Re: Which drive/controller/firmware to read old disks ?

[e p chandler <epc8@juno.com>]

On Sep 15, 11:22 am, D Finnigan <dog_...@macgui.com> wrote:
> Zero dB wrote:
> > Greetings all,
>
> > This will be a cinch for most of you, but I am not that well-versed on
> > the apple ii hardware since I was a child when i was introduced, and
> > mostly played games (as I continue to do now)
>
> > However.  A friend of mine sent me some disks that may have some very
> > old, very valuable art projects that I want to access, but the disks
> > don't seem to want to read in my duo-disk.
>
> > He sent me a bunch of "scotch 744" diskettes, which i think are ss/sd,
> > and some apple master dos 3.2 disks in a plastic sleeve.
>
> Hello Jayson,
>
> If you or someone you know has an Apple IIgs, it can effortlessly boot
> and read DOS 3.2 disks. So, you may well boot them to see if the data
> are still good. If the disks were stored in a decent environment (read:
> NOT the basement, NOT the attic) then they likely will still be
> error-free all of these years later.
>
> The next step is to get a DOS 3.2 - DOS 3.3 converter. These are
> standard utilities, and there is one on the DOS 3.3 System Master. It's
> called something weird, MUFFIN. But that's what it is.
>
> After you've gotten the data to DOS 3.3 disks, then getting them to any
> modern computer is much easier.

There is 13 sector ADT. If you can get it to work, it produces a .D13
file. Cider Press can handle that format and transfer files in and out
or to 16 sector disk images.
But 13 sector ADT's host is MS-DOS. It does direct COM port access,
not allowed by XP or Vista except perhaps with DOSBOX. On Win98 it
failed too due to a confilct with my system's WInModem. I had to go
back to a Win95 laptop with a real single COM port to get 13 sector
ADT to work with a real Apple 2e.

As you say the best bet is to MUFFIN from 3.2 to a 3.3 disk first,
then transfer the disk image with 16 sector ADT or individual programs
with a DOS 3.3 comm program. I've used Kermit, partly because I used
it back in the 80s when it first came out.

-- Elliot