This page details all Atari ST support information. If the help provided below does not resolve your problem then please contact us with as much detail as you can provide.

General

Simply having an Atari ST or an emulator may not be enough for some of the available software to work. With the exception of the Rockfall games, which will run "as is", the other software will require a version of GFA BASIC (either 2 or 3.5). For obvious legal reasons, we cannot provide this program, so you must already own a copy. Also note that GFA BASIC 3.5 is not backwardly compatible with version 2, so you will need the specific version mentioned in the specification.

Which download?

The type of download you choose mainly depends on which emulator you are using on your PC or, indeed, if you intend to transfer the files to an Atari ST. It's worth pointing out that both the ZIP and disk image downloads have been ZIPped, so you will either need a program to unpack them or a version of Windows that has Compressed Folders enabled (Windoes ME, XP, or Vista).

Our recommended emulator, STEem, can handle both types of download, but some may only be able to take the .ST disk image format. Please check the documentation that came with your emulator.

If you have STEem we recommend you go with the ZIP/Compressed Folder format, as you will then be able to transfer the files to the folder on you PC that you have designated as the ST hard drive. This allows you to keep all of our software in one place without having to swap virtual disks.

If you wish to transfer the unpacked files to an actual Atari ST you will need to download the ZIP files so that they can be transferred to an ST compatible floppy disk.

Installation - emulator (STEem)

The following information is specific to the STEem emulator, but other Atari ST emulators should contain similar options. Please check the documentation for your emulator.

ZIP / Compressed Folder download

If you downloaded the ZIP files you need to have your emulator set up a folder on your PC hard drive to act as an ST hard drive. In STEem you are asked if you want to do this when you first install the emulator. If you didn't do this at the time, then you can set it up by clicking on the small ST disk icon in the top right corner of the program's window.

After clicking the icon you will be presented with the Disk Manager. Click on "Hard Drives" to enter the hard drive set up dialogue. Next, click on "New Hard Drive". This should automatically create a C: drive for you, but you will then need to click on "Browse" to navigate to the folder on your PC that you would like to use as the ST's hard drive. Finalise everything by clicking on "OK".

Once you have a folder you can use as the ST hard drive, locate your download and move it to this folder (Cut from original location and Paste to the ST HD folder). Right-click on the download and select "Extract All". Click on "Next" until the extraction is complete and then click on "Finish". If you are shown the contents of the new folder, simply close it. The extracted files should now be in the ST's HD folder along with the downloaded ZIP. You may now delete the ZIP or move it elsewhere for safe keeping.

Running the program is then simply a case of starting the ST emulator and navigating to the ST's hard drive using GEM. Double-click on the PRG or TOS icon to run the program.

Disk Image download

Installing a disk image couldn't be simpler with STEem. All you need to do is copy the file to the same folder as the emulator. You then use the Disk Manager to load the disk and start the emulator. Using GEM, open up the drive you inserted the disk into and navigate to the PRG or TOS icon and double-click on it to start. Note that there is no need to unpack the ZIP file, as STEem will happily use them in this form (other emulators may require you to unpack them).

Installation - Atari ST

The one thing you will need in order to transfer files from your PC to the ST is a floppy disk that both can read and write. PC disk drives are now all of the HD (High Density) variety that use disks with a capacity of 1.44MB, but the ST drive can only handle a maximum of DD (Double Density) disks with a capacity of 720KB. Another problem is that the ST is not as fussy about the disk format as the PC is. Earlier versions of GEM formatted disks that a PC was unable to read.

Luckily, provided that the floppy is formatted properly, the PC can read and write to a DD disk. You will have to format the disk on your ST, as Windows XP/Vista no longer provides options to format DD disks. If your ST has an early version of GEM you may need to use a third party disk formatter to provide a compatible disk (the NeoDesk GEM alternative formats PC compatible disks). When formatting the disk make sure that it is the standard PC compatible format of 80 tracks and 9 sectors - a PC doesn't like anything else!

Once the disk has been formatted copy any file on to it so that you can test it on your PC. If the PC reads the disk and reveals the file on it, you're set to go. Delete the test file from the floppy.

After downloading the ZIP version of the program(s), right-click on the file and select "Extract All". Click "Next" and the next screen will enable you to choose where you want to extract the files. Use "Browse" to select drive A: and then on "Next" to perform the extraction. Finally click on "Finish". You may have a window open revealing the extracted files, but you can simply close this.

You can then take the disk and insert it into the disk drive of the ST and use it as you would any other disk. Navigate to the PRG or TOS file and double-click to run.