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How do create, initialize and format a Harddisk image by using UNZ.

1.) Install UNZ and all necessary ROMs (sorry, no link).

2.) Start UNZ and immediately select Settings > Proberty > HDD > Create a new HD image... (Example: 260MB)

3.) Mount the created image (Example: HDD260MB.h0) on Unit 0.

4.) Mount the MS-DOS 6.2 Floppy Disk Image (sorry, no link) on Drive0.

5.) File > Reset

6.) If you see the DOS prompt type setup2 to start the setup.



7.) You will see now the following screen:



8.) Press Enter

9.) Move to D: press Enter, select the 2nd option and press Enter again, select the 1st option then press Enter



Press Tab, press Enter and then press Y. You get now following screen:



10.) Press Enter on Drive No. 1 and you will see 5 columns here relating to the HDD.
a) In the first column press Enter then type HDD (as example) for the label and press Enter.
b) You will now be in second column. Press Enter, select MS-DOS for the OS type and press Enter again.
c) You will now be in the third column. Press the right arrow so that you move to the fourth column. Press Enter, select the 2nd option to set the Harddisk image as active and press Enter.
d) You will now be in the fifth column. Press Enter then hold down the right arrow until all the space is assigned and then press Enter again.
As example 127MB are assigned.



11.) Press F3 and you see following screen:



12.) Press F3 twice and then press Y and Enter.

13.) Unz make now a reset.

14.) If you see the DOS prompt type format d: /s and press Enter.





15.) The Harddisk image is now formatted and bootable.

To modify files on the Harddisk image and/or convert the Harddisk image see here.

lol, really cool icons.

You can now do all this in MESS.

Create a blank CHD
CHDMAN -createblankhd <chdfile> <cylinders> <heads> <sectors>

The cylinder/heads/sectors parameter are not very relevant, SCSI does not care about these, but 100 16 50 will produce a ~40MB CHD.

Follow Anna's instructions above, (but using MESS instead of Unz, of course), and it should work fine.

Currently trying to get MESS to do a TownsOS installation - it generally works, but a disk error occurs at a certain point, although you can continue with the installation, the HD crashes on boot. Probably just a minor glitch, but finding it might be difficult...

Ahh, I see you made a new update (r9584). The Harddisk image is now writeable.

So we no more need UNZ. I have to change something ...

PS: Unfortunately, I can no more edit my old post .

How do create, initialize and format (MS-DOS) a Harddisk image by using MESS and CHDMAN.

1.) Create a blank Harddisk image.
CHDMAN -createblankhd <chdfile> <cylinders> <heads> <sectors>
Example: 260MB
CHDMAN -createblankhd HDD260MB.chd 640 16 52

2.) Mount the created blank Harddisk image.

3.) Mount the MS-DOS 6.2 (for FM-Towns) Floppy Disk Image.

4.) Start The FM-Towns emulation (MESS).

5.) If you see the DOS prompt type setup2 to start the setup.



6.) You will see now the following screen:



7.) Press Enter

8.) Move to D: press Enter, select the 2nd option and press Enter again, select the 1st option then press Enter



9.) Press Tab, press Enter and then press Y. You get now following screen:



10.) Press Enter on Drive No. 1 and you will see 5 columns here relating to the HDD.
a) In the first column press Enter then type HDD (as example) for the label and press Enter.
b) You will now be in second column. Press Enter, select MS-DOS for the OS type and press Enter again.
c) You will now be in the third column. Press the right arrow so that you move to the fourth column. Press Enter, select the 2nd option to set the Harddisk image as active and press Enter.
d) You will now be in the fifth column. Press Enter then hold down the right arrow until all the space is assigned and then press Enter again.
As example 127MB are assigned.

11.) Press F3 and you see following screen:



12.) Press F3 twice and then press Y and Enter. The Harddisk image is initialized.

13.) The FM-Towns driver make now a reset.

14.) If you see the DOS prompt type format d: /s and press Enter.





15.) The Harddisk image is now formatted and bootable.

If you have still problems to boot the Harddisk image then check whether the Harddisk image was really initialized and formatted or not.
Also it can be, the CMOS RAM is wrong which is saved as NVRAM (fmtowns.nv).
Delete the older one or replace it with this file .


To modify files on the Harddisk image and/or convert the Harddisk image see here .

How do create and initialize (Towns System Software V2.1L51) a Harddisk image by using MESS and CHDMAN + install TownsOS.

Part 1

First, it is better to delete the old NVRAM file if availble.

1.) Create a blank Harddisk image.
CHDMAN -createblankhd <chdfile> <cylinders> <heads> <sectors>
Example: 260MB
CHDMAN -createblankhd HDD260MB.chd 640 16 52

2.) Mount the created blank Harddisk image.

3.) Mount the Towns System Software V2.1L51 CD image. You have to convert the original bootable CD image to CHD before.

4.) Start The FM-Towns emulation (MESS).

5.) You will see now the following screen (the drive letters can be depent of the current CMOS RAM):



6.) As first we have to create a partition (HDD label, OS type, assigned space, setting as active).

7.) Choose the option " " (3rd blue field, 3rd option)



8.) You will see now the following screen:



9.)
a) Click in the first field and type HDD (as example) for the label and OK.
b) Choose FM-OASYS and OK
c) Assign the space (as example: 127MB) and OK.
d) Make the partition active. Click on the first box to be black.



10.) Close now the partition window.

11.) As next we have to assign a drive letter to the partition.

12.) Choose the option " " (3rd blue field, 2nd option)



13.) Click on the first HD symbol [0] and choose the 1st option.

14.) You will see the drive letter D beside the HD symbol.



15.) The Harddisk image is now initialized. Close the window.

16. Open the Tools folder

17.) Click on the HD Installer symbol to install TownsOS and to make the Harddisk image bootable.

18.) Confirm you want install TownsOS.

How do create and initialize (Towns System Software V2.1L51) a Harddisk image by using MESS and CHDMAN + install TownsOS.

Part 2

19.) Choose 1st option then select the next 1st option [0] for the Harddisk.



20.) You will see now the following screen:



21.) Choose what you want install, depent of the available space and press OK (twice).

22.) The TownsOS make automatically a reset and restart TownsOS.

23.) Click on the HD Installer symbol again to continue the TownsOS installation.

24.) TownsOS will now be installed on the Harddisk image.



25.) Just confirm always with OK.

26.) TownsOS make the next reset and show you the installed OS on the Harddisk.




27.) Finish, TownsOS is installed and the Harddisk image is bootable.


Barry, not sure some important points are missing. Can you make a double check please ?

I will make a short workshop how do create a bootable CD-ROM image by using IPL.BIN for the FM-Towns driver but before I must understand it.

is it any different from any other driver requiring CDs in CHD form? I mean, if you take a bin+cue image of a bootable CD and you convert it to CHD it should work, wouldn't it?

or are you talking about creating the whole cd from scratch and afterwards to convert it to bin+cue (or CHD)?

to create your own CD-ROM image which is bootable.