Chapter 3 How to load disk software Subjects covered... Disks for the +3 Loading disk software Abandoning loading This chapter describes the loading of commercially available disk software. (For a description of the loading, saving, formatting, etc., procedures that you would use during BASIC programming, see chapter 6 and chapter 8 part 20.) Disks for the +3 The +3 uses 3 inch compact floppy disks. We strongly recommend that for reliable data-to-disk transfer, you use AMSOFT CF-2 floppy disks. Disks made by other leading manufacturers, however, may also be used. Each side of a disk may be used independently. A disk should be inserted with its label facing outward from the drive, and with the side that you wish to use face up... _____-----__ _____----- ____---- --__ _____----- _____----__ --__ _____----- ____----- ..... --__ --__ ____----- _____---- ....:::::::::::.. --__ ___--- /--__ ____----- ....::::::::::::::::::::::.. --___--- ___| | -+__ .:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::'' ___+ __---_) --__ |_ --__ ''::::::::::::::::::::::::''' ___--- ___---__ __- |--__ --__ ''::::::::::::::''' ___--- ___---__-- --__-- _____ |__ ---__ --__ '::::'''' ___--- ___---__--- | _| ---___ ---__ --_ ___--- ___---__--- | \ ---___---__ +--- ___---___--- |_|\ \ ---__--__|___---___--- \_/ ---_|___--- [Their diagram is zoomed in on the drive, but you get the idea.] Loading disk software To load Spectrum +3, Spectrum +2 and Spectrum 128 software (a game, an utility program, etc.) from disk, carry out the following instructions. 1. Set up and switch on the +3 so that the opening menu appears on the screen... +-------------------------------------------------------------+ | | | | | | | | | | | _________________ | | |_128_+3__________| | | |//Loader/////////| | | | +3 BASIC | | | | Calculator | | | | 48 BASIC | | | +-----------------+ | | | | | | | | | | | | (C) 1982, 1986, 1987 Amstrad Plc. | | Drives A: and M: available. | +-------------------------------------------------------------+ 2. Insert your software disk into the disk drive. 3. Press the ENTER key to select the option Loader from the opening menu. (If you don't know about selecting menu options, refer back to chapter 2.) The software will start to load from disk. On the disk drive, you will see the read/write indicator lamp start to flash on and off (indicating that the disk is being read from). After a few seconds, the screen display will change and the software will be loaded, ready to use. When you have finished using the software and wish to use the +3 for something else, press and release the RESET button (at the left-hand side of the +3). Always remember that whenever the RESET button is pressed, everything in the computer's memory (RAM) is cleared. You should therefore always make sure that you have completely finished with any program in the +3's memory, before you press the button. If you are going to switch off the +3 completely, remember to remove any disk from the disk drive first. Abandoning loading If you wish to abandon a loading operation, simply press and release the RESET button. The +3 will return to the opening menu.