About
AMS Copy lets an Einstein read CP/M discs from an Amstrad and run the programs on them. It was sold by Merlin Software, “for use with TATUNG EINSTEIN microcomputers”, and written by Scorpio Software. The disc holds two programs:
- AMSCOPY reads a disc from an Amstrad CPC 6128 or PCW 8256/8512 and copies its files onto Einstein discs in standard Einstein format. It works out the Amstrad disc’s format by itself. Its opening screen reads “Copyright (c) 1987 Scorpio Software. AMSCOPY2 to copy Amstrad 6128 (8256 & 8512 discs). Version 2.0 - auto select Amstrad format”.
- AMRUN, “The Amstrad Emulator Program” version 2.0, runs the copied CP/M programs on the Einstein, 80 columns only. It announces itself as “Scorpio Software (C) 1986, The fast Amstrad emulator”. The manual says WordStar was used to test it, and warns that non-standard CP/M programs such as games are unlikely to run.
The manual is on the disc as AMSCPRN.DOC.
Running It
Boot side A and type AMSCOPY. It asks which drive holds the Amstrad disc and which receives the copies. To run a copied program, put it on the same disc as AMRUN.COM and type AMRUN FILE1.COM FILE2.TYP, where the second file is optional.
Copy Protection
Tracks 3 and 10 on both sides carry sectors numbered 13, 10, 20, 101, 97, 100, 121, 32, 116 and 111, where an Einstein disc uses 0 to 9. Read as character codes, the numbers include “eady to”. A hidden directory entry and a file called DON'T ERASE point into this area, and the manual says AMRUN.COM cannot be copied to another disc. Every one of these sectors was read cleanly. The package keeps them: the .scp is the raw flux, the .mfi is built from the flux, and the .dsk keeps each sector’s real number. A plain Einstein copy would lose them.
Files in the Package
| File | Side | What it is |
|---|---|---|
AMSCOPY_A_AMSCOPY.scp | A | raw flux capture |
AMSCOPY_A_AMSCOPY.mfi | A | MAME flux image |
AMSCOPY_A_AMSCOPY.dsk | A | sector image (extended format, real sector numbers) |
AMSCOPY_B_AMSCOPY.* | B | the same three for side B |
README.txt | details of the dump and checksums |
Files on the Disc
| File | Size | What it is |
|---|---|---|
AMSCOPY.COM | 384 bytes | the copier |
AMRUN.COM | 1,280 bytes | the Amstrad emulator |
AMSCPRN.DOC | 3,328 bytes | the manual |
DON'T ERASE | 2,560 bytes | part of the copy protection |
About this Dump
Dumped on 27 September 2026 from an original Merlin Software disc (side A label “AMSCOPY 1038”) with a Greaseweazle V4 and an original Einstein 3″ drive. Apart from the protected tracks, every sector on both sides read cleanly. Both sides hold the same programs. Both run in MAME from the dumped image.
The library’s earlier image, still available below, holds a different set of CP/M utilities (AMSRD, ARC, ZASM and others) rather than this disc.
Gallery
