How to Download Atari ST TOS Images and Emulate Them on Your PC

If you are a fan of retro gaming, you might be interested in playing some of the classic games that were released for the Atari ST computer. The Atari ST was a popular personal computer in the 1980s and early 1990s, especially in Europe, where it competed with the Commodore Amiga. The Atari ST had a 16-bit Motorola 68000 processor, 512 KB of RAM, a floppy disk drive, and a high-resolution monochrome display. It also featured a mouse and MIDI support, which made it suitable for desktop publishing, graphic design, and music production. The Atari ST was home to a number of popular games, such as Dungeon Master, Lemmings, and Speedball. These games were often praised for their fast and smooth gameplay, as well as their superior graphics and sound compared to other home computers of the time.

To play Atari ST games on your PC, you need two things: an emulator and a TOS image. An emulator is a software that mimics the hardware and software of another system, allowing you to run programs that were designed for that system. A TOS image is a file that contains the operating system of the Atari ST, which is needed for the emulator to boot up and run the games. In this article, we will show you how to download Atari ST TOS images and emulate them on your PC using Hatari, one of the best Atari ST emulators available.

Step 1: Download Hatari

Hatari is an open-source emulator that can run most Atari ST games and programs. It supports various features, such as floppy disk images, hard disk images, joystick emulation, sound output, MIDI input/output, and more. Hatari is available for Windows, Linux, macOS, and other platforms. You can download the latest release version of Hatari from the Hatari download area. Note that some Linux distributions already ship an RPM or DEB packaged version of Hatari, so you might want to check that first.

After downloading Hatari, you need to extract the ZIP file to a folder of your choice. You will see several files and folders inside the Hatari folder, such as hatari.exe (the main executable), doc (the documentation), emutos (the EmuTOS image), etc.

Step 2: Download Atari ST TOS Images

The next thing you need is a TOS image file for running Hatari. TOS stands for The Operating System, and it is the official operating system of the Atari ST computers. However, since TOS is still copyrighted by Atari Corporation, we cannot provide any TOS image files here (and please don’t ask us to mail you any TOS images). However, if you have an original Atari ST computer, you can make an image file from its TOS ROMs using programs like TOSDUMP.PRG or WINX that can create TOS images on a real ST.

Note that depending on the machine type that you want to emulate, you can only use certain TOS versions. The plain ST mode only works with TOS 1.00, 1.02, 1.04, or 2.06. STE mode requires any of the TOS versions 1.xx or 2.xx. TOS 3.0x is for TT mode, and TOS 4.0x is for Falcon mode.

If you don’t have any of the original TOS images, you can also try the free EmuTOS TOS replacement supporting all Atari machines. EmuTOS is an open-source project that aims to create a compatible and enhanced version of TOS using clean room reverse engineering techniques. Most programs and games work fine with EmuTOS (except some unpatched STOS games and Falcon programs using DSP or TrueColor mode). The official release of Hatari is shipped with the latest EmuTOS image at its release time.

You can also find some Atari ST ROMs and disk images on the Internet Archive, but be careful about the legal issues involved in downloading them.

Once you have obtained a TOS image file (either from your own Atari ST or from another source), you need to copy it to the Hatari folder and rename it to tos.img.

Step 3: Run Hatari and Configure the Settings

Now that you have Hatari and a TOS image file, you are ready to run the emulator and play some Atari ST games. To launch Hatari, double-click on the hatari.exe file in the Hatari folder. You will see a window with the Hatari logo and some information about the emulator. Press F12 to enter the Hatari main menu, where you can configure various settings for the emulation.

The first thing you need to do is to select the TOS image file that you want to use. Go to System -> TOS ROM image file and browse to the location of your tos.img file. Click OK to confirm your selection. You will see a message saying that you need to reset Hatari for the changes to take effect. Press F12 again and select Reset machine.

The next thing you need to do is to select the machine type that matches your TOS image file. Go to System -> Machine type and choose either ST, STE, TT, or Falcon, depending on the TOS version that you have. For example, if you have TOS 1.04, you should choose ST. If you have TOS 4.04, you should choose Falcon. Click OK to confirm your selection.

You can also adjust other settings, such as video resolution, sound output, joystick emulation, keyboard mapping, etc., according to your preferences. For more details on how to configure Hatari, you can refer to the Hatari manual.

Step 4: Load Atari ST Games and Programs

Now that you have configured Hatari, you can load Atari ST games and programs and enjoy them on your PC. There are two ways to load Atari ST games and programs: using floppy disk images or using hard disk images.

Floppy disk images are files that contain the data of a floppy disk, usually with the extension .ST or .MSA. They are easy to use and compatible with most Atari ST games and programs. To use floppy disk images, go to Disk drives -> Browse for disk A/B and select the floppy disk image file that you want to load. Click OK to confirm your selection. You will see a message saying that the disk has been inserted into drive A or B. Press F12 again and select Reset machine.

Hard disk images are files that contain the data of a hard disk, usually with the extension .HDI or .IMG. They are more convenient and faster than floppy disk images, but they require some additional steps to set up and use. To use hard disk images, go to Hard disks -> GEMDOS drive -> Browse for directory and select the folder that contains your hard disk image file. Click OK to confirm your selection. You will see a message saying that GEMDOS drive C has been enabled and mapped to the selected folder. Press F12 again and select Reset machine.

After loading the floppy disk image or the hard disk image, you can start playing the Atari ST game or program. To exit the game or program, press F12 and select Quit emulator. You can also save your progress by using the snapshot feature, which allows you to save and load the state of the emulation at any point. To save a snapshot, go to File -> Save snapshot and choose a file name and location. To load a snapshot, go to File -> Load snapshot and select the file that you want to load.

Step 5: Enjoy Atari ST Games and Programs on Your PC

That’s it! You have successfully downloaded Atari ST TOS images and emulated them on your PC using Hatari. You can now enjoy hundreds of Atari ST games and programs on your PC, without having to own an actual Atari ST computer. You can also explore other features of Hatari, such as changing the screen size, recording videos, capturing screenshots, debugging programs, etc. For more information on how to use Hatari, you can refer to the Hatari manual.

Atari ST was a remarkable computer that left a lasting legacy in the personal computing and gaming industry. By downloading Atari ST TOS images and emulating them on your PC, you can relive the nostalgia and experience the charm of this classic machine.

There are many sources where you can find Atari ST games and programs to download and use with Hatari. One of the most comprehensive and reliable ones is the Internet Archive, which hosts a large collection of Atari ST ROMs and disk images. You can browse and download them for free, but be careful about the legal issues involved in downloading them. You should only download games and programs that you own or that are in the public domain.

Another source where you can find Atari ST games and programs is the ATARIworld website, which offers a backup service for various TOS versions and images. You can also find some useful information and tips on how to use TOS images with Hatari. However, this website is in German, so you might need to use a translator to understand it.

There are also many other websites and forums where you can find Atari ST games and programs, such as the Atari-Forum, the AtariAge, the Atari.ST, etc. You can search for them on the internet and see what they have to offer. However, be careful about the quality and safety of the files that you download, as some of them might be corrupted or infected with viruses.

Some of the Atari ST games and programs that you can download and use with Hatari are:

Dungeon Master: A groundbreaking role-playing game that features real-time combat, 3D graphics, and a dynamic environment. You control a party of four adventurers who explore a vast dungeon filled with monsters, traps, puzzles, and treasures. You can also cast spells, use items, and interact with the environment in various ways.
Lemmings: A classic puzzle game that involves guiding a group of lemmings to safety through various levels. You can assign different skills to the lemmings, such as digging, building, climbing, etc., to help them overcome obstacles and avoid hazards. The game is known for its cute graphics, catchy music, and addictive gameplay.
Speedball: A futuristic sports game that combines elements of rugby, soccer, and hockey. You control a team of armored players who compete against another team in a metal arena. The goal is to score more points by throwing a metal ball into the opponent’s goal or by injuring the opponent’s players. The game features fast-paced action, brutal violence, and a cyberpunk aesthetic.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you how to download Atari ST TOS images and emulate them on your PC using Hatari. This is a great way to enjoy some of the classic games and programs that were released for the Atari ST computer, which was a popular and influential machine in the 1980s and early 1990s. You can also explore other features and options of Hatari, such as changing the screen size, recording videos, capturing screenshots, debugging programs, etc. For more information on how to use Hatari, you can refer to the Hatari manual.

We hope that you have found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading and happy Atari ST gaming!

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