Gotek FlashFloppy Confusion \ VOGONS

Gotek FlashFloppy Confusion

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First post, by DustyShinigami

DustyShinigami Offline

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Hi. I'm in need of some help understanding how to set up images on the Gotek FlashFloppy. I've tried reading the various documentation on GitHub, watched a couple of YouTube videos, and checked out a few threads here, but I'm getting different info, it feels like I'm installing multiple programs that do the same thing, and I'm a bit lost on the right way of going about things.

I read somewhere you can reformat the USB pen whilst it's plugged in to the Gotek...? But I can't find where I read that nor am I sure how you do that exactly. I've tried using the regular format option and set it to FAT32 and I've tried USB Floppy Manager that someone suggested on here, but even doing that, I'm not able to put the config files on. Windows doesn't allow me to access or do anything with it.

The attachment explorer_jYCNxFt6oo.png is no longer available

I also read that you can have 100 disks...? Though USB Floppy Manager only seems to list 84. Not a massive deal, but just confused why that is.

And then I read to use HDD Raw Copy Tool and WinImage for disk images. I tried the former last night, but still wasn't able to check the contents of the pen drive afterwards, and the Gotek doesn't appear to list anything present. And WinImage only seems to ask me to upload an already created image file. I was under the impression it was used to 'make' an image file...? So I'm totally lost on the correct way of making an image from the file(s) I want to load up.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

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Reply 1 of 5, by StriderTR

Posted on Today, 17:43

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I can't speak to Flash Floppy since I still use Gotek's standard firmware. However, using USB Floppy Manager v1.40i, I have no problems with much of anything. I use a standard 64GB flash drive that I formatted using the Floppy Manager software right in Windows 10, but I've never tried doing via the Gotek.

Windows 10 file manager sees the formatted USB drive as a single 1.44MB disk (the first drive in the list "000"). Windows disk manager will see it as a full FAT partition. I only use 10 disks since I rarely need more than that, but it can indeed do up to 100. All of the disks will only show up in the Floppy Manager software.

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Reply 2 of 5, by DustyShinigami

Posted on Today, 18:11

DustyShinigami Offline

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StriderTR wrote on Today, 17:43:

I can't speak to Flash Floppy since I still use Gotek's standard firmware. However, using USB Floppy Manager v1.40i, I have no problems with much of anything. I use a standard 64GB flash drive that I formatted using the Floppy Manager software right in Windows 10, but I've never tried doing via the Gotek.

Windows 10 file manager sees the formatted USB drive as a single 1.44MB disk (the first drive in the list "000"). Windows disk manager will see it as a full FAT partition. I only use 10 disks since I rarely need more than that, but it can indeed do up to 100. All of the disks will only show up in the Floppy Manager software.

Yeah, that's how things are set up on mine, too. When I put it into my Gotek afterwards, it just said 'error'. My main sticking point at the moment is figuring out how to create image files. Just plugged the USB back into my PC and it's now recognising it correctly and has an empty config file.

EDIT: Trying to use HDD Raw Copy Tool certainly doesn't do it properly and also makes USB Floppy Manager crash as it can no longer read it right.

Reply 3 of 5, by DustyShinigami

Posted on Today, 18:46

DustyShinigami Offline

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Yeah, not having much luck at all. I've tried dragging and dropping the file in WinImage and then saving it, but it only saves as a IMA file, not IMG. And even then, when I've accessed the file in Explorer, the file is still showing as an application. If I try and load 000 in USB Manager, it just tells me access is denied. And plugging the drive into the Gotek just gives me Error 34. 🙁

Reply 4 of 5, by StriderTR

Posted on Today, 19:07

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DustyShinigami wrote on Today, 18:46:

Yeah, not having much luck at all. I've tried dragging and dropping the file in WinImage and then saving it, but it only saves as a IMA file, not IMG. And even then, when I've accessed the file in Explorer, the file is still showing as an application. If I try and load 000 in USB Manager, it just tells me access is denied. And plugging the drive into the Gotek just gives me Error 34. 🙁

Hmm...

You probably know this already, but...

To load an image file, it's just a right click in the manager.

To copy files, double click the disk, opens explorer, copy files, go back to manager and select "Save".

I use WinImage 8.5 (works on Win10) to create floppy images. It creates .IMZ files, but the Floppy Manager software can read/write it just fine, as the GoTek has no issues with it. Just have to select "all files" since it looks for .IMG.

Does any of that help? Or am I completely missing the point? 🤣

Sadly, I'm off to work. Good luck! Seems you're on the right track.

Reply 5 of 5, by DustyShinigami

Posted on Today, 19:35

DustyShinigami Offline

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StriderTR wrote on Today, 19:07:
Hmm... […]
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DustyShinigami wrote on Today, 18:46:

Yeah, not having much luck at all. I've tried dragging and dropping the file in WinImage and then saving it, but it only saves as a IMA file, not IMG. And even then, when I've accessed the file in Explorer, the file is still showing as an application. If I try and load 000 in USB Manager, it just tells me access is denied. And plugging the drive into the Gotek just gives me Error 34. 🙁

Hmm...

You probably know this already, but...

To load an image file, it's just a right click in the manager.

To copy files, double click the disk, opens explorer, copy files, go back to manager and select "Save".

I use WinImage 8.5 (works on Win10) to create floppy images. It creates .IMZ files, but the Floppy Manager software can read/write it just fine, as the GoTek has no issues with it. Just have to select "all files" since it looks for .IMG.

Does any of that help? Or am I completely missing the point? 🤣

Sadly, I'm off to work. Good luck! Seems you're on the right track.

Thanks for the advice. I'll give it a go later. 😀 I think I'm using an older version of WinImage, which I saw recommended by someone in an old thread here. That would probably explain the lack of file type options available.

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