What's the best way to backup my FDS games?

[ulera]

FDS games go bad over time, it''s a fact of life what is the best/cheapest way I can backup my FDS games and then rewrite the disk when it goes bad. (I know at the very least I will have to mod my disk system)

[Tricky]

There's a well-written tutorial here http://www.famicomdisksystem.com/tutorials/disk-dumping/dumping-disks-with-fdsloader/ which requires a slow PC (Pentium II should do) with a parallel port and an FDSloadr dump cable. Same site has tutorials on building a dump cable, and modding the FDS, though I don't think you'll need to mod it just for dumping.

Alternatively there's Chris Covell's method, which turns the game data into audio http://www.chrismcovell.com/TapeDump_Controls.html but that requires a method to play NES backups, like a powerpak.

[ulera]

Why does it have to be a slow pc? wouldn't a parralel port to Usb adapter work?

[GohanX]

The Fdsloadr program is really finnicky. USB adapters do not work, and I also couldn't get newer computers that had parallel ports to work either. An old Pentium 2 I found loaded with real DOS (not DOS prompt) is the only thing I could find that would work.

[lobdale]

FDS games don't really go bad over time.

[ulera]

The Fdsloadr program is really finnicky. USB adapters do not work, and I also couldn't get newer computers that had parallel ports to work either. An old Pentium 2 I found loaded with real DOS (not DOS prompt) is the only thing I could find that would work.

Any other programs that are not as good that would work? I just don't have any crappy computers around.

[GohanX]

Fdsloadr is it, unless you got your hands on an actual disk copying disk, then you wouldn't need a computer to backup anything.

I'd offer to write one for you, but I've only found one working disc copier image, and it won't copy itself.

[ericj]

If anyone needs or wants a copy program on disk, send me a PM.

[Tricky]

kyuusaku said he was working on a cable that would use USB to dump disks, presumably working with modern PCs http://forums.nesdev.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7818&start=15 but as far as I can see there wasn't any word of progress since.

80sFreak said that his in-development FDS RAM adapter replacement would in theory be able to support connecting to the disk drive which I imagine would allow for dumping, but that it would require extra chips.

[ericj]

AFAIK kyuusaku's USB dumper never got finished.

[Tricky]

Ummm... should i support "red box" in RAM adapter replacement?

I'd likely buy one if you did  Even if not, I'd still be tempted to get one, but as a much later priority, since a backup of a system known for frequently failing would be great.

AFAIK kyuusaku's USB dumper never got finished.

Ah, that's a shame. Do you know why he didn't finish it? Lack of motivation or time, or just couldn't get it working?

[GohanX]

wow! good thing so you have disk utility?

I don't have a physical disk, but I have an image on my computer. I use FDSloader to load it into the RAM adapter, and once it's loaded I use it for creating the new disk.