for you to find an existing utility, but if that pans out, this is one way to do the job with what you already have. Chris Chiesa Formerly 'cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP'
vaughan@canisius.UUCP (Tom Vaughan) (01/10/89)
In article <2625@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU>, robby@vax1.acs.udel.EDU (Robert Spotts) writes: > > Does anyone know how to transfer DOS III files to DOS II? > > Rob S. Try using the COPY32.com program that comes on the DOS 2.5 disk. This is its sole purpose in life. :)