PC_ST.ZIP
downloaded from http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/atari-midi/files/PC_ST.ZIP

PC_ST is a set of programs to make a disk from an ST readable on a PC by changing the boot sector information.


STTOPC.PRG changes the bootsector, makes the floppy PC accessible (use on Atari).
ATARI2PC.EXE supposedly does the same on a PC, doesn't seem to do it's job on all PCs.
- both programs require a new serial number to be generated on the floppies afterwards! -
- both programs are not to be used on bootable ST disks (such as Dungeon Master), as writing new data in the boot sector will destroy the boot program!

UNEEKIT.TOS generates a new random floppy serial number (use on Atari)
(SERIAL.EXE, mentioned later, does the same on a PC.)

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!!! You need to change the identification number in the bootsector after using STTOPC.PRG !!!
Otherwise all floppies will have the same ID and Atari will not be able to recognize a disk exchange, consequently writing data into wrong sectors and thereby destroying possibly the entire data on the floppy!

This can be remedied on the Atari by using UNEEKIT.TOS (read the UNEEKIT.DOC, well explained), which generates a new random serial number (ID) on the Atari floppy. 
As far as I remember you can quit UNEEKIT.TOS only by rebooting the Atari. There is no QUIT command built in and any key that you press on the keyboard will only write again a new serial number. But it does its job reliably on the Atari and that's what counts. 
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ALSO: each time when accessing a (not write protected) Atari floppy on the PC, the PC overwrites again this ID!
To change the floppy ID use SERIAL.EXE on the PC just before you remove the floppy from the PC's floppy drive. 
SERIAL.EXE works very well.
SERIAL.EXE can be found at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/atari-midi/files/SERIAL.ZIP
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CAUTION:
1. PCs cannot read certain characters in the filenames of ATARI Floppies. Mainly the colon (:) causes trouble because this is reserved on the PC to mark drives. Such files then cannot be accessed by the PC.
So, before you want to copy such files to the PC you need to change the filenames using the ATARI itself.

2. Never use lower case letters for filenames that get written on ATARI Floppies. That would cause some additional scrambled garbage being written in the floppy's FAT, which cannot be removed afterwards. 
The same applies to other characters as '~' etc.
So, only use UPPERCASE LETTERS, numbers, and the underscore (_) for filenames when writing on ATARI Floppies.
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Until you are certain about these procedures, perform all these tasks only with BACKUPs of your floppies. Otherwise the risk of irreversibly losing data is too great.  
This being understood, you can go ahead and start your transfer.
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(README.TXT updated 2006-09-22)
