Can I read my MeritWriter diskette on a Windows NT, 2000 or XP platform?
No. This product has also been sold under the names StenoWriter and TurboWriter. MeritWriter uses a proprietary format that requires the use of a special programming technique to change the BIOS on the fly, to be able to read the content of a diskette. Under Windows 3.x and Windows 9x, ProCAT was able to modify the BIOS to read a non-DOS diskette.
Windows XP, NT and 2000 will no longer allow an application program to modify its BIOS therefore it is not possible to read a MeritWriter note file directly into Winner on a Windows NT, 2000, or XP platform.
We highly recommend that our clients use their existing Windows 9x or 3.x computer to transfer their archived MeritWriter diskettes into a DOS readable format for safekeeping.
At ProCAT, our goal is to maintain a Windows 9x computer to assist our clients in the event that they do not have access to a computer that will be compatible with the MeritWriter. Please feel free to contact our technical services department if you would like to read an old MeritWriter diskette onto a DOS readable media.