Initialized System disk recovery for Lotus 1-2-3 R2.2

edited November 2016 in Software
Lotus 1-2-3 R2.2 requests to initialize System disk by INIT.EXE before run the 123.EXE
Once System disk is initialized, it is impossible to recover the disk.

I figured out that original untouched (non initialized) disk has disk copy protection on Track 39/0/1-9 (for 5.25" 360KB) or Track 79/0/1-9 (for 3.5" 720KB)
I guest only sector 1 is missing or accessible via Write Track Command of FDC.
(*Sector 2-9 content is filling as 00h.INIT.EXE seems to check Track 39/0)

It is possible to edit normal sector image by using PSI.EXE of PCE utility.

Example :
PSI SYSTEM.IMA -c 39 -h 0 -s 1 -p delete SYSTEM.PSI

Then run PCE emulator with mounting SYSTEM.PSI


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123.EXE is modified and no INIT.EXE / INIT.RI D.BAT are found.

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Run PC-Tools R4.xx and Press F10 and Select A: or B: drive.

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Select 123.EXE and Press 'E' to edit file sector.
Then Press 'F2' and select Sector 5.

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Fill bytes as 00h from 0096 to 00F3 (Total 94 bytes), then Press 'F5' to update.

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At the first menu (by ESC), Press 'E' and select 'A' or 'B' drive.
Then Press 'F2' and select 'R' to edit Root Area.

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Edit bytes as 'E0 0A F3 12' from 00B6 to 00B9 (Total 4 bytes), then Press 'F5' to update.

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Time/Date/Year stamp of 123.EXE is now restored.

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At the first menu Press 'U' and select 'A' or 'B' drive.
Then choose 'File'
You can see deleted 3 files.

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Press F1 to undelete it automatic.

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All files are undeleted.

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Run 123.EXE.
If this message is shown, restored 123.EXE is valid.

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In this case 123.EXE is invalid. (Broken file or ediging problem.)

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Run INIT.EXE
If this message is shown, Initilizing program works well.

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If this message is shown, you should edit track 39/0 by PSI.EXE
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