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Getting an AppleSauce

LaPorta

Well-known member
So, I caved and ordered a new AppleSauce 2. I will use this with the 3.5” FDHD drive and an Apple 5.25 drive. I have some Apple II stuff to archive, but I am of course really interested in archiving Mac stuff. My question to start is that I realized after purchasing that I don’t think that one can create Flux or full media images of Mac floppies…is that right? I want to be able to back up copy-protected stuff (like Uninvited, for instance), and understand this is the way to do it. Has anyone else done this with the AppleSauce?
 

olePigeon

Well-known member
AppleSauce 1 and 2 are specifically designed to do flux level copies. Just make sure you got the sensor kits for the floppy drives.

It'll copy everything, including the copy protection and boot sector shenanigans. :) I've used both 1 and now my 2 to make backup copies of few of my copy protected games.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
Ok so even though there’s no specialized format (like the Apple II WOZ), it will copy it all? I did indeed order the sensors as well.
 

olePigeon

Well-known member
I think it just uses the WOZ format, even for Macintosh disks. However, there's a new MOOF format, but I don't know much about it. I haven't been up-to-date lately pending fixing my Mac.

For anyone else wondering: The AppleSauce 1 is perfectly fine, too. It's just limited to Macintosh and Apple II stuff only. The new AppleSauce 2 added a PC floppy port. So now you can do flux images of PC disks, too. In fact, you can even import KyroFlux images into AppleSauce.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
All they had for sales were the version 2, so I just pulled the trigger. It’s an exciting tool that I’ll be able to use!
 

olePigeon

Well-known member
Update: Just looked it up. Yep, the MOOF format is the new Macintosh specific format. So it's taking over and leaving the WOZ format for Apple II stuff.
  • New MOOF file format designed for Mac floppy disks. It allows for copy protected disks that can work under emulation as well as containing metadata to better describe the disk contents.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
I just read that there, what a great thing! Looks like I’ll enjoy getting some things backed up!
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
So, my AppleSauce arrived! There is a question that I have regarding it:

I read that the 20-pin jack on the back is for Disk IIs. However, I have a very well calibrated and overhauled SuperDrive that is bare (in an enternal enclosure) that I use as a test drive on bare logic boards. It obviously is not in a case and therefore does not have a DB-19 jack, just it's regular 20-pin internal connector. Can I connect this to the 20-pin port, or will I blow up either the drive or AppleSauce?
 

olePigeon

Well-known member
I have no idea, actually. I don't know if the Disk ][ interface is wired differently than the UniDisk. I wouldn't risk it.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
OK, now I am confused. I can copy these disks into .a2r or even the new MOOF format. However, these can't be written back to the disk with the applesauce software. If I can't make flux-level copies of the disks onto other disks...what's the point?
 

olePigeon

Well-known member
I just had a chat with Blitz on Discord. Direct flux writing was disabled and put on hold pursuant certain legal discussions regarding counterfeiting software.

However, he said he hopes to add the feature in the next couple releases. So hang on tight.

I'm assuming some a**hats were making counterfeits of rare, early copy-protected games and selling them on eBay. I seem to recall reading a news article about that ever since Heritage Auctions / WATA manipulated the game market.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
Thanks for that, I get it. My whole goal was to preserve, say, the actual, real copy protected Shadowgate or Uninvited disks I have. Sure, the game itself was long ago copied somehow by breaking the copy protection, but I’d like to preserve what was the original media and scheme, you know?

I can see the conundrum they are in, I hope it gets resolved.
 

Skate323k137

Well-known member
That dilemma unfortunately makes perfect sense :( This is not the first nor last time a community has had to keep tools private for this reason.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
So I’m kind of bummed out that I dropped almost $400 on this thing…and now I can’t find a use or purpose for it.
 

olePigeon

Well-known member
You can use it to create flux images of Mac, Apple II, and PC disks. Only caveat at the moment is that if you want to write them back to disk, you'll need to convert them to Disk Copy first. But once he re-implements direct Flux writing, you can skip the conversion part and write directly back to disk (including copy protection.)

Also, you can create and write said Disk Copy images directly on your modern Mac instead of needing an intermediary vintage Mac. Or Apple II disks without the need of ADTPro.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
That is a fair point. I suppose it is because the reason I got it was to be able to make perfect copies of the software (copy protection included), and I can't do that (at least right now). However, I guess making a DC image and copy would theoretically work if the software will run from a now-copy protectionless physical copy.
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
Hmm...I made a copy of this game, Balance of Power. Copied fine. Made a DC42 image of it. Wrote that sucessfully to a floppy. Game won't run on my SE because it is an "unauthorized copy." I guess I really do need to wait it out!
 

LaPorta

Well-known member
I made a few backup a2r, MOOF, and .WOZ backups of some Mac and IIgs disks. I was very happy to see that so far all but one disk was in extremely good shape, with no errors and copy protection detected. Bodes well for preserving these titles long term! The more I use this thing, the more I like it.
 
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