VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

[sharklodon]

Hi,

I'm like a dummie with this core and I don't know how could I load .prg files. I select the .prg from OSD but I don't know how to launch it. Can someone help me?

Thanks and best regards,
Shark

[zorrobandito]

You're going to kick yourself (I know I did) but just type RUN after you've loaded the prg.

FYI:
To load a TAP image, choose the OSD menu option - Tape Play/Pause
Then load the .tap
The Vic should display "SEARCHING"

[sharklodon]

You're going to kick yourself (I know I did) but just type RUN after you've loaded the prg.

FYI:
To load a TAP image, choose the OSD menu option - Tape Play/Pause
Then load the .tap
The Vic should display "SEARCHING"

I'm typing RUN command after loaded the .prg file and nothing happens (loading different .prg files with core version 22.02.16).

Thanks again,
Shark

[akeley]

Try this: https://github.com/adreeve/MiSTerManual ... Manual.pdf

[zorrobandito]

Hi Shark,

I just fired up the MISTer and tried a random game: Chariot Race
I typed RUN and it loaded immediately.

Here's a few of my default Core settings that might help:

TV Mode: PAL
Scale: Normal
EXTRAM 1: $0400 (3KB)
EXTRAM 2: $2000-$7FFF (24KB)
EXTRAM 3: $A000 (8KB)

[zorrobandito]

Also, don't forget that there were 3 different RAM flavours for games and your settings need to reflect the needs of the game. I've got my games divided into 3K, 8K and 16K directories to remind me.

[sharklodon]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your help, but it doesn't work!! Adding ExtRAM too. I don't know what happens.

All my .prg files have 9k of capacity.

Regards,
Shark

[Chris23235]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your help, but it doesn't work!! Adding ExtRAM too. I don't know what happens.

All my .prg files have 9k of capacity.

Regards,
Shark

Can you tell us which program do you try to load?

[sharklodon]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your help, but it doesn't work!! Adding ExtRAM too. I don't know what happens.

All my .prg files have 9k of capacity.

Regards,
Shark

Can you tell us which program do you try to load?

I downloaded a 16 games pack from here:

https://www.uber-leet.com/files/vic-20- ... -games.zip

All of them are .prg but now I've renamed to .crt and it works loading as a cartridge!! I don't know why someone put .prg to a .crt file!!

Thanks a lot for your help.

Regards,
Shark

[Chris23235]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for your help, but it doesn't work!! Adding ExtRAM too. I don't know what happens.

All my .prg files have 9k of capacity.

Regards,
Shark

Can you tell us which program do you try to load?

I downloaded a 16 games pack from here:

https://www.uber-leet.com/files/vic-20- ... -games.zip

All of them are .prg but now I've renamed to .crt and it works loading as a cartridge!! I don't know why someone put .prg to a .crt file!!

Thanks a lot for your help.

Regards,
Shark

You can rename any PRG file to CRT and it will work. If the program you tried to load refused to run it was most likely due to a wrong RAM configuration. On the VIC-20 many programs expected you to have a certain ammount of RAM meaning not only no less but also not more. If your program files were 9KB in size I would suspect it to be games made for 16KB VIC-20. If you enable 24KB in the core settings it is quite possible that the game won't work.

On a real machine the RAM expansions had DIP-switches to enable certain configurations. If you rename the games to CRT the core will handle the program as it came on an external cartridge bypassing your RAM configuration.