How to Copy C64 Disks between SD2IEC and Real Drives

[@discoHR]

This is way too slow. Try with SDBrowse, read/writes entire disk side (D64) in less than 90 seconds. Your're welcome. :)

[@JanBeta]

+discoHR I tried it a few times and it didn't work for me when writing images to real disks so I used DraCopy to be safe. Might try it again on another drive. Maybe it was just my old 1541 acting up. :/

[@discoHR]

Could be also the PSU. As I already mentioned on one of your other videos, I had issues caused by replacement PSU I used for 1541-II. Lost almost a month troubleshooting it, never suspected it was the PSU until I purchased an oscilloscope and checked the voltages. Replaced the PSU and both of my 1541-II work perfectly since then.

[@discoHR]

There is a thread on AmiBay about that... www.amibay.com/showthread.php?84131-Weird-issue-with-1541-II

[@JanBeta]

+discoHR I will definitely check that soon. Might really be an issue. Thanks for the reminder.

[@myhipsi]

DiscoHR: ...Or you could pick up a Zoomfloppy for around $35 (google it) and a 1571 drive and copy .d64, .g64, .nbz, .nib, etc. files directly from your PC to a floppy in about 10 to 15 seconds.

[@carlmeeceiii3687]

I just got back into using the c64 after a 25 year hiatus. This video was so helpful as I have some software on diskette that cannot be found in D64 format. No I can make my own D64 files onto my SD2IEC. Thanks Jan!!

[@user-wj9xq7ig2v]

This video was extremely helpful. I got this working perfectly with the pi1541. Here's how if you're wondering. Setup your physical drive as device 9. Mine is a 1541ii so the switches are on the back. With the older ones you'll have to open it and maybe solder. Lots of Google guides. Load up your dra image in your pi1541 and place a blank disk in your physical drive. Use dra to create a physical copy of itself. From device 8 to device 9. Put your new physical copy of dra in the drive. Power on the c64. Select your source image in the pi1541. Load up dra from the physical drive device 9. Remove the dra disk insert a blank disk. Format device 9. Then copy device 8 to device 9. You'll need to switch between device 8 and 9 in dra at different times. The top left arrow on the keyboard does this.

[@OldAussieAds]

I'm curious why you did it that way because I would have thought you'd make the pi1541 device 9, given you can set this with a parameter in the text file on it's SSD. And then just go in and copy from device 9 to 8. If you can copy dra from your pi1541 to a physical disk, wouldn't you just use this method to copy any other disk image to physical disk? That all said, I can't get my method to work so maybe you're right - I'm just not sure how. I can't change my real drive to 9 because it's the internal drive in my C128D and I don't want to muck about with its internals.

[@user-wj9xq7ig2v]

@@OldAussieAds I'm trying to remember why it didn't work the other way. For sure try it the other way around. That's a nice machine the 128d I'd love to come across one. Maybe keep an eye out for a cheap regular c64 or c128 to use as a disk making workhorse. I don't imagine finding a replacement drive for your machine would be too easy.

[@user-wj9xq7ig2v]

For extra fun with the c128 I remember using a program called big blue reader or bbr to create CPM disks for the 128 and other 128 specific disks.

[@OldAussieAds]

@@user-wj9xq7ig2v I got my method working over the weekend. Turns out the internal drive in the C128D is just a bit temperamental. If I don't insert the disk in a nice fast and firm manner, it doesn't read / write properly. Now I have the method down pat - it's all in the wrists 🙂. Yes the C128D is a wonderful machine to work on. The keyboard is much nicer to type on than the C64 breadbin and the internal 1571 is faster than the external 1541 I have hooked up to my 64. I also have a Commodore monitor that allows me to use the 128D's 80 column mode, and that is glorious to use - not that I have any software for it yet. I'm keen to try some.

[@OldAussieAds]

@@user-wj9xq7ig2v Oh right. I'd really like to get CP/M working. The computer historian in me knows all about it - But truth be told I've never actually used a CP/M machine in real life.

[@g-wolf9445]

I really liked the way that you can see the virtual representation of the physical disk while the read/write sequence is progressing. Thank you for this tutorial! Excellent video!

[@MsMadLemon]

19:45 That's the coolest drumkit i've seen ;o) Great tutorial, ive actually been wanting to know how to do this! Im going to get my 1541 drive out later...Thanks!

[@JanBeta]

Thanks! Hope it works for you. :)

[@rossdag4232]

your stilll around nice to seee some of your music vids you sent in message belll thanks i know u never listen for goood advice u should put 2 ceramic cpacitors from 5v 12v to grounnd and gett best quality and 100v it will stop yur power supply u hooked up a few years ago evertime u swich the 1200 on offf its skowy killing all the lsi chips ok im serious

[@djjaydee7706]

I have a SNAC2IEC adapter for my Mister FPGA system and thanks to your instructions I managed to write a *.d64 file to a real floppy disk. Thank you very much!

[@Eightbitswide]

Great video! I was using d64it, a program that takes a while, but also transfers from uIEC to a floppy disk. Got tired of waiting so I bought a 1571 and ZoomFloppy. Now it takes about 20 seconds to create a disk.

[@JanBeta]

+Jeff Ledger Thanks! Ah, haven't tried d64it yet. Maybe I'll do a follow-up video to test all methods suggested in the comments. Lots of possibilities. :)

[@stephenbruce8320]

I happen to have a collection of Drives which I do use but my interest in the SD2IEC is for archival purposes and to be able to port files to my Server for storage and also to reduce the wear and tear on the drives plus disks don't exactly last forever but I am amazed at just how long my disks have actually survived the test of time. So I recently added a SD2IEC to my collection and now its time to learn how to use it.

[@waldevv]

Finally got around to doing this, saw this a couple months ago and I bought a broken 1541 that I managed to fix with a bit of help from one of your troubleshooting videos, but I needed a second serial cable to chain the SD2IEC and the 1541, well obviously the entire postal system went on strike for a couple of weeks and my new serial cable from Norway never arrived until today almost a month after I ordered it. Currently copying one of my favorite demos onto a real disk and it's maybe 20% done, we'll see in a little bit if it actually works :) The demo is artillery by the way, as far as I know it seems like it and many other demos require a real disk drive so it's good to finally have one

[@JanBeta]

Hope it works for you in the end! Yes, many demos have sophisticated fast loaders and use trickery that only works on real drives (or 1:1 emulations like the 1541 Ultimate or the Pi1541).

[@waldevv]

@@JanBeta seems like the demo was written on the disk fine but for whatever reason it stays on the basic screen while the demo music plays and I get the kind of loading bars you get on cassettes except all the bars are red :/ also tried the triad neon demo but that got stuck on run as well

[@AlmavanHensen]

Jan, you are my new best friend! I was about to buy a SD2IEC because I wanted to write a real disk drom a d64 file. But I already have a Kung Fu Flash cartridge with SD card. So by watching your video and seeing I needed to use DraCopy, I managed to do it!! Thanks!!

[@JanBeta]

Ah, excellent! Lovely that this old video is still useful! Reminds me to make a modernized version of it some time. There's so much more new hardware for the C64 than when I did the video! :D

[@davemcd2579]

​@JanBeta yes please

[@jontoubeaux7361]

Hello I just wanted to say thank you for your video it was extremely helpful. I used a 1571 drive and it was perfect. I just set the dip switches to make it device 9 and kept my SD2IEC for device 8. DraCopy worked great. It was easy. Thanks again.

[@JanBeta]

Glad the old video is still helpful! I should make an updated version of it sometime! :D

[@reidrac]

That C64 looks beautifully good on that screen! Good video, thanks.

[@JanBeta]

Thanks! I'm using the S-video output. Also, I recapped the C64 and the RF modulator inside (which significantly improved the video quality again).

[@mrsnaglepops1876]

it's the best when you attach dracopy to a cartridge becomes an operating system being running this for 4 years now

[@lenmewes2895]

I love all your videos Jan(especially the 8-bit Commodore stuff!). This video helped me a LOT, thanks!!! I had been searching for a way to get the .D64 programs onto a real floppy. The software device change didn't work for me for some reason(tried it on both my Pi1541 & the real 1541 but no dice)....the drive just stayed as the same device number. So I went in & cut the jumper on the real 1541(will install a switch later on, but just soldered 2 wires to the jumper pads & tie them together outside the drive's case when I need it to be drive 8 for now). So, in short, your tips work for a Pi1541 as well!

[@derekdresser9214]

Jan Beta - this was a great video thanks for this. I know about SDBrows and Zoomfloopy but I love knowing other options as well. I also love how you actually show the process so clearly both from a real floopy to the SD2IEC and the other way around. I think I will give DraCopy on a few disks while I wait for my Zoom Floopy to arrive. It does seem a pain though if you have lots of disks to copy to the SD

[@painkillergko]

I heve real drive 1541- II at last. I love your videos. Greetings from Rzeszów in Poland.

[@Sultaneous]

@9:00 RE: Pronunciation of Dracopy As much as I wanted it to be Dr. A. Copy, I'm assuming it is actually "Draco-pea" as the alias of the programmer who authored this is "Draco". Great tool, thanks for the demo and pointing me in the right direction. With Fastload cartridge in, it was much faster. Most SD2IEC devices will support the "XW" command, which will write the device settings to eeprom so it survives a reboot. IE, OPEN 15,9,15:PRINT #15"XW":CLOSE 15

[@kakkakakkapylly]

Since you have Final Cartridge 3 you can change device address to 9 with command DOS"u0>{ctrl-I}" , where {ctrl-I} means you press ctrl and I together. ctrl and H, I, J, K are device numbers 8, 9, 10, 11.

[@JanBeta]

Oh, didn't know that. Thanks for the tip. :)

[@Thomaniac]

Got a 1541 just recently and normaly use my sd2iec and this here seems exactly what i need! Definitely have to try this! Great tutorial!

[@JanBeta]

Thank you sir! If you want something faster, try SDBrowse's copy function. Another modern file browser utility for the C64 that works nicely with the SD2IEC. It didn't work on my (probably slightly misaligned) drives for all disks so I used the slower DraCopy to be safe.

[@Thomaniac]

Aha, thank you for the hint! Will try this out later.

[@boredwithusernames]

There are some small solder pads on the circuit board of the old 1541, somewhere near the center, which will allow you to change the device number from 8 to 9, 10 or 11. Depending on what board you have you will find them in different places but they are definitely there, I used to work on these back in the 80's and I have changed quite a few myself ;)

[@Horzuhammer]

Great! My SD2IEC'll hopefully be arriving in the mail tomorrow, and I really want to use it in tandem with my 1541. This is a neat channel, happy to be subscribed. :)

[@JanBeta]

Thank you & welcome aboard. :) Hope it works nicely for you. If DraCopy is too slow for your taste, try SDBrowse which has all kinds of floppy speeders build in. It didn't work for all disks for me so I went for the slow but safe DraCopy for the tutorial.

[@dagglock7615]

I'm glad I found this video!! Just got some 1541's and I cleaned them up and most of them work like new. Looks like I'm going to be busy. Thanks for the Video:)

[@vbrigham]

I just got a sd card reader! It was pretty easy to set up. I see there are many different types of cases and ways they hook up. The one I have uses the tape port for its power, and doesn't allow daisy chaining the tape deck. Which is alright since I have no games on tape. Real easy to set up. I'm just looking for ideas now. I have plenty of good copy programs, but I like that one! Think I will check it out. Oh! Thanks!

[@JanBeta]

Good luck! There are many options indeed both for software and hardware. Who would have thought that C64 peripherals would still be available in 2020? ;)

[@YogSothoth1969]

Auch wenn ich es jetzt erst geschaut habe: vielen Dank für das Video, das Thema hatte mich schon eine ganze Weile interessiert!!! Gruss, Michael

[@vbrigham]

Oh hey! I have a really nice disk catalog program! Years ago I cataloged all my disks, which were over 200 disks! All my disks are numbered, so I can look for a game, sorted in alphabetical order. I have the number of the box that the disk is in, and the catalog number, which is on a sticker on the disk.

[@JanBeta]

Nice! I did something similar on the Amiga. Might even release the software sometime. ;)

[@dagglock7615]

Great video and it's so great that I ordered the emulator not too long ago and should have it in a few days. Thanks for making these kind of videos for everyone to enjoy!!

[@sjogro]

Bookmarking this for the holidays 😌

[@DusteDdekay]

Hi Jan! Thank you for hinting DraCopy, I was surprised that I couldn't figure out a way to make my U64 d64's to real floppies, maybe I'm too dim for that, but DraCopy worked perfectly! Even with 1.6 mib disks (after issuing the format command like 10 times haha)

[@CasualCommodore]

Nice editing. Love the waiting sequence! :)

[@JanBeta]

Thanks! I tried to visualize the passing time without wasting too much time. Seems to have worked. ;)

[@CasualCommodore]

Oh, yes! If it was me, I guess I would have just used a transition or sped it up with no bells and whistles (I guess..! You never know, until you sit and edit. Ideas may pop into your head.). This is way more creative, and enjoyable to watch! :)

[@michaelcarey]

Thanks for this Jan! I've been looking for a program to use for copying files to/from my NLQ-HD HDD and can work with directories. It works perfectly!

[@vbrigham]

I had one of my 1541 drives modified with a dip switch that could manually change the device number.

[@10MARC]

Thanks for the recommendation of DRACopy! That is some nice software! It even works great on the C128 in native mode and 80 column mode, which is fantastic. Great job as always, Jan!

[@BillyMartin4Life]

I used Dracopy to copy an D64 file to a floppy disc, the program does through the normal process of copying the file as shown in your video, but when it finishes, I go back it says there's no directory on the floppy disc and when I try loading the disc, it tells me there's nothing on it. Would anyone know what i'm doing wrong, or what's the problem?

[@lesterjeffries2467]

Can this work on a 128D? You cannot turn off the 128D and still change the device number?

[@ClausB]

Exactly what I was looking for!!! I like your videos! Clear and brief!

[@KohlswaCNC]

only program that worked for me together with a pi1541 option B so far. also works in VICE while again I couldn't get any of the other copiers to work.

[@atarimex2643]

thanks a lot for this tutorial. Just excellent for novice like me. Best of luck!

[@Drvarnick]

What interface you used to connect your Commodore to LCD?? You have very clear picture

[@SuperRetroid]

YAY Mr Heli! \o/ That was hell on tape.

[@JanBeta]

+Paul Wood Luckily, I had it on disk back then. Budget re-release but it came with a free Mr. Heli poster! :)

[@fiber0ptichell452]

And it came with the Illusion intro screen at no cost. FIBER0PTIC/FBR, Teh HUMBLE Guys, Napalm & Worship Inc...

[@back2skooldaze]

brilliant video :) A little bit long in parts but once you get the idea all is good :) I like the program you loaded to copy from one drive to another its very good :)

[@JanBeta]

Thanks! Yes, it's the most convenient program I found (apart from the lack of speed...).

[@smokingunclefrank6037]

Awesome video I really enjoyed it, it was very informative and thank you for the links

[@JoeMcLutz]

Thank You Jan! I was strugglin' over it! :)

[@JanBeta]

Glad I could help! There's also some faster methods around that you could try. SDBrowse has a build in disk copy I find quite convenient and it's faster. Maybe I'll make a follow up to this video some time. I'm learning new methods to do things all the time. ;)

[@JoeMcLutz]

Nice to hear about that! I'm testing DraCopy with SpeedDos and it works! (well at least reading data with original 1541 and writing to sd2iec ;) ) So... Looking forward for your next videos! Thanks again! :)

[@gustavlans1850]

Hello Jan! I’m a ’born again’ C64-geek and I want to copy games from my SD2iec to disk. I have followed Your instruktions changing the SD device#to 9, however all my filés from #9 are listen as being 689 blocks. That menas they won’t fit on a 5,25”… I have also tried putting games on my 1581-drive where they fit but won’t start. All being D64 filés… What am I doning wrong? Grüß gott/ Gustav from Sweden

[@terranceclark3479]

This video saves me again!

[@Rolf_Venz]

THX so much for the video. i had a problem with pains & arches a game i bought on protovision (2018 release)for download but it did not run correctly from sd card...it hang up when loading savegame etc. thx to you i could copy it to real C64 disk and make it work.

[@MorreskiBear]

When the physical disk to D64 copy was complete, at 20:35 it showed drive 9 still had 664 blocks free vs the 50 it should have had at that point. Does that simply not update unless the directory is refreshed?

[@JanBeta]

Oh, didn't realize that. Must be exactly as you said, it updates when refreshed I guess. Reading the disk from BASIC gave the correct amount of free space.

[@sieglindegeruldis5841]

worked quite fine with me. :) thanks a lot! jetzt kann ich den SD2IEC sehr gut nutzen! danke.

[@EdwinNoorlander]

Thanks for your nice videos, it make me happy and want to work with my Commodore 64's. I think a gonna make a rom cartridges with DraCopy.. and SD to Rom emulator. 👍🏻🤓

[@JanBeta]

+Edwin Noorlander Oh, thank you! It make me really happy that you want to do stuff with your C64 again. You should also try SDBrowse (same functionality like DraCopy but more modern and with all kinds of neat tricks). :)

[@rossdag4232]

jan were can u buy the dc square cockets what is their name??

[@tonyfishlock7240]

Did you try it using jiffy dos for a speed increase

[@Maruera]

Good one! Thx. Btw. I first thought my Monitor was full of dust, but realized it was on yours =D

[@JanBeta]

Haha, yeah, I should really have cleaned a bit before shooting the video.... ;)

[@greggregson9687]

Hey Jan, where did you find the plan (or kit) for the double din SD2IEC? I cannot find one for love or money. I can find plenty of schematics and kits for double din pi1541s, which begs the question; Can this be done using a pi1541?

[@jamesd7195]

Thank you, this is exactly what I needed.

[@JanBeta]

Glad I could help. There are numerous ways to do this but this one proved to be the most reliable for me so far.

[@thomaswinston7127]

'There real floppy is turned off' said the actress to the Bishop. 😏😅

[@giumacgyver7127]

Wie bekommst du das doppelte Fenster Source/Destination hin ? Wenn ich DC starte, sehe ich nur ein einzie Spalte. I finde auch keine Taste zum druecken . Geiles Programm, wer weiss ob es schneller wie mit CBM Command geht.

[@gustavlans1850]

Hallo Jan! How can I download that EMPTY DISK-file?

[@Adam-rt7lp]

Amazing!

[@Michaelebills]

Is it possible to format and use DS/HD 5.25 floppy disks on a 1541 drive?

[@g4b313]

Hi. I am a Volks Computer 20 fan. I frequently look your videos on youtube. I just have a question. I've recently bought a sd2iec reader but the problem is that i have a Device not present error. I've tried differnt supplies for the sd2iec, different sd cards,the seller send me another sd2iec reader but same problem. There is no cable problem. I also tried with a C 64 and same problem. But both c64 and Vc20 can acces to my 1541 floppy with any commands like Load"$",8. I also tried with the 9,10... but still sams Device not present error. Have any idea please?

[@waldevv]

So is there a faster way by any chance? Something that would maybe benefit from a epyx fastload reloaded or just faster in general? SDbrowse just crashes the machine as soon as I hit start on the copy and CBM command seems about as fast and also crashed after copying like 20%. dracopy works perfectly but god damn 30 minutes to copy a double sided game is a bit much

[@JanBeta]

I think the ways you mentioned are what’s currently available when using a real C64. There are a couple of options using a PC and a 1541 like the ZoomFloppy and the X1541 (and derivations).

[@AzHeat63]

Do you have any information OR video on how to make a Device 8-9 switch on the Commodore 1541 drive? Thanks!

[@arduino5267]

Geiles Video jan....weiter so

[@TheRetroByte]

Hi Jan I'm a little late to the party but want to try this soon. Is this still the way its done 2 years later or is their a more up to date method. 👍 💾

[@Laziter73]

Have you tried Kopsecs MP32C64? With that you can use apps like TapDancer to load and run tape games. Even works with WAV and MP3 files from any player like PCs, MP3 players and stuff. I built one myself not so long ago (bought the kit from Kopsec on eBay) and it works like a charm :)

[@JanBeta]

+Laziter73 Haven't tried it but it sure is an interesting device!

[@rossdag4232]

id love to know how to copy diskslike in your intro will u show us in ur latest vdeo please i got 1000 plus c64 floppys i want to convet them into my windows 7 computer they will be safer there

[@mikehill9806]

Brilliant video, thank you. This is something I very much want to do but I can't find an SD2IEC that looks anything like yours. Did you make it yourself?

[@d_vibe-swe]

It works fine with the ones from The Future Was 8 Bit, just connect the serial cable from the SD2IEC to the other port of the 1541 after writing the drive number (9) to the SD2IEC:s EEPROM (if you're like me, having an older 1541 drive where you can't change the drive number), and the connect the serial cable from the 1541 to the C64. I'm backuping my disks atm. To Jan Beta: Thanks for the tip about this program! It did what I wanted, that is, copying my files instead of just making D64. Exactly what I wanted..

[@TechLord79]

When I use DraBrowse/DraCopy 1.0e, I get "Incompatible drives/... detected" 🤔

[@CptHardy-ye6xp]

DraCopy only works with 1541 and D64 files but not with 1581 and D81 files. Does anyone have a solution for that szenario?

[@SteveHacker]

Is it even possible to get blank 5.25 inch floppy disks anymore in 2018?

[@chippy273]

Just bought 3 packs of 10 each. They cost me about 5 Euros a Pack (so 50cents a Disk), which is quite cheap. They are in unused "new old stock" condition. Look for "EZI-International 525" with your favorite search engine you should find a german web-shop selling these.

[@crystalgayleaddict]

a little question, you mention commodore drives slowness ... does the SD2IEC work with disk accelerators like powercartridge ?

[@JanBeta]

+crystalgayleaddict It only works with some accelerators it is specially patched for. I can confirm it works with the Final Cartridge III. There's a list of supported speeders somewhere in the SD2IEC documentation (I don't find at the moment).

[@crystalgayleaddict]

ok, thanks for the reply and tips. I had a C64 by the time, then a C128 before I siwiched for PC and finally to macs with OSX around 15 years ago. I have 8 bits (and a few 16 or 32 likes archimedes, amiga (1000,2000&1200) and atari ST1040) computer collection, including a few C64 & 2 C128(1 x128 & 1x 128D). I have stored them in closets and attic for years now, but wish to get them out and play with them again, so would like to buy SD2IEC. that will be useful.

[@JanBeta]

Oh, impressive collection! Good thing that you want to get all the glorious machines out of the closet again. :) SD2IEC is really convenient for daily use. Some software that uses floppy speeders or special stuff depending on a real drive will not work, though. If you have the money, you could get an 1541Ultimate.

[@crystalgayleaddict]

Yes I noticed the 1541Utimate, but idea of its price. Btw, I have listed my entire collection on my website, see www dot charleslochet dot eu last icon bottom left of the page (dragon picture)

[@JanBeta]

I just checked your collection out. Beautiful machines there! Merci for sharing the link! :) And yeah, the price tag is what prevented me buying a 1541U.

[@MS-ho9wq]

Where did you get that Lips brand monitor; is it like a European thing or something? Never seen it before.

[@wolfcanine100]

It's Phillips lol he had to avoid copyright lawsuit and stuck s piece of black tape over half lmao

[@johandenhertog6878]

Do it work with the Commodore 1541-II as drive 8 and the Commodore 1571 as drive 9. I want the real stuff on my Commodore 64C and like to load on the floppies with the Commodore 1702 monitor.

[@JanBeta]

It should work with two real drives just the same. I haven't tried yet but the SD2IEC basically just emulates a normal disk drive. I'm also a huge fan of using the real hardware. I'm using the SD2IEC for convenience and because my space is very limited so I can't set up disk drives permanently at the moment.

[@fiber0ptichell452]

,8,1 understand, but what about $ and %, are you going that minimal/purist? IE: you want those 10-20 minute load times?

[@trailersic]

Followed all your instructions is it normal for the 1541 to keep making horrible rggrgrgrgrgrg sounds regularly usually once per block

[@johnd.8225]

When it's constantly making a noise, it means the disk needs to formatted first. Final Cartridge III Pro does a good job of this.

[@walkero]

Great video there. Is it possible to copy files from .crt or .t64 to disk as well?

[@JanBeta]

Thanks! It's not so trivial copying files fro CRT, as the cartridges basically overwrite potions of memory, sometimes parts of the kernal. Normal copy routines won't work for that. There might be ways to do it with an emulator but I haven't really looked into it.

[@wolfcanine100]

How did you get out of the dracopy directory I can't see my other files on my sd2iec. Just whatever was in the dracopy.prg directory

[@wolfcanine100]

Nevermind figured it out

[@OldAussieAds]

I tried your method using a pi1541 set as drive 9 and my internal C128DCR drive as drive 8. All went exactly as you have here except that when I looked on the disk (via LOAD"$",8), I got the ?FILE NOT FOUND ERROR. Apart from me having slightly different equipment to yours, the only thing I did differently was my real disk in drive 8 wasn't pre-formatted. Could that have been my issue? Edit: I formatted the disk using DraCopy and then noticed straight after the disk still said "No Directory". I did the disk copy (F8) anyway and it went through all the motions, with the drive whirring away the whole time. Still no luck.

[@JanBeta]

Mh, that it very strange. It should work fine with the C128 internal drive as long as you set the drive IDs correctly. Is the disk drive working properly in regular use? Maybe you could also try copying single files across just for sanity checking. If I remember correctly, it’s not necessary to format the disks before using the Dracopy method, it should just copy all tracks to the new disk and format it as it goes.

[@OldAussieAds]

@@JanBeta I got it working. I think the issue was a temperamental internal C128D drive. If the disk isn't inserted just right, it doesn't work properly - But the computer isn't smart enough to tell you so (e.g. "sorry, I wasn't able to format the disk properly", like you'd get with a modern OS). So my method is to now format the drive using the BASIC "OPEN" command on my C64 with attached 1541. I then type a quick BASIC program and SAVE that to the disk. I then put the disk in the C128D and see if I can load the directory. If no, then I remove the disk and put it back in and try again. If yes, then from then on, I'm good to go. It's a bit of a pain, but I'll only need to do this a handful of times while I copy my favourite software to the real disks. And who said retro computing was all smooth sailing? I've noted the sound the drive makes when it's working and doing a copy - much smoother than the loud mechanical sound I was hearing before. By the way, thank you for your recommendation of DraCopy. It's a great little utility!

[@FITSKICK]

hey Jan after more than 30 years i bought a c64 again it is just a great machine :) now i have the problem how do i connect my c64 to my pc monitor because a certain cable the monitor has no cinch connection best regards from germany

[@fiber0ptichell452]

I noticed you/someone bumped a smoke into the front of the 1541-II. Good video Jan. FIBER0PTIC/FBR, Teh HUMBLE Guys, Napalm & Worship Inc...

[@JanBeta]

Thank you! Yes, there's some plastic that got too much heat or something chemical on the front. It wasn't me though, I got the drive for free but in a very sorry state. Made a video about it a while back.

[@fiber0ptichell452]

I'm an only child, I kept my stuff in mint condition. You have seen me post, you know I was connected (FBR), and ran a BBS. I never had locals on my board because they never had anything 0 day and would just make my line busy. I would upload to locals boards using my parents business line(they asked me many times never to use that phone. remember we were the smart kids that knew how to use a computer, parents will never know) I had accounts on 2 or 3 boards local and would upload to them 4 or 5 times a week. I did not avoid locals too say but I would not spend much if any time posting messages. over the years I went to a few local computer shows. shareware vendors dominated the floor space, a few hardware guys selling fastload type cartridges, retail computer stores would bring blank disks to sell. I don't remember any user groups in my area code. I went to around a dozen other private homes where c64 or amiga was setup. Now remember, I'm an only child, my stuff was dust free, so clean you can eat off it (aside from the cat hair). more than 1/2 and I would venture to say 3/4ths of the commodore setups I looked at had those same burn marks. Many had stickers. Home setups were in the bedroom and not on a desk, they would be on end tables or on a dresser with bad airflow. The few disks they did have were ontop of the air vents of the 1541. Those that smoked would set ash trays on top of the 1541 and ash would be all over the place. burn marks on the c64 case along the top, when both hands were needed (games? I don't remember porn on the c64 in the late 80's early 90's) guess that was a common place for smokers to use. I still have most of my hardware. the 1541 has switchs in the front to change device numbers.1571 is absolute mint condition, 1541c the dip switch on the back has pen marks but works. I had three or four 1581's and for some reason I only remember one of them in storage and its flawless. I have all the original boxes and manuals. my Board was run on a c128 and I used the 1571 as my BBS system drive "8" (I remember it was x2 the drive space or something special/faster?) and on "9, 10 and 11" the 1581's all in a stack with blocks of wood and fans between each level. I had a c64, 1541, and 1541c as my game/outgoing calls/later another BBS when parents were sleeping. Supra 2400 baud modems. I could connect to anything. I recall others went cheap and picked up Zoom modems. I have box and manuals for Snapshot, mach 5, explode, epyx fastload, action replay and atleast one more in a yellow box/red lettering. 1802 Monitor, I picked that up used and never had a box. It was a better picture vs. the TV. I have nothing new atm... I do have a single land line now and would like to setup a real c64 BBS again, connected to the net I would use that phone line for the messageboards and any file transfers I will just use one of my adult website server(active now, just need to open the public directory and upload everything). I have an original PC Board BBS that never went online... darn Secret Service took my hardware for two years, they gave it back but I lost touch with my old friends. BBS's started to die because of the internet, everyone went to college and started doing that real life thing with 9 to 5 jobs, wives and baby making. I would setup a PC Board BBS and let everyone telnet in, I need to find someone that has done this before and can tell me what the best setup is. I will have the FTP setup reguardless if I do the BBS or not. the world can never have enough free FTP sites. Maybe setting up a IRC channel? I need to get one of those disk copy/sd card setups to port my old c64 warez over. I have some games/demos/tools that are not in any lists that I seen online, tons of text files from the H/P side of the c64. I have FBR logos and Intro makers, I have the final version of Handyterm, BUBBS (the bbs that supports handyterm. hmodem. its faster than xmodem/ymodem), Napalm, intros never used, lots of hacking programs that are worthless today but nice to fill in missing c64 history before it's lost forever. I'm driving right now. not going to spell check this. If anyone has a goto site for details on connecting a c64 bbs or PC Board please post it for me and give your thoughts on setting up anything c64/amiga related. will it be a waste of time due to lack of public intrest. Like opening up a VCR repair business. I have one rule for my downloads, It must have a intro screen or at least a .NFO file included. FIBER0PTIC

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

Jan, I’m trying to move disk files from my SD2IEC to my 1571 floppy drive like you show here. When I run DraCopy only one drive comes up, drive 8, which is the SD2IEC. I have the 1571 switched to drive 9 and turned on and I can format the blank disk, so it’s connected correctly. How do I get the program to see disk 9?

[@JanBeta]

If the drive IDs are set correctly the only thing I can think of is that DraCopy doesn’t support the 1571 (which would be strange but maybe that‘s the issue). 🤔 I don’t have one to try unfortunately.

[@bobsbarnworkshop]

@@JanBeta thanks Jan. It makes sense, typical for the way things go for me! I know the 1571 is on the bus because I formatted a disk and read the directory as device 9…. Oh well! I do have a 1541 with an Alps drive but I have been tinkering with it to set the alignment…. Still sketchy! Maybe I’ll try the 1541 just to see if it shows up!? Thanks!

[@RagonTheHitman]

Danke fürs Video. Werde ich mal probieren. Natürlich erstmal mit SDBrowse, in der Hoffnung es geht mit dem 1571 Laufwerk :) 10 Minuten warten pro Diskette bei mindestens 300 die ich irgendwann kopieren möchte.... wäre doch zu lange.

[@JanBeta]

Mit der 1571 sollte das ganze sowieso schon ein bisschen schneller gehen. Ich glaube mit der ZoomFloppy Hardware geht es am schnellsten (kopiert dann direkt auf den PC).

[@fiber0ptichell452]

English only, unless it's not English.

[@back2skooldaze]

How do you connect your c64 up to a modern lcd tv ? I have tried mine and the picture is not that good so i went back to a crt tv

[@JanBeta]

I'm using a Ligawo S-video/composite to HDMI converter. It works pretty well so far. Still pictures look better than fast moving ones though.

[@thadoctorreturns2999]

Is it smart enough to determine the disk size and create the according image? (Example, will it recognize my 1581 disks and make .d81 files automatically, or do I need to start with a blank d81 template?)

[@JanBeta]

I don't have a 1581 so I haven't tried but I guess you have to make a d81 file. D64s are too small (and afaik the format doesn't expand) to hold a full 1581 disk.

[@KrautRockt]

grüße, ich schon wieder ...dor chemnitzer retro hippie. eine frage: was denkst du, kann man die SD2IEC gut an enem c65 (original) verwenden?...ich hab leider keine möglichkeit disketten zu beschreiben im 3,5 format..max. ein Amiga?!?...was denkst du, wäre das ne alternative?..PS: danke für die dumme fragen und alles gute, sowie einen schönen sommer dir ..! bei dir lernt man was....dor KRautROckt!er

[@AzHeat63]

Where did you purchase the SD2IEC card? Can't seem to find it. Thanks!

[@FlightDreamz]

@AzHeat63 Google TheFutureWas8Bit see www.thefuturewas8bit.com/shop/commodore/sd2iec-range.html

[@milszab]

Hy. Monitor is it connected? What cable should I add?

[@JanBeta]

I connected the monitor with my self-made S-video cable (see video from a few months ago) and a Ligawo s-video/composite to HDMI converter (I don't recommend that thing at all).

[@knikk77]

Stupid question, but was this a preformated floppy? :-)

[@JanBeta]

I think so. I don’t think it is strictly necessary though.

[@terranceclark3479]

Thanks!

[@grave8digger8]

So Jan, i've make also also a copy from SD2IEC to Real disc Drive. I've stopped the time...16 Minutes :) But for some Disc's to copy is it OK. It's Datasette Time :) ;)

[@JanBeta]

You can speed it up by using JiffyDOS or something similar. I think even my Final Cartridge III sped it up a bit. If you want to copy more disks, you can also try SDBrowse which has a build in speeder but is very difficult to use (the GUI is strange and the keyboard shortcuts are also odd)... :)

[@grave8digger8]

How much tinme is needed to copy a whole disc from SD2IEC to Real Floppy 1541?

[@JanBeta]

I don't remember exactly how long it took, but it was looooong. I'm planning on doing another video about copying real disks/d64 files soon(ish).

[@grave8digger8]

Thanx Jan. I will copy some great Programms back to disc. I hope, i have so looooong time :) ;)

[@SantosPerezAttorney]

Holy shiet man, this video is like a rock concert man. Ohh. OOoooh... Damn! Hawt!

[@jeppelarsen2558]

Can you copy more than one game to a disk using this method.?

[@JanBeta]

The method I've shown is for full disks only but DraCopy also has pretty a convenient file copy built in that will do the job.

[@jeppelarsen2558]

Could you make a quick video how to make multigame disks?

[@icsunonova]

hi jan top video this 1...can u make 1 for the vic-20 too? copying it to real floppy's

[@JanBeta]

Good idea! I'll put it on my to-do list. There's a lot of stuff on there and I only have so much time so it really might be a while. The disk commands should work exactly the same at least as it's the same serial bus and the same BASIC.

[@icsunonova]

i was looking for copy programs for the vic but i cant find anything for it maybe do it on the c64 for the vic20?

[@arduino5267]

Kannst du mal zeigen wie das für ne Datasette funktionieren würde?

[@JanBeta]

Das ist ein bisschen komplizierter, weil du keine zwei Datasetten gleichzeitig anschließen kannst in der Standardkonfiguration. Ich habe mal ein Video gemacht, wo ich TAP files in WAV umgewandelt habe und die mit einem Tapedeck auf Kassetten aufgenommen habe. Hat funktioniert, ist aber natürlich ziemlich umständlich.

[@arduino5267]

@@JanBeta super. Danke dir. Bitte mach weiter so und bleib uns erhalten. Deine Videos zeigen deine Erfahrung und so etwas kann man in keinem Buch lernen. Auch deine guten sehr nahen Aufnahmen helfen sehr. Danke weiter so

[@back2skooldaze]

I use a fast load epyx cart with my sd2iec and it speeds things up much faster :)

[@JanBeta]

Yes, I have one of those now, too. Very fast indeed with the SD2IEC!

[@peterk1837]

Plugged my sd2iec into the disk drive, and my disk drive into the C64. The C64 could not identify either. When the disk drive was switched on, the sd2iec could be identified but not the disk drive.

[@JanBeta]

Did you do the device number change? The C64 serial bus can be a bit stubborn (as devices are all connected in parallel).

[@peterk1837]

@@JanBeta Thanks for your reply. Followed your tutorial carefully. I will try again. On another note, I played Alien Syndrome on SD2IEC and on disk, and they looked a bit different (colours, slightly in movement). Does that sound right? Is the SD2IEC an approximate emulator? I thought it was supposed to be accurate.

[@104d_3rr0r_vince]

Is this possible with tapes?

[@CasualCommodore]

Yes, .TAP images can be written back to tape. There are two methods, that I know of. 1: If you have an REU (RAM expansion) for the machine, you can use the C64 program "TAP Writer" to do the job. Or 2: If you have a "1541 Ultimate-II" cartridge plus the tape adapter for it, you can use the 1541U-II's direct built-in function to do it. In my personal experience, the latter method is the most reliable. Oh, and the 1541U can also simulate REU expansions, if you'd prefer the "TAP writer" method. Then you would not need the tape adapter. Are there other methods? Someone please chime in. ;)

[@JanBeta]

I used a DOS tool called "WAV2TAP" ages ago to convert some of my tapes to .TAP files. Worked very well. You had to sample the sound on the tape and save it as a .WAV and the tool would convert it. It seems to be still available. For the other direction I don't know any solutions. Anyone else? ;)

[@104d_3rr0r_vince]

Jan Beta yes I did that and other things with good results. I was asking for this unit if it is possible cause never had one :-)

[@JanBeta]

+Vincent GR Ah, okay! I misunderstood the question slightly then. It's impossible with the SD2IECs because the firmware only supports disk images and disk drive emulation. TAP and T64 files are not recognized.

[@104d_3rr0r_vince]

Casual Commodore 64 also I did some direct to pc sampling and worked well. Another thing that amazed me was wav2prg. I did some fast loading wavs there i.e 12mins game down to 3 and worked fine on a plain datassette. It is just picky on cassettes, sony and basf are the way.

[@SantosPerezAttorney]

Em Bee Ta! Dude!

[@xxruediger77xx]

DAs problem bei mir ist das ich nicht im fenster wecheseln kann von 8 auf 9

[@raymondheath7668]

Just repaird my 1983 and can'twait to getone of these

[@SenileOtaku]

Not quite "like Windows", as you put it. The utility looks more like an XTree clone.

[@JanBeta]

Yeah, you are probably right. It also reminds me a bit of good old Norton Commander and similar tools.