TRS-80 News

Announcing TRSToolGui, a Windows program for working with TRS-80 disk and tape images. It is meant as a replacement for Matthew Reed's much-missed TRSTools, built on top of Lawrence Kesteloot's trs80-tool.

TRSToolGui is by Ira Goldklang and Claude AI Fable v5.2. I developed it using Claude, Anthropic's AI. Claude wrote the code, working from my direction, my testing and my research notes on TRS-80 disks, DOSes and assemblers.

Thank You, Lawrence

First, a big thank you to Lawrence Kesteloot. trs80-tool does the real work here. It reads the disks, lists and extracts files, adds, deletes and renames them, converts formats, repairs, assembles, disassembles, and runs the emulator.

To be clear: TRSToolGui is about 90% a graphical front end over Lawrence's work. Every change to a disk image is made by trs80-tool. The GUI decides which command to run, runs it, and shows the result. If you like what TRSToolGui does, most of the credit is Lawrence's.

Thanks also to the late Matthew Reed, whose TRSTools set the standard for how this should look and feel. TRSToolGui copies TRSTools' workflow, and in two places, the hi-res graphics viewer and the NEWDOS/80 PDRIVE calculation, it uses the same method TRSTools used. It contains none of TRSTools' code.

What It Does (Summary)

• Opens JV1, JV3, DMK, DSK, HDV (with partitions), SCP, HFE, IMD, CAS and WAV images: every format and DOS that trs80-tool reads.
• Shows the files in a TRSTools-style list (name, type, size, date, attributes, kind, damage), with sorting, invisible/system file toggles and a list of recent images.
• Adds files by dialog, paste or drag-and-drop from Explorer, and extracts them by dialog, copy or drag-out to Explorer. Files can also be deleted and renamed.
• Edits file properties (invisible, system, protection level, date, passwords) and disk properties (name, date, master password, write-protect).
• Creates new floppy images (JV1/JV3/DMK; TRSDOS 2.3, TRSDOS 1.3, LDOS 5.3, TRSDOS 6.2, LS-DOS 6.3), bootable or data-only.
• Includes a file viewer that picks the right view for each file: graphics, EDTASM, BASIC, disassembly, text or hex.
• Gives a GUI to the trs80-tool features TRSTools never had: sector map, granule map, check & repair, format, trim, convert to other image formats, boot in the emulator, the trs80-tool shell, file conversion, the Z80 assembler, hex dump and disassembly of Windows files.
• Has a built-in manual (F1).

New and Augmented Functionality

Almost all functionality is simply what Lawrence has developed and put into TRS80Tools. However, there are a few functions that Ira uses that are not quite implemented in TRSTools yet, and that additional functionality has been added to this program:

Assembler source detection

BASIC detection, including Model 4

Enhanced NEWDOS/80 PDRIVE

DOS identification from the bytes

DMK analysis (Ctrl+D)

Sector map

Hi-res graphics viewer

TRSTools-style safety and convenience

• Names are checked against the DOS's rules before adding, with an offer to rename.
• Before a file is replaced, both versions are shown.
• Free space is checked before adding.
• Text can be converted (CR to CR/LF or LF, and back) on the way in and out.
• Windows file dates can be recorded on added files.
• "Exit upon ESC" and delete confirmation are options.

Engine awareness:

Smaller conveniences:

Requirements

• Windows 10 or later, 64-bit.
• trs80-tool. The first time TRSToolGui starts it asks where trs80-tool.exe is, and saves the answer in TRSToolGui.cfg next to TRSToolGui.exe. Edit > Preferences changes it later.

Which EXE to Use

The download has two copies of TRSToolGui.exe, in two folders. They are the same program and work the same way; they differ only in whether they carry .NET with them.

• No .NET needed: a large self-contained file with .NET built in. It runs on any 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 PC with nothing else installed. Use this one if you are not sure.
• With .NET 10 installed: a small file that uses the .NET 10 Desktop Runtime already on your PC. If the runtime is missing, Windows says so when you start it and offers the download.

Copy whichever one you choose to any folder you like; it keeps its settings in TRSToolGui.cfg next to the exe.

Status

This is the first release (v1.0). The engine calls have been tested against trs80-tool 5.0.1, and the analysers have been tested on a huge sample of files. Bug reports and odd disks that confuse it are very welcome.

You can download TRSToolGui at https://www.trs-80.com/main-emulation-multi-utilities.htm#trstoolgui

New pages covering Percom DoubleDOS aka DBLDOS have been added:

• Main Page Discussing the DOS
• Disassembly

Disassemblies of DOSPlus v3.5 for the Model I and Model III have been added to the site. The main DOSPlus page has also been updated to include history.

Lawrence Kesteloot has updated his TRS80TOOL to v5.0.1

The changelog:

• New disk command to alter floppy or hard disk images.
• The convert command can convert floppy images between DMK, JV1, JV3, HFE, and IMD formats.
• Recognizes more DOSes and their versions, and LNW Research’s CP/M.
• Better handling of floppies with many tracks (160+).
• The disk check command finds command files whose directory entries have the wrong size, and disk repair --fix-program-sizes fixes them.
• Better handling of copy-protected disks that try to hide the directory track.
• Better identification of disks created by Super Utility+.
• Better identification of various operating systems

The disk command adds write ability TRS80Tool on both diskette and hard drive images. It has a LOT of functions in the general command line of trs80-tool disk in.dmk ...

• dir [NAME...]
• extract NAME...
• list NAME
• add HOSTFILE...
• kill NAME...
• rename OLDNAME NEWNAME
• attrib PATTERN...
• label
• protect [on|off]
• info
• partition [N|NAME]
• free
• map [PATTERN...]
• check
• repair [--free-unclaimed]
• create DOS
• format [DOS]
• trim
• boot [--model 1|3|4] [--write-protected]
• undo
• redo
• revert
• save
• quit
• abort
• help [COMMAND]

You can find the instructions at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/

Download the updated TRS-80 Tool at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/#installation

Source is available at https://github.com/lkesteloot/trs80/tree/master/packages/trs80-tool

The DMK review/repair/analysis project is done! Damaged files are labeled damaged, as are copy protected, self booting, special format, etc. In this process, many programs which were missing authors, or which had different version numbers, or missing years, have been updated. A lot of duplicates have been cleared as well.

I want to thank Lawrence Kesteloot, Peter Phillips, and Quentin Barnes for all their help, and for their amazing contributions to the TRS-80 community as well.

There's one remaining project, as an offshoot of all the DMK analysis, still in the work. I am trying to figure out if a DOS (in terms of DOS family, model, and version number) can be discerned from a formatted image, and the best way to test and determine that. This leaves the boot sector, the directory, the IDAM table, density per sector, data marks and CRCs to work from. That will not be enough to discern between closely related versions or OS's (like TRSDOS -> NEWDOS -> VTOS -> LOBO DOS, which is a VERY VERY tight/close geneology because they were written by the same person), but it is showing promise.

Since Claude is not afraid to do things out of scope as well, in doing all the analysis and reclassification (which is now complete), it came up with about 1,000 suggestions for the archive. Things like:

• It found embedded version numbers, years, or authors which differ from the label
• Images which are identical, even if crc-32 different, that should be deleted
• Mixed versions in a single ZIP file / Incorrect Model attribution
• More images to try to repair (now that it knows they are not copy protected).

So this is going to take me time to go through to verify. Sigh.

That said, the Copy Protection has been finished!

All the below projects are done, and I have started the AI analysis of each DMK image to determine factors such as:

• Is it copy protected and if so, how
• Is it a special formatted disk (one which is not DOS addressable/compatible)
• Is it self-booting into its own environment
• Is it a dual boot between the Model I and any other Model

In addition to just making sure they are properly labeled, I hope to have a comprehensive analysis of the copy protection schemes used by various authors/companies and how they work. Since there are about 8,800 images, this will take a while, and output will be done in one batch, since later images may clarify earlier ones.

I had to bite the bullet and upgrade to the $100-a-month Claude subscription. There are so many projects to undertake it was just too painful at the $20 a month; let's see how long this can last.

There have been a lot of fixes going on with regard to the site. Model 1 DOS disassemblies were re-vetted against each other and against the ROM. Opus 5.5 picked up over 1,000 items it didn't like. Almost every Model I DOS has now been re-vetted. Only MicroDOS remains at this stage.

The Model 4P Boot ROM and the Diagnostic portion of the XDROM have been broken out into their own separate pages as well, and re-vetted.

Every DMK on the site has also been checked for errors, disclosing when they had some, and permitting repair. As a result, the missing sofware page has expanded now that some images which were actually damaged/deficient have been identified. The biggest oddity is that I have no copy of TRSDOS v6.02.00-AR. I even pulled a 2015 copy of the archive. Every single image I thought I had turned out to be -AN.

Right now, I am having Claude re-verify every NEWDOS/80 zap from every source I have to finally get a set which is known to be OCR correct, with me answering edge cases. This should allow for properly identifying which NEWDOS/80 images are zapped and which aren't, and to what extent if they are. It has currently found errors in the official zap page, by verifying such things as [1] the byte patter to look for appears in no copy of NEWDOS/80 and [2] reviewing what the code does. Changes from the official zaps are being noted, and explained. Additionally, a Model III Zap page has been added. The Model I Zap page (now) also has explanations as to what each zap does.

I plan to have every DMK analyzed for copy protection, for dual boot, for special format (i.e., no directory), and for self-boot, and labeled as such; with hopes of cataloging all found copy protections. This will take a huge amount of credits so it will be last and take a while.

Lawrence Kesteloot has updated his TRS80TOOL to v4.6

The frequent updates are because I am using the tool on the entire archive, to determine which DMK's might be flawed (but never noted as such), which can be repaired, and which are copy protected. As I run continuing iterations, images that need special attention get brought to the surface, and that allows for more versatility. Also, since I am using the tool heavily, Lawrence was kind enough to make some usability updates, including (in this version) making TRS80Tool more like the TRSREAD command line, which permits specifying the files you want to extract, and does NOT require an output directory.

The changelog since v4.4.0 is:

• extract writes to the current directory, or to the directory given by the new --out-dir flag, instead of taking the output directory as an argument. Names after the input file pick which files to extract, and may have wildcards.
• Every command expands wildcards in input file names itself, so they work in Windows’ cmd.exe and PowerShell.
• More robust reading of disk images.
• trs80-tool v4.5.0: Can read HDV hard disk images, with their LDOS 5, LS-DOS 6, and DOSPLUS 3 partitions. dir, info, convert, and extract show each partition’s files in a directory named for the partition.

You can find the instructions at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/

Download the updated TRS-80 Tool at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/#installation

Source is available at https://github.com/lkesteloot/trs80/tree/master/packages/trs80-tool

Lawrence Kesteloot has updated his TRS80TOOL! The changelog since v4.3.0 is:

• run write-protects every floppy, including mounted ones, unless given the new --writable flag, which also saves changes back to their files. The --write-protected flag is gone.
• asm has a new --model flag, and defines constants like __MODEL__ so that source can differ between models.
• Hex dumps and disassembly listings color addresses, bytes, and annotations.
• info --verbose shows the PDRIVE settings of NEWDOS/80 disks.

You can find the instructions at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/

Download the updated TRS-80 Tool at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/#installation

Source is available at https://github.com/lkesteloot/trs80/tree/master/packages/trs80-tool

Lawrence Kesteloot has updated his TRS80TOOL with more robust reading of damaged DMK files.

The changelog since v4.2.0 is:

• dir, extract, sectors, and info have a new --json flag that prints a JSON version of their output.
• sectors --bad omits disks with no bad sectors.
• Can read floppy images with an unreadable boot track.
• convert can no longer be used to disassembles binaries; use disasm instead.
• More robust reading of damaged DMK disk images.

You can find the instructions at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/

Download the updated TRS-80 Tool at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/#installation

Source is available at https://github.com/lkesteloot/trs80/tree/master/packages/trs80-tool

Alan Moyer was kind enough to send Pete Cetinski some CINTUG newsletters!

Irwin Burton has provided some additional software! He writes

I've recently been playing around with the HELPMATE program, originally written by Daniel Zenzel, Jr. in September 1985 and published in 80-Micro, May 1986, p.49. This is a program that allows the user to created and/or edit THSDOS/LS-DOS HELP files.
I've been able to update some of the features in the program program and most importantly, I've been able to convert it to work on LDOS 5 since it also uses HELP files with basically the same format as the 6.x files.
I also was able to modify the programs a bit so that they compile with the Misosys EnhComp BASIC compiler into CMD files that run a bit faster on my machine.
Anyway, I thought others might enjoys seeing these program so I'm sending a DMK with my modified programs on it for your perusal.

Gabor Kepes has released a new game for the TRS-80 (well, for the HT-1080Z), called ILLES URSZEKEREI. It is a reproduction of the Vic-20 game Omega Race.

You can download it from https://gaborkepes.itch.io/illes-urszekerei

With Lawrence's massive update to TRSTOOL, I wanted to see the fidelity across TRSREAD, VDISK, and TRSTOOL. This involved expanding my "export every DMK and gather up the resulting CRC-32's" program, which I use to check for duplicates, into one which would export every DMK using each of the 3, and then compare them to see, for example, if one extracted a different number of files than the other or if the CRC32 of extracted images were different, and which program out of the 3 was the odd man out.

There are 8,810 images in the test group and the results have been disturbing. There are a lot of images where VDISK and TRSTOOL agree and TRSREAD, the program I have been relying on for decades, did the bad extraction.

Since VDISK is no longer being developed, I am working with Lawrence to see where TRSTOOL might possibly be breaking, based on the odd man out; in hopes that TRSTOOL will become the highest fidelity tool for this. To its credit, TRSTOOL was only 'odd man out' on 7 images, and 3 of those were because the images were broken; so extraction fidelity is likely not going to be its problem. Images which either TRSREAD or VDISK do extract but which TRSTOOL cannot are being fed to Lawrence.

This is also having a side effect of letting me label which disks are either 'copy protected' or 'special format', something David S has been asking me to do for years.

Lawrence is actively updating his TRSTOOL during these tests, so hold tight on any upgrade to the latest on that for a bit. I have also asked Peter Philips to look into a few images where TRSRead is clearly failing, in case he might be able (and willing) to update Matthew Reed's TRSREAD utility.

Joe Costolnick has developed a Windows app that launches the trs80gp TRS-80 emulator and wraps it with a bezel overlay with optional GPU rendering which can add bloom, brightness above 100%, curvature, scanlines, vignette, tint and a glass cover. A WebView2 settings window exposes all look settings; they are saved to (and loaded from) .gpc preset files.

A writable folder for presets is mandatory, as GPC saves settings and logs.

A sample command line is: bin\GPC.exe presets\M3.48K.Cheap.gpc

You can find the download and instructions at https://github.com/FastDogJo/GPC

The Archive Search page has been updated to add little magnifying glasses next to authors and publishers in each search results. Clicking on those will re-do the search using that author or publisher, so you can see other software by the same entities.

This required a substantial audit of author names and publishers. There are a few publishers that used multiple names for various purposes, such as Programma International and Programma Corporation, and those will not be treated as the same. Thankfully, this affects only a handful of publishers.

CYB2000 was kind enough to dump and scan Blockade.

TRS-80 Trash Talk Live #50 is shcheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 6:00PM Pacific Daylight Time

You can watch on the TRS-80 Trash Talk channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXkGugvdCkpkMDylVQb9gfg

This will include a detailed rundown of next week’s Tandy Assembly so if you are speaking or exhibiting at TA please try to join us and tell the community about what you will be speaking or exhibiting.

If you want to participate in the live zoom session, reach out to trs80trashtalk at gmail dot com for information.

Jenz Guenther was kind enough to let me know that Yves Lempereur has released the assembler source of his TRS-80 Model I/III games!

• Time Runner
• Mad Mines
• Apple Panic
• Bable Terror
• Aliens Eggs
• Limit Zero
• Black Hole

You can find Yves' Github at https://github.com/ylempereur?tab=repositories. Note: These files are in ASCII as they are for research.

Thank you, Jenz (and Yves!)

• A kind member of the TRS-80 community let me read about 250 disks, which have been added to the archive information.
• The ad copy and missing files have both received a major update thanks to the Radio Shack Sourcebooks.

Richard Merryman has let me know of a Level II BASIC interpreter written in GNU awk

David Forbis posted on Reddit that he has written a Model I/III Level II BASIC interpreter co-written with Claude in GNU awk which aims at the behavior of the Model I machine, not just the language: the same error codes and number formatting, the ROM's RND generator, and the 64x16 pseudo-screen with semigraphics drawn in a virtual terminal. It's mostly Level II BASIC, but he added some Disk Basic features where he found good uses for them.

You can find the project at https://github.com/davidscan/trs80basic

"CYB 2600" has provided some additional software! Thank you!

Gabor Kepes has developed Planet Makruk for the HT-1080Z. It works on the TRS-80.

You can find more information about it at https://gaborkepes.itch.io/planet-makruk

Issue Information:

Date:	September 2026
Pages:	78
Blurb:	In this issue, George and Peter Phillips release details of their latest version (2.5.8) of trs80gp. Ian Mavric has details of the speakers for the forthcoming T.A. 2026. He also warns us that it’s tough times ahead for retro-computer lovers. Check-out page 11 if you’re interested in some U.K. hardware bargains. Randy Kindig starts a series transcripts of ‘Floppy Days’, with episode 8, part 1. E.T. Fonehume has a BASIC one-liner displaying a Kaleidoscope. Egotiz Campo reports on the latest Basgue, TRS-80 Tournament. Vince Otten supplies part 7 “Double Trouble” of his series “The Power of the ROM”. In the regular feature ‘The Way We Were’, there’s an interesting software upgrade for the System80/Video Genie’s. There’s a couple of interesting finds in ‘Surfin the Net’. And finally, there’s the latest puzzle in our ‘Countdown’ series.

Table of Contents

George and Peter Phillips have updated their awesome TRS80GP emulator to v2.5.8. Changes are:

New Features:

• MX-70 now has printer sound effects on Mac.
• Disk summary has option to show likely empty sectors
• Command line -im disksummary and -im disksummarye output disk image summaries

Bug Fixes:

• Reset FDC on Model I reset button press
• Model 4P defaults to having hires Tandy graphics
• FreHD always given short file names on Windows even when it refuses
• Don't force cursor off when directly loading /CMD files
• File Utility was crashing on Model 2 systems under MacOS

You can download it at http://48k.ca/trs80gp.html

Alex Mota has written a utility to identify which memory blocks are occupied on a Model I

Egbert Schroeer has lt me know that he has gotten CalvaDOS reconstructed and running on a real physical Genie III

You can see his write-up at https://github.com/Egbert-Azure/TCS-Trommeschlaeger-Genie-IIIs-CalvaDOS

Claude continues to amaze me. I had the below software as "Can't figure it out". It turns out that Info Cras needed a "Security Disk" and Test Bank System kept rebooting because was looking for protection on the disk.

Claude examined the files, determined the protection, and built not only a cracked file, but also built the associated DMK's with the required security so that a crack wasn't neccessary. The below include all those, including its analysis; for those who are curious.

I have updated the Software Search expanded results page to include the text of an ad applicable to the product, if available. This is also a searchable field.

The team behind the Android TRS-80 emulator has pushed a brand new version of the TRS-80 app with a new and streamlined UI

You can find it at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.puder.trs80

R Pickett was kind enough to provide the missing PC-3 Service Manual!

I have updated the Software Search results page to permit for the same expanded results as are shown on the category results page, so now you can choose between the single line and the expanded when getting results.

Tandy Assembly is coming up! Here's what the organizers have to say

Well, it’s less than 2 months until Tandy Assembly 2026 folks (Oct 2 - Oct 4, 2026 in Cincinatti)! The speaker schedule is booked, the Friday Tech Track track classes are all assigned and the planning is proceeding on target. If you’re not aware, we’re at a new venue this year just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. Very convenient to the airport for those that fly in…in fact, we’re at the airport!
The new venue is also quite a bit larger so you can have multiple tables this year if you plan on exhibiting or becoming a vendor. For vendors, we have some new rules that you need to follow so please be aware of that. See the website for details.
More details will follow as the show date approaches so please watch your inbox.
If you have not yet registered, please do so soon so that we have a good idea of how much space we will need to configure at the venue.
Remember, all exhibitors, sponsors and Tech Track attendees will be invited to the Friday night onsite dinner. Others can attend the dinner for $20 additional cost.
Send any questions to this email address.
Take care and we’ll see you in October!

To get more information, visit the Tandy Assembly Web site

The manual for the Exatron MM-800 64K RAM Board was found!

If you are bored, or want to help out the site, visit the categorization project page and categorize some of the archive! You can jump to various pages, or a random one, a letter of the alphabet, or search. Do as much or as little as you want!

Update: Thanks for everyone who has submitted! Only 26,752 more to go!

Quentin Barnes has released GW2DMK for the Mac.

You can find it at https://github.com/qbarnes/gw2dmk/releases/tag/v0.5.1.

Lawrence Kesteloot has released an updated copy of his trs80tools, now new version 2.8.12, with updates to the disasm command as follows:

• The input file is detected by its contents, not the filename extension, so that FLT, DVR, and OV? files will be treated like CMD files.
• CAS and WAV files can be disassembled directly. If multiple programs are on the cassette, only the first will be disassembled.
• The --full flag now no longer causes jump targets to be disassembled. The assumption is that all code is sequential.

You can download it for the Windows, Mac, and Linux at https://www.my-trs-80.com/tool/#installation.

Gabor Kepes has written a new game for the TRS-80 Model I and HT1080Z called LEO25. He is asking people to try it out and report any bugs

You can download a DSK of the game at https://gaborkepes.itch.io/leo25.

Quentin Barnes has updated his GW2DMK Utility v0.5 noting the following changes:

• USB bus scanning for the Greaseweazle should now work. No need to always specify -G|--device option.
• Autodetect floppy drive when -d|--drive option not given.
• New -Z|--serial option to give a GW serial number if more than one GW.
• New -B|--bustype option to specify type of floppy cable (ibm or shugart).
• New -C|--config|--noconfig options to specify an INI file (or disable it) for default arguments. See the man pages under section "CONFIGURATION FILE" for details.
• The -R|--replay option is now implemented. Uses -U logfiles instead of a level 7 -u logfile like in cw2dmk.
• -y|--testmode
• -h|--hd
• -f|--fillmode
• -p|--precomp
• -a|--rateadj
• --dither

This wonderful program uses the still-being-manufactured Greaseweazle instead of the defunct Catweasel, to create DMK images from real disks. This utility permits caching of good sectors to rebuild damaged tracks, making it far superior to any other method of archiving.

You can see entire GITHUB project at https://github.com/qbarnes/gw2dmk. For those who want a faster download, you can download all OS releases (Linux: ARM Arch64, ARMv7l, x86_64 and Windows: 32- and 64- bit), including source code, from here.

Dusty has unveiled his Model I Case with Bezel and Badge product! He also has put up a web page --- https://dustysvintageworkshop.com/.

You can see all of his EXTREMELY impressive work on that site! e-Commerce to come at some point.

Dusty of Dusty's Vintage Workshop has two (2) finished model I replacement cases for sale

Scott Toenniessen has provided LDOS v5.3.0 for the Lobo Max-80.

You can download it here

I have no way of testing this image.

Dusty of Dusty's Vintage Workshop has been fine-tuning his 3-D printable Model I case, and has released the STL files and builder's guide.

You can download it here

Marcel Erz of RetroStack has released the full schematic, Gerber files for the common manufacturers, and a complete BOM for his reverse engineered and updated version of the TRS-80 Model I Expansion Interface.

You can read all about it at https://www.patreon.com/RetroStack/posts/trs-80-model-1-d-162928605

The prolific Eghbert Azure has provided more links

• H-Dos for the Genie at https://github.com/Egbert-Azure/TRS80M1/blob/main/diskimages/GDos/hdos.md
• A banker hardware hack he made to his Model I at https://github.com/Egbert-Azure/TRS80M1/blob/main/hardware/model1-tuneup-1992.md

Older news can be found here ...