D64 Format Files
The .D64 format is used to make a "disk image" of a C=ommodore floppy
so it can be used on any of the popular Emulators on your PC.
The nice thing about making a "image" is that even what was called
"copy protected" disks at one time, can now be copied into a a disk image
with very little problems.
Although now considered very primative by todays standards, back in the "good
old daze" software manufactures were famous for trying to make their disks
impossible to duplicate.
It was a good idea, but pretty stupid.
All it acomplished was the breeding of Hackers and Crackers that wanted
nothing more than a good challange... maybe out of boredom or maybe because
they could spend 100 hours "cracking" a disk that only cost $ 2.99 at Wal-Mart
Or maybe it was just the satisfaction of knowing that they were as good or
better than the people who were trying to "protect" their software.
Over the years we have found that it is nearly impossible to protect
software from being duplicated. Even Bill Gates has given up on that idea
now.
In the "early daze" of REAL floppy Floppies ( yeh they were bendable ) the
software people would do things like adding an extra track on the floppy
and the writing a hidden boot code to read the "extra" (non-standard) track
..... pretty effective to stop the casual hacker, but not good enough to
even come close to stop a hacker. In fact it only fueled the fire.
After years of C= users complaining that thier expensive 360K disk drives
were being ruined by trying to read "non-standard" tracks on the disks, the
manufacture's finally gave up. ( Anyone who has loaded a "protected"
program in a 1541 drive and heard that awfull sound of the head banging
knows what I mean)
At any rate, a .D64 image file by-passes any and all problems that were
present in "native" form. The files load at lighting speed, the programs run
as fast as your PC can go, and your enjoyment of the classic games and
programs will only increase , the more you use them.
*Authors Note*
If you do decide to take one of the disk images ( D64 ) files and copy
them back to a native C=drive and disk.....
If they were protected before
they STILL will be.....and will beat the crap out of your 1541 drive, just
like the "good old daze" :-)
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