Welcome to Bitte ein Bit, version 3.6, English! (Bit36_UK)
Bit 36 is a copy and formatting program. It is fast. It
also can do something special: it can read a disk in one format
and make the copy in another format. This means that Bit 36 can
extend your single sided disks by simply telling it to copy the
disk and make the new copy into an extended format with 10 or 11
sectors per track, instead of just 9. Or, even better yet, Bit
36 can turn your single sided disks into double sided disks.
You must be careful, however. While you are in the process
of changing a disk's format, the contents of the disk are not
safe! They are only in memory. If the electricity fails, your
language will not be polite. First, make a normal copy onto an
extra disk and then afterwards change the disk's format. If
everything is OK, then you only lost 30 seconds of your life.
Bit 36 is even more special. You can choose to use it as an
accessory or a program. Simply change the extender (the three
character last name) from ACC to PRG or the other way around. If
you change it to ACC, then it becomes an accessory and you can
reset the ST and Bit 36 will always be available.
But now, let's get down to business. Let's use Bit 36.
To set up Bit 36, change the extender to ACC or PRG (click
on BIT36_UK once (it turns black), go to the "FILE" menu
(second, upper left of screen), and select "Show Info". Press
Backspace 3 times and write PRG or ACC.) You can use Bit from a
disk, RAM disk, or a hard disk. If you use it as an accessory,
change the extender to ACC. Press the reset button. It now
appears as an accessory (in the accessories menu, upper left
corner, Atari logo). Of course, you can have Bit on your disk as
both an accessory and a program; just copy the icon within the
same window by dragging it an inch or so and releasing. Give the
new copy the extender which the old copy doesn't have (if the
old is ACC, then new shall be PRG.)
To start Bit, either click on the PRG icon or select the
accessory.
Bit automatically knows if you have one or two drives. If
you have two drives, then it assumes that you will copy from A
to B. You can change this, if you want.
"Read the disk" is the first step. To copy, just insert the
disk(s) and press Return, Enter, or click "Read the disk."
Everything is done automatically. If you need to change disks,
then messages will appear.
"Write the disk" means that you write a copy of the disk
onto the target disk. This option is inactive until you have
read a disk (use "Read the disk" first). When you have copied a
disk, Bit keeps the old disk in memory until you read in a new
disk. If you want to make a further copy of the disk, just click
"Write the disk" again.
"Just format it" lets you just format a disk. Click and
select the settings. It is already set up for the standard
format.
"Table of contents" shows you what is on a disk. Either you
can look at the disks in the drive, or, if you have just read a
disk into memory (by clicking "Read the disk"), you can look at
that instead.
"Type of disk" shows you the disk's format. Again, either
the disks in the drive or the disk which is in memory.
"Format the target disk" means that you want Bit to format
the target disk, regardless if it is already formatted or not.
Normally, Bit will check if the target has the same format as
the original; if so, then it uses that and everything goes much
faster. If there is no format, or if the format is different,
then Bit (re)formats the target disk. You should let Bit make
this decision. Don't click on this option.
"Jump over empty tracks" means just that. If a track is
empty, Bit won't waste time reading it. It just goes to the
next. This again means faster copying. This option is selected
(turned on) by default (automatically); again, if you want to
change it, just click. But there's no reason to do this. The
choice is yours.
The next button lets you go to a second window.
"Make fast formats." Here, you can choose whether Bit will
make fast formats or not. If you have a pre-TOS 1.4 ST (1.4 ST's
let you move files by holding down the control key), then you
should let Bit make fast formats. It is faster to work with the
disk. This is entirely safe. TOS 1.4 or 1.6 (STE's)
automatically make fast formats. So, don't change this button.
"Not Used" isn't used. This button is kept in case Uland
comes up with a great idea.
"Intelligent formatting." Bit is an "intelligent" copier;
this means that regardless of whatever crazy format you put into
the drive, Bit looks at it and makes a copy of that format. Bit
figures it out on its own. Again, you should let Bit do this.
"Manual formatting" overrides the intelligent button. You
can tell Bit what the format is. But... if you make a mistake,
it's your cookies, Buster.
"Make exact copy" means that Bit will make an exact copy of
the original onto the target disk.
"Change copy's format" is the hot stuff. This lets you
decide that the target disk (the copied disk) will have a
different format. See what I wrote above about extending the
formats or doubling the disk's sides. Click here and the format
buttons turn from grey to active; you can click the number of
sides, tracks, and sectors (either click on an arrow or point at
the arrow and hold the mouse down.)
To change a disk's format (either to extend it or double it):
1: read the disk into memory (click "Read the disk.")
2: click "click here for more."
3: clack "Change copy's format" and set the new format.
4: cluck "Click quick quit."
5: clock "Write the disk."
Bit is safe, fast, and flexible. It won't copy protected
software; only games are protected against copying and there is
no honest reason to copy games. Bit works with large screens,
TOS 1.4, overscan screens. Bit works with high and medium
resolution.
Bit 36, which has been updated about six times now, is a
public domain program written by Uland Täffner, Friedrich Ebert
Str. 27a, D-6520 Worms, West Germany. Tips, comments, and
contributions are appreciated. You can write in English.
I translated Bit 36 from German into English and wrote this
guide. Documentation (c) Andreas Ramos 1990. This program is
distributed with the Your Second Manual to the Atari ST, by
Andreas Ramos.
Distributed in the UK by HiSoft, The Old School, Greenfield,
Bedford, UK. MK45 5DE. Tel (0525) 718 181, Fax (0525) 713 716.