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VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:26 am
by 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

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:43 am
by 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"

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:50 am
by sharklodon
zorrobandito wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:43 am 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

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:00 am
by akeley

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:01 am
by 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)

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:02 am
by 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.

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:42 am
by 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

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:47 am
by Chris23235
sharklodon wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:42 am 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?

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 2:02 pm
by sharklodon
Chris23235 wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:47 am
sharklodon wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:42 am 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!! :evil:

Thanks a lot for your help.

Regards,
Shark

Re: VIC-20 Need Help Loading PRG Files

Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 2:43 pm
by Chris23235
sharklodon wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 2:02 pm
Chris23235 wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:47 am
sharklodon wrote: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:42 am 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!! :evil:

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.