Re: Write 3.5" disk image in Windows

[Warren Ernst <wernst@gmail.com>]

On Sep 24, 7:35 pm, Polymorph <polymorp...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Sep 25, 12:10 pm, bnfmsgeek <bnfmsg...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Sep 24, 6:50 pm, Polymorph <polymorp...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Sep 25, 8:56 am, bnfmsgeek <bnfmsg...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > On Sep 24, 5:28 pm, Linards Ticmanis <ticma...@gmx.de> wrote:
>
> > > > > bnfmsgeek wrote:
> > > > > > What do you mean by "variable speed" floppy drive hardware?
>
> > > > > To write Apple (or Macintosh) 800 KB floppy disks, you need a either
> > > > > drive that can spin the actual disk at five different speeds, such as an
> > > > > older Apple floppy drive, or (this is the much less used variant) a very
> > > > > special floppy controller card that can send the data to the drive at
> > > > > five different speeds - standard controllers can't do that. Only
> > > > > pre-iMac floppy drives from Apple can spin in five speeds and those from
> > > > > other companies can't do it at all.
>
> > > > > Apple/Mac 1440 KB disks don't need that ability as they use the same
> > > > > low-level bit structure as MS-DOS 1440 KB floppies, but on the other
> > > > > hand the built-in disk port of a IIgs (or IIc) can only deal with 800 KB
> > > > > disks. So your 1440 KB capable drive for the Apple will only be doing
> > > > > 800 KB if it's connected to the built-in port; it can only do 1440 KB if
> > > > > it's hanging off its own special controller card.
>
> > > > > > Would my
> > > > > > usb external drive work?
>
> > > > > For writing 800 KB disks, no, the hardware of your USB drive is
> > > > > physically incapable of writing that format. For writing 1440 KB disks,
> > > > > yes it would work, if you have a program on your Mac that can handle
> > > > > ProDOS floppy disk images (such as CiderPress does on Windows). I have
> > > > > no idea if such a program exists for Mac OS X.
>
> > > > > --
> > > > > Linards Ticmanis
>
> > > > So how do I use ciderpress in windows?- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > > Hmmm....I feel that this thread is going nowhere fast. Can you please
> > > explain in detail *exactly* what you are trying to do. There are many
> > > ways to skin a cat, but first we need to find out exactly what cat
> > > we're dealing with.  ;-)
>
> > > If you are just trying to get GS/OS 6.0.1 images onto your IIgs, then
> > > the easiest option is to transfer them from your Mac to your IIgs
> > > using ADTPro. If, as you say, your transfers are taking 15 minutes
> > > each, then maybe we need to fix that problem first. In order to do
> > > this however, we need to know what you are using to do the transfer.
> > > Outline which ADTPro version you have, what serial cables you are
> > > using, are you using a SSC or the IIgs serial port, what (if any) mass
> > > storage device does your IIgs have, do you have a superdrive
> > > controller for your HD drive, etc.... Try and be as detailed as
> > > possible. The fixing of this problem will certainly lessen the pain
> > > not only for transfering GS/OS, but any other disk images you choose
> > > to transfer in future.
>
> > > Unless you have a superdrive card, creating *any* 1.44Mb disks under
> > > any operating system are going to be useless to you on your IIgs, as
> > > you will not be able to read them.
>
> > > Thanks,
> > > -p
>
> > OK Here goes....
>
> > I have a IIgs w/ a regular old apple floppy drive, and an Applied
> > Engineering one. I looked it up on the internet, and Wikipedia says
> > that it can take either 1.44 meg floppies or 800k ones. I have no
> > special card to read 1.44m ones so right now I have only 1.44meg (HD)
> > ones, that I just format to be 800k. Don't argue about the effects of
> > doing it that way, as I've read enough about them, and I plan to use
> > them for shorter time periods anyway. Somebody's giving me more
> > floppies later this week (including 800k ones) I have no mass storage
> > (unfortuneatly) on my GS. I have a laptop (running xp) that I can
> > connect to my GS, but I had troubles with that (as schmidtd might
> > remember from the sourceforge forums of ADT). I was, however able to
> > get a desktop running vista working fine with it (besides the time
> > issue). I connect my PC to my II by means of a USB-serial adapter in a
> > null-modem configuration. I also happen to have access to any iBook
> > (Dual USB) running OSX 3.?.?, which the power cord is broken. I might
> > be able to get another cord via my local Mac User's Group. I also have
> > a usb external floppy drive I can use on my XP machine and possibly my
> > mac. I want to be able to find a way to transfer disk images in a
> > reasonable amount of time at a reasonable price (i.e. not more than
> > I've already spent, as I'm only 14 and extremely thrifty)- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> OK...now we're getting somewhere.  :-)
>
> Firstly, forget about the USB floppy drive - its not going to be any
> use to you. Whilst Ciderpress is one of the best tools around, it too
> is not going to be much use to you in this case. So file it away for
> now.
>
> I would be checking the USB serial device and make sure that it is
> configured correctly to allow 115,200 baud transfers. Also double
> check that ADTPro is configured correctly for 115,200 transfers and
> using the correct port - ie. IIgs modem port. If Vista has any
> settings for the serial ports (I'm not familiar with Vista), try and
> set those to 115,200 also.
>
> If transfers are still taking around 15 minutes per disk, try and get
> your hands on some older hardware with real serial ports (i.e. not a
> USB-->Serial adapter) preferrably running Windows XP or older. I don't
> know how well Windows Vista has been tested with ADTPro as yet, but
> Windows XP has been used extensively. You should have no problems
> here. At least this will confirm that your IIgs is correctly
> configured to accept 115,200 transfers.
>
> If you can't get your hands on older hardware/software, then post the
> details (model #, brand, etc) of your USB serial adapter and see if
> anyone else has had any issues using that particular model. I know
> that some adapters have had issues with ADTPro in the past. You may be
> out of luck if it happens to be one of these particular models.
> Alternatively, you may want to ask which adapters are known to work
> well, and fork out a few more dollars to get one.
>
> Try out some of the above and let us know how you get on.
>
> cheers,
> -p

If your goal is to make a batch of System 6.01 disks and you don't
have a mass-storage device (like a hard drive, a compact-flash drive,
a Zip drive, or even a High Density drive with appropriate
controller), then it hardly seems worth going through all the hassle.

-Warr