Archiving my old disks

History and Preservation Issues

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Jeff-20
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Archiving my old disks

Post by Jeff-20 »

Now that I plan to use Brain's uIEC for development on the real VIC, I've been motivated to back up all of my old disks as PRG files.

It is a long tedious process, and mostly sad as I discover old games. Some are lost forever. Fragments, damaged old disks the VIC can no longer read. It never bothered me before because they weren't very good games, but for history's sake, I'd like to have them.

I had a pattern of making two part games (one for loading graphics and giving instructions/title screen; the other for the actual game loop). Often only one program will survive the aging disks. So I have half a mystery. I don't have the time or desire to recreate them. I wonder if it is worth it when there are so many new game ideas on the waiting list.
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Boray
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Post by Boray »

When did you use these disks? Do you use the same diskdrive now as then? I have never had any disk troubles, except for drives that got out of alignment. So maybe it's not the disks, maybe it's the drive?
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ral-clan
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Post by ral-clan »

But I think Jeff uses the ultra reliable CMD drives or something like that.
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eslapion
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Post by eslapion »

I got my first CD recorder in late 1995.

One of the first thing that went through my mind, considering CD-Rs back then cost about 15$ each, used a 24 carat gold layer and were considered to have an incredibly long lifespan, was to transfer all my floppies to the PC and burn them on a CD-R.

In the end, that's how Basic V4 and the NTSC version of mobile attack and Rally-X were preserved.

:wink:
Last edited by eslapion on Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Jeff-20
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Post by Jeff-20 »

I was using a 1541 when these disks were made. I have a super reliable Indus GT now. There are only 2 disks that don't seem to work right (sigh). I know there was a skate boarding game and a Connect Four clone on one. Those are the only games I really miss...
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shadyman
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Post by shadyman »

eslapion wrote:considering CD-Rs back then cost about 15$ each, used a 24 carat gold layer and were considered to have an incredibly long lifespan
Hmm. They still make 'archival'-quality DVDs with a gold layer in them. I can't speak for longevity, but I'd imagine they'd be better than regular CDs or DVDs... As for equipment that will be able to read them in 20 years? Well...
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