How can I backup my old data from an Apple II plus (DOS and PRODOS)?

This will probably be a big bucket of worms, but let's give it a try.

What is your data stored on right now (5 1/4" or 3 1/2" floppies, or hard drive) and where do you want your data to end up?

Please answer these two questions and we will try and figure something out.

Jim

backupappleiidata,

Welcome to the Apple Discussions. The absolute easiest way would be to buy an Apple II SCSI card and save files to a hard drive in prodos. Any computer up to and including a beige G3 will read an external SCSI hard drive that is formatted to hold PRDOS files.

If you have 3.5 inch floppies, a newer Mac like an SE will read those disks. If you have a uni-disk, most any Mac will read files from it. Our IIc has an upgrade that allows for using a uni-disk. The Mac Plus and original SE would read those disks. Later, we read the disks on a Mac IIci.

A lot depends on what other computer hardware you can find to assist in the transfers.

Ji˜m

The disks that are formatted DOS, have you tried them in an old PC with a 5.25" floppy drive? The PRODOS disks can be read by a Mac but the Apple 5.25" drive is rare and reads DOS, not PRODOS. Dayna File drives would read both sizes but they are also hard to fine. If you Google for Dayna File disk drives, you will take a trip down memory lane. Here is one such site:

http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0018-2133(199012)73%3A4%3C1185%3ACTFLF%3E2.0.CO%3B2-4

This article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base gives a idea of options to consider:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/57345

( Is it legal to quote a Microsoft KB article on an Apple website? : ) )

Your challenge is hardware. You will have to find some computer that has both a 5.25" drive and a 3.5" drive or a SCSI hard drive. If you had a backup copy, you could try mailing the backup disk to someone who has the hardware options needed to make the transfer.

If you can find an old modem, you could send the file to a bulletin board and then download again to a newer machine. It has been 20 years since our Apple II c was connected to a modem. We only use it for games any more. If you can find an old modem, that would give you new options.

Hi Tom,

I'm finally getting back to you.

You answered my first question - disk size = 5.25".
Now please describe your computer, Apple model, amount of memory, and drive(s).

Jim

Hi Tom,

More questions.

1. Are both drives good?
2. Can you hook both drives to the computer at the same time?
3. Will both drives read and write DOS and PRODOS?

If the answer to all three questions is yes, you will need a utility program to copy your disks to new disks.

Let me know,

Jim

Ultimately, you have five options.

One, find a modem to connect electronically to a bulletin board.

Two, find a PC computer that has a 5,25" drive.

Three, find an Apple II with uni drive capability.

Four, find a Mac with 5,25" and 3,5" drives.

All of the above options require some form of hardware that is hard to find, even for me beause of the volume of stuff in the storage shed.

Five, because you have two drives, you could make backups and mail one off to someone willing to dig out their old hardware and email files back to you.

Ji˜m

Ciao
sto affrontando anche io lo stesso problema, ne possiamo parlare?
Ho creato un post su un forum relativamente allo stesso problema. Ho individuato alcune soluzioni possibili. In questi giorni, probabilmente, realizzo uno delle soluzioni tramite hw.

Se vuoi puoi contattarmi via e-mail

ciao!

from Apple //e to G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

albiz

Avete la giusta idea. Trovi qualcuno con vecchio hardware e veda se copieranno i vostri dati ai più nuovi dischi. AppleIIFreak in Germania ha hardware per fare il lavoro ed ha offerto l'aiuto nell'altra discussione topics.

Ji˜m

Pardon my Italian, here it is again in English:

You have the right idea. Find someone with old hardware and see if they will copy your data to newer disks. AppleIIFreak in Germany has hardware to do the job and has offered help in other discussion topics.

Hello Appaloosa Mac man!

grazie per il post (scusa ma io leggo ma non scrivo in inglese);
queste sono le soluzioni di conversione a cui io ho pensato

1) lettore dischi esterni da 3" 1/2 da montare sull'Apple //e, salvare su dischetto (formato ProDOS) e farlo leggere da un Mac con System max 8.0 da dove riverso tutto su unità Zip-SCSI e porto su OSX (con Zip USB)

2) lettore Apple di floppy da 5" 1/4 esterno da collegare ad un Mac compatibile (II, IIci, IIfx, ... LC)

3) utilizzo della Super Serial Card dell'Apple //e per collegarlo via cavo ad un qualsiasi computer con interfaccia seriale (Mac, PC, other)

4) rete AppleTalk fra 2 computer (ma AppleTalk funzionava con Apple //e e ProDOS?)

5) modem per trasferire i files ad un altro computer collegato con rete telefonica (BBS, ...)

6) scheda di emulazione Apple //e su un Mac Lc (LC, LC II, LC III, ...)

7) scheda SCSI su Apple //e e HD esterno con partizione ProDOS da collegare prima ad Apple // e poi ad un Mac con interfaccia SCSI

(qualcuno può tradurre queste soluzioni ? grazie)

ciao!


from Apple //e to G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

from Apple //e to G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

from Apple //e to G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

albiz,

"1) lettore dischi esterni da 3" 1/2 da montare sull'Apple //e, salvare su dischetto (formato ProDOS) e farlo leggere da un Mac con System max 8.0 da dove riverso tutto su unità Zip-SCSI e porto su OSX (con Zip USB)"

I will test OS 8.1 reading PRODOS. I know OS 7 works.

Short time, shot answer. I also do not speak Italian but my son suggested translating in Dashboard!

More later, ciao.

translation (?)

thanks for post (the excuse but I read but I do not write in English); these are the conversion solutions next to which I have thought
1) reader external discs from 3"1/2 to mount on the Apple //e, to save on floppy disk (formed ProDOS) and to make to read it from a Mac with reversed System max 8.1 from where all on Zip-SCSI unit and port on OSX (with Zip USB)
2) floppy Apple reader of from 5"1/4 outside connecting to a compatible Mac (II, IIci, IIfx... LC)
3) I use of the Super Serial Card of the Apple //e in order to connect it via cable to a whichever computer with seriale interface (Mac, PC, other)
4) Appletalk net between 2 computers (but Appletalk worked with Apple //e and ProDOS?)
5) modem in order to transfer the files to an other computer connected with telephone net (BBS, ...)
6) Apple //e-card on a Mac LC (LC, LC II, LC III...)
7) SCSI card on Apple //e and HD SCSI with ProDOS partition to connect then before to Apple// and to a Mac with interface SCSI

(thank's translation from Altavista Babelfish!)

Merry Christmas!

from Apple //e to G5 Mac OS X (10.4.8)

albiz
1) DOS- PRODOS.You can convert DOS text-Files to PRODOS-textfiles on 5,25" Disk.I've got utilities for that from old Peeker including conversion of Wordstar/Pascal-textfiles.
2) You can use 3,5" Drive to store these files. They are read up to OS 9 on PM 7600-or on SE with OS6. You can get these Drives on ebay from time to time, take care to get the appropiate card with them(got one).
3) You can use a AppleIINetwork Card to connect via LocalTalk to a newer Mac(SE)with serial/printer port.
4) You can use a SuperSerialCard to transmit files in modem-Mode.Search for Jan Hedlund for details.
5) You can use CROSSWORKS/with cables to connect AppleII/SuperSerial Card to MS-DOS PC.You can buy that on ebay,too, including the necessary ables!
I've done this with my old important files.
Merry Christmas-thanks Jim for mentioning me.
Sorry-haven't done Italian language for 45 years.
You may use Jim as translator-he has got my e-mail to use it

Just one more
You may go to comp.sys.apple2-googlr group, there are more experts.Look for Simon Williams-he may be able to upload them.
Maybe you can use a Dreher Flash Card (works on IIe at least)-but it's rather expensive.