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From: borgen@sfd.uit.no (Borge Nost)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Always-running 3/5" drive
Message-ID: <1990Jul27.135857.8866@hod.uit.no>
Date: 27 Jul 90 13:58:57 GMT
References: <1990Jul25.133047.28605@gdr.bath.ac.uk>
Sender: news@hod.uit.no (USENET News System)
Organization: University of Tromsoe, Norway
Lines: 31

In article <1990Jul25.133047.28605@gdr.bath.ac.uk> mapjilg@gdr.bath.ac.uk (J I L Gold) writes:
>>This is in reply to Battle Squadron always running df0:
>>1. Is this harmful to the drive?  Because the game supports two players, we've
>>been up late playing this thing for hours... and the drive keeps running.
>> 
>>2. Is this harmful to the disk itself?
>> 
>>3. Does anyone know of any other games that incorporate this activity?  Sure, 
Many games do it, and even more demos.
>
>I think the "problem" is caused by the programmers calling "Forbid()" to turn
>of multi-tasking whilst the game runs. This probably takes effect before the
>disk has an opportunity to "wind down" after loading and executing.
>The drive head will not be active, so there is no cause for concern.
I have tried to get some reaction to this(but I don't think it came out):
Dig out your favourite assembler, bash the intena register directly by
turning off ALL interrupts INCLUDING master interrupt. Does all your disk
lights turn on? Mine does. The disk isn't active though.
(And remember that you won't get back to the OS if you don't add a little
more code to it)
>-- 
>#  J.Gold                            |    mapjilg@uk.ac.bath.gdr               #
>#  University of Bath , UK           |    jilg@uk.ac.bath.maths                #
>#  "Take fate by the throat...shake your fist, shake your fist"-Mary My Hope   #


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