[Coco] VCC question regarding "Back Buffer in System Ram"

Sun Jun 4 14:20:46 EDT 2017

Steve, yes, DMK disks don't play well with VCC or DW4. Those "blank" disks on the archive came from another site long ago, long gone, and without much explination as to what they were for. JVC (for the most part) is more "universal" and works for most systems.

Also, are you using this disk in the VCC floppy drive or a DW4 slot? DW4 WILL expand a disk (a feature BTW I hate). DW4 creates a "0" length dsk image then expands it as needed, in most cases making it unusable in other systems. Also, DW4 has a way to tag disks as "Read Only". I do not use DW4 for floppies (there are better ways) unless I'm copying to a VHD or to VCC. The VCC floppy system is better to use for standard floppies.

Oh, and to create a floppy in VCC, just use the disk insert as you would to mount a disk (Cartridge/FD-502 Drive X/Insert), but type in a name that doesn't exist in the folder. Once you hit enter, you will see the disk creation dialog. Choose JVC, then check the number os sides and size needed.

Bill Pierce
"Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way to slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull

My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia
http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Strowbridge <ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>
To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Sun, Jun 4, 2017 12:23 am
Subject: Re: [Coco] VCC question regarding "Back Buffer in System Ram"

I just went to go find the link to give you Bill, and I realize I may havecreated this problem.I got a blank 158 K RS DOS disc from the CoCo archive, but I think I got aDMK disk, I see now, there are also JVC disks to chose from as well, andthat is perhaps why I'm having an issue with my disk, because it's a DMK?I don't know the difference, and when I first started this project, Ididn't know you could create you own floppies from scratch.So if that's the case, then the only issue is my own ignorance :)Steve Strowbridge, akaThe Original Gamer Stevie Strowhttp://ogsteviestrow.comogsteviestrow@gmail.comOn Sat, Jun 3, 2017 at 11:47 PM, Bill Pierce via Coco <coco at maltedmedia.com>wrote:> Steve, I have never seen this happen. What disk image were you using> (link)?>>>>>> Bill Pierce> "Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way to> slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull>> My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3> https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/> Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia> http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page>> E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com>>>>>> -----Original Message-----> From: Steve Strowbridge <ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>> To: CoCo Mailing List <coco at maltedmedia.com>> Sent: Sat, Jun 3, 2017 11:35 pm> Subject: Re: [Coco] VCC question regarding "Back Buffer in System Ram">> The disks I used came from the color computer archive it was an rsdos> 158Kdisk but after being written to, the size increases to over 200K.I was> not aware of any way to create a disk or specify any parmeters for itOn Jun> 3, 2017 11:28 PM, "Bill Pierce via Coco" <coco at maltedmedia.com>wrote:>> Steve, when you create a disk using VCC, you are given a dialog where you>> set the type of disk, # of sides and size. Of the 3 formats listed, JVC is>> about the only format usable on all systems (Not sure about CocoSDC). It>> sounds like you may be using one of the other formats.> I have no problems> creating JVC disks for use with VCC, DW4, Mess, or> XRoar and they always> remain the correct size. I don't think VCC is capable> of "expanding" a> disk size once it's created, nor does it have the ability> to "lock" disks.> This sounds like some sort of permission problem.>>>>>> Bill Pierce>> "Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way to>> slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull>> My Music from the Tandy/Radio> Shack Color Computer 2 & 3> https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/>> Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia> http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/> index.php/Main_Page>> E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com>>>>>> -----Original> Message-----> From: Steve Strowbridge <ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>> To:> CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>> Sent:> Sat, Jun 3, 2017 9:54 pm> Subject: Re: [Coco] VCC question regarding "Back> Buffer in System Ram">> Thanks Bill, for responding, I didn't get an email> notification of it, or> Iwould have responded sooner.Here is what I can> tell you about the "issue"> it's absolutely my computer(my desktop) that's> having this issue, and it> only happened _During_ thesetup of drive wire,> which I understand could be> a complete coincidence. Imoved VCC to my> Google Drive so I could work from> my laptop, and my laptopdoesn't have the> issue running the same EXE file> off the same INI file.I do have the latest> driver for my NVIDIA GTX 960> graphics card, but I hadscrewed with the> settings, which I just reset back> to standard.I'm still having the issue,> and I'm not "blaming" VCC, but I> wanted toreport it just as an FYI.So,> here is a different "issue" or> perhaps, it could be looked at as> a"Feature"The .DSK images that are being> handled by VCC end up becoming> larger thanthe standard 158K RS-DOS initial> image, and are not able to be> read on athe CoCoSDC, they are not able to be> read by XROAR at all, and I> was ableto read them in MAME as read-only, and> then had to copy them to a> newlycreated floppy disk via MAME.I don't know> if this is by design, or if> it's worth reporting, because, forme, I'd like> to take a project I work> with on an emulator, and be able tobounce it> around the physical and> virtual world at times.Thought it was worth> mentioning, and if this is> already common knowledge,forgive my ignorance to> it.I do want to make> something perfectly clear, I am in no way trying to> "shiton" the VCC> project, I'm not trying to fan the fire of hate and> debateabout the> various emulators.I have been using VCC for a while, and> for the most> parts, it's been goodto me, I'm having issue now, and they are> frustrating> me, but I'm nottrying to jump on a bandwagon of any sort, just> wanting to> share someinformation if it's relevant.Thanks!Steve Strowbridge,> akaThe> Original Gamer Stevie Strowhttp://ogsteviestrow.>> comogsteviestrow at gmail.comOn Sat, Jun 3, 2017 at 8:02 PM, Bill Pierce> via> Coco <coco at maltedmedia.com>wrote:> Steve, as I answered on the> issues> page, I think that's a directx problem.> I had the same issue once> but I> can't for the life of me remember how I> solved it. I really don't> see how> setting up dw4 had anything to do with it> as that has absolutely> nothing> to do with the video. I'll try to remember> what I did to solve> it, but you> can try downloading and installing the old> DX9 runtime and> see if that> helps>>>>>> Bill Pierce> "Charlie stole the handle, and the> train it won't> stop going, no way to> slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro> Tull>> My Music> from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3>>> https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/> Co-Contributor, Co-Editor>> for CocoPedia> http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page>>>> E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com>>>>>> -----Original Message-----> From:>> Steve Strowbridge <ogsteviestrow at gmail.com>> To: CoCo Mailing List <>> coco at maltedmedia.com>> Sent: Sat, Jun 3, 2017 1:16 pm> Subject: [Coco]>> VCC question regarding "Back Buffer in System Ram">> Bill Pierce, before>> you even start to think about telling me to post> thisissue in GitHub, I>> already did :)So, my issue today, that I hope there> is a quick solution>> to, is a recent"feature" I've encountered where upon> launching VCC I get>> an initial errormessage that says "Creating Back Buffer> in System Ram!>> This will beslower", and to make things worse, in this mode,> I can't move>> the VCC appover to my 2nd monitor which is where I want it to> do my>> recording stuff.This happened when David Ladd showed me how to> connect> VCC> to DriveWire 4(Which is no longer running).So I first tried to>> manually> un-do all the changes that connected me todrive wire, no go.I> then> deleted> and reinstalled the program, same issue.Then I downloaded a> clean> copy,> and installed to a different folder on mycomputer, still the> same>> issue.It's a problem for me that probably wouldn't affect anyone> who>> doesn't wantto use VCC on a different monitor, but for me it's a> deal>> breaker on how mycurrent recording setup goes, and I'm probably> going to>> have to switchemulators if I can't get it fixed.Any and all help> is>> appreciated.Steve Strowbridge, akaThe Original Gamer Stevie>>> Strowhttp://ogsteviestrow.comogsteviestrow@gmail.com-- Coco mailing>>> listCoco at maltedmedia.comhttps://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco>>>> --> Coco mailing list> Coco at maltedmedia.com> https://pairlist5.pair.net/>> mailman/listinfo/coco>-- Coco mailing listCoco at maltedmedia.comhttps://>> pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco>> --> Coco mailing list>> Coco at maltedmedia.com> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco>--> Coco mailing listCoco at maltedmedia.comhttps://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/> listinfo/coco>> --> Coco mailing list> Coco at maltedmedia.com> https://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco>-- Coco mailing listCoco at maltedmedia.comhttps://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/coco