Re: it's a FAQ I know, but IIc 5.25" -> anything?

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Ed Eastman writes ...
> 
> Rubywand wrote:
> > Martin Doherty writes ...
> >>I'm sure I've read here about some amazing software that lets you read
> >>an Apple 5.25" disk on an MS-DOS/Wintel machine under specific
> >>circumstances?
> 
> >      CiderPress? Don't know. Isn't Apple II's Disk II encoding
> > hardware-incompatible with modern PC 5.25" drive interfaces?
> 
> Yes, you can make a disk image of the front of an Apple II disk using
> the disk to FDI program.  However this is not really a great option for
> most people.  Often the back of the Apple II diskette is in use and it
> probably can't be converted with FDI.  Also, the conversion is only
> useful in an emulator.
> 

     Forgot about Disk2FDI! It's even in the FAQs ("Diskettes" page).

     Decided to give it a try. The docs that come with the program are pretty
good; but, the collected Csa2 info was a huge help. It's referenced in the
FAQs:

http://apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/Docs/Disk2FDI_InfoPostings.txt .


     Since I'm running Win/Me, I tried running Disk2FDI in a DOS window and
also under booted DOS 6.22. Seems to work as advertised both ways.

     With Disk2FDI located in C:\D2FDI I could start the DOS window and go to
C:D2FDI\ and try out the program pretty easily with something like ...

Disk2FDI /S B: TRY1.DO

     When booting DOS 6.22 from 3.5" diskette, there wasn't enough space for
saving anything on the diskette; so, I referenced the program on drive C: and
used C: for storing the result. From prompt A:\>

C:\D2FDI\Disk2FDI /S B: C:\D2FDI\TRY1.DO

     Either way, the DOS 6.22 boot disk is the one that stayed in the 3.5"
drive. Since I run the program under Windows Me, the diskette is 
write-protected.

     Disk2FDI works great with quite a few diskettes and not so well with
others. The latter include unprotected diskettes which work fine on our II+ and
Verify as having no errors under Copy II Plus. 

     Speed seems to an important variable. If a diskette was created on a drive
which varies a bit from your PC 5.25" drive's speed, it very well may not be
imaged successfully.


> Best bet for what this person wants is to have the data converted for a
> modern application.  (Of course I could be wrong.)  As I  said
> previously, they need to make a blatent request for what they want/need.
> 
> Thankx,
> Ed


     Think you're right about that. Disk2FDI does not seem likely to be the
best solution for someone who wants to convert Appleworks data disks for
viewing on a PC, especially if there is data on Side 2 of the disks. (I guess
you could try slicing off the top edge of the diskette with a paper cutter and
flipping the disk media over to get around the sync hole barrier.)

     Besides, it's pretty likely that Disk2FDI would not successfully image at
least some of the diskettes.

    _IF_ you manage to get good disk images, you still have to deal with
Appleworks files on a disk image. Doable; but, quite a bit of bother for
someone who isn't a current Apple II user.


Rubywand