Securdrive



Ansgar Zerpass,

Lehrberg,

West Germany.



The Spectrum Microdrive manual tells you how to save a

program or a code or data file in a way that the usual CAT

command cannot register it: save the program or file with a

file name starting with CHR$ 0.

  This method will protect your programs on Microdrive

cartridge from unauthorised access. On the other hand, you

will have to learn the protected program names by heart -

which will prove to be impossible - or you will have to

keep a written list of the names along with your cart-

ridges - which makes the whole protection senseless.

  Securdrive is a utility which will store the file names

of your protected programs and which allows you to get rid

of a written list. Securdrive will be saved on Microdrive

cartridge with the autorun facility (... LINE 1) which

makes it unable to break into Securdrive during the loading

process or to merge it in order to get hold of the stored

program names.

  The first operation of Securdrive after loading is the

input of a password. A wrong password will cause the system

to crash. The right password will cause a list of all

protected programs to be shown and will give you the

opportunity to load any of these programs by pressing just

one key.

  Spectrum users should be able to alter Securdrive to

handle more than 10 protected file names or to handle

protected data files from a commercial file program etc.

without much difficulties.

  You may use Securdrive with your existing cartridges by

saving all existing files and programs with a new, protec-

ted name (starting with CHR$ 0) and saving Securdrive on

the same cartridge. You will have to initialise Securdrive

by entering the protected file names and a password of your

choice every time a new protected program has been saved on

the cartridge.

  Type in listing 1 and save it on any cartridge with

        GO TO 9999

and

           ENTER

  Type in listing 2, the demo program, and enter

        GO TO 100

to save this program on the same cartridge with three

different names. Then NEW your computer and load Secur-

drive. Initialise the program by entering INIT as password

and entering the three protected demo program file names -

Demo One, Demo Two, Demo XXX. Enter any new password and

save Securdrive on the cartridge using option two.

[ "Listing 1" has been saved on the .mdr file to which this

text belongs, under the name of "Securdrive". "Listing 2"

has also been saved, not under the three protected names

mentioned above, but as "Demo", unprotected. To create the

three protected demo entries, load it, then GO TO 100. This

way, you can create your own demo cartridge for Securdrive

if you want to, while keeping the supplied .mdr pristine. ]