DaveDDS wrote on Today, 10:02:

You don't want to go spraying things into a drive. You can clean drive heads by hand, but 3.5" drives are difficult. […]
Show full quote

You don't want to go spraying things into a drive.
You can clean drive heads by hand, but 3.5" drives are difficult.

Basically you cut a strip of paper which can placed under the head and pulled back and forth.
With power-off you mildly impregnate the strip cleaning alcohol place it under heads, close the drive and GENTLY pull the strip back a forth a few times under the head.
Easy to do with most 5.25" drives (head is well exposed), very hard to do on 3.5" drives (head is well covered)

Do I need to take the cover off of the Fdrive?

DaveDDS wrote on Yesterday, 12:48:

Good, 643+780=1423- about right for a 1440k HD drive

A DD drive would have a total of 720k - clearly yours is HD.

So a DD drive is half the size of a HD right? or is that the floppy disks them self?

DaveDDS wrote on Yesterday, 12:48:

You were able to figure the size otherwise, so you don't need to now. but FYI (IIRC):

Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Command Prompt

OK thanks! good to know for next time/ something ells

superfury wrote on Today, 10:06:

You usually open the imz or img/ima file in software like WinImage, then use the program to write the data onto the floppy disk. If you try to copy the file directly to the floppy using Windows itself (windows explorer), it won't work, as you're attempting to copy a 1.44MB image file into a file system that IS the 1.44MB (2880 sectors on the disk) file itself, which is 1) missing the FAT and boot sector required for booting and 2) putting the filesystem with it's data into a filesystem, which won't ever work (since the BIOS booting it can't read it, besides it being a SECTOR copy of the disk and not a FILE copy). Usually you'd open it in software like WinImage, navigate to disk and select the option to write it to your inserted floppy drive.

For the 7z archive you'd find the imz/ima/img file inside it, so you'd need to extract that first.

Imz files can't be written directly and need extraction using a tool (or WinImage, which does extract it itself when you open it).

Dont understand! but are you saying "7-zip file manager" is the wrong program and i need WinImage instead?

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 10:29:

1st floppies were 8" - these were used on mainframes (size of small house) and minicomputers (size of a refrigerator) These had […]
Show full quote

1st floppies were 8" - these were used on mainframes (size of small house) and minicomputers (size of a refrigerator)
These had 77 "tracks" (logical rings where head writes data)
They were at first single sided, then advancement led to both sides being used.
Originally "single density", later "double density" (twice as many data bits per track)

Was this the 60s and 70s by any chance?

-

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 10:29:

Then came 5.25 - almost the same but smaller and only 40 tracks. Single sided: 180k Double sided: 360k (this is where IBM 5150 " […]
Show full quote

Then came 5.25 - almost the same but smaller and only 40 tracks.
Single sided: 180k
Double sided: 360k (this is where IBM 5150 "PC" started)

-

Then "High Density" was developed (Even more data bits per track via different media and more tracks) - appeared in the PC "AT")
5.25 DSDD = 360k (40 track)
5.25 DSHD = 1.2m (80 track)

An ongoing problem with DD<>HD was that there was no physical difference that the drive could detect and some people formatted DDs as HDs and it "sort of" worked but was unreliable.

-

Then disks got even smaller and physically changed: 3.5" format. By this time all were 80 track.
3.5 DSDD: 720k
3.5 DSHD: 1.4m

At this time an ID hole was added so a drive could tell the different between DD and HD disks, this appearsa on HD disks but NOT on DD disks (easy to tell apart visually as well)
I found a good photo showing the differences here: https://www.micropolis.com/support/kb/3.5-inch-floppy-disk

So HD and DD where in bough 5.25 and 3.5 right? and where the floppy disks them selfs and not the floppy driver?
-

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 10:29:

I have included much more information about floppy diskette and drive types in my ImageDisk documentation.
ImageDisk can be gotten from "Daves Old Computers"

Yes that is what my floppy disk looks like!. one square hole at the top and another one on the other side with a slider (presume its to look the drive like a video cassette)

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 12:56:

Dont understand! but are you saying "7-zip file manager" is the wrong program and i need WinImage instead?

Yes you need an image writer (such as WinImage). An image file is an entire disk, not just individual files so you need a program that can write an entire disk in one go. Neither Windows nor 7-Zip have this feature.

1. Use 7-Zip File Manager to extract the .img file contained inside somewhere on your hard drive
2. Use WinImage to write the .img file to a floppy disk

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 11:44:

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 10:29:

Brief history of floppy disks: (you don't need to know this - but it might help understand where things came from)

Just in case anyone is interested in this stuff, I do have a picture showing examples of the actual drive types I mentioned:

http://dunfield.classiccmp.org/misc/index.htm

In europe we only do 110v on caravan and building sites (typical 16amp ring main) Stricklly 240v domestic use! Dont see a lot of small AC motors nower days! think my 3.5" floppy is 12 and 5v

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 12:53:

Do I need to take the cover off of the Fdrive?

Yes, but once you do, you'll find that (at least on most 3.5" drives that I've seen) the heads are still mostly covered by the internal mechanism.. some drives I've been able to slip a long thin piece of paper under the heads from the side, some not.

So a DD drive is half the size of a HD right? or is that the floppy disks them self?

Same physical size - but 1/2 the capacity.
DD drive electronics can't write to HD media properly.

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:13:

In europe we only do 110v on caravan and building sites (typical 16amp ring main) Stricklly 240v domestic use! Dont see a lot of small AC motors nower days! think my 3.5" floppy is 12 and 5v

Good point & Thanks - I've never seen one, but I would guess that European 8" drives used 220/240v for the motor.

Next time I'm updating "Daves Old Computers" - I'll update that text "110v" -> "mains"

NeoG_ wrote on Today, 13:10:

Yes you need an image writer (such as WinImage). An image file is an entire disk, not just individual files so you need a program that can write an entire disk in one go. Neither Windows nor 7-Zip have this feature.

I get fed up with downloading so many things that wont run because they are 64bit and never bothered to tell you before you downloaded them. But this site looks very early 90s layout or just simple good old school HTML1
https://www.winimage.com/download.htm
And they have even bothered to label then with 64 or 32. But there are quite a few 32bit one there for me to choise from. Can you recommend one please?

NeoG_ wrote on Today, 13:10:

1. Use 7-Zip File Manager to extract the .img file contained inside somewhere on your hard drive
2. Use WinImage to write the .img file to a floppy disk

I though 7-zip file manager was pathiificlly for zip files only. and things like "image burn" and "ISO burn" where for .img files only

NeoG_ wrote on Today, 13:10:

...
1. Use 7-Zip File Manager to extract the .img file contained inside somewhere on your hard drive
2. Use WinImage to write the .img file to a floppy disk

FWIW, the smallest/simplest Win32 FloppyImage -> ActualDisk tool i've found is called DSKWRITE.EXE, (17k) doesn't have to be installed etc.

I stumbled across it somewhere, didn't find an official distribution site, so I just included in DOSBOOT.ZIP archive on my site.

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:22:

But there are quite a few 32bit one there for me to choise from. Can you recommend one please?

Get the third file from the top (winima110.exe)

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:22:

I though 7-zip file manager was pathiificlly for zip files only. and things like "image burn" and "ISO burn" where for .img files only

Don't overthink it, just follow the two steps provided and you will have a working boot disk

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 13:29:

FWIW, the smallest/simplest Win32 FloppyImage -> ActualDisk tool i've found is called DSKWRITE.EXE, (17k) doesn't have to be installed etc.

I stumbled across it somewhere, didn't find an official distribution site, so I just included in DOSBOOT.ZIP archive on my site.

I looked on your site you linked in your signature but could not find the link

NeoG_ wrote on Today, 13:30:

Get the third file from the top (winima110.exe)

So I have downloaded and installed the one you said. then I opened the win98 file in question. But I am unsure of what to do next! please see image attached

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:34:

I looked on your site you linked in your signature but could not find the link

"https://dunfield.themindfactory.com" -> "Download files" -> "DOSBOOT.ZIP"

hear i was before the above photo

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:41:

So I have downloaded and installed the one you said. then I opened the win98 file in question. But I am unsure of what to do next! please see image attached

In the disk menu, select your floppy drive, then in the disk menu again select write disk

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 13:44:

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:34:

I looked on your site you linked in your signature but could not find the link

"https://dunfield.themindfactory.com" -> "Download files" -> "DOSBOOT.ZIP"

I just downloaded it thanks! after abstracting the file to my chosen folder (compressed zipped files) it looks identical to the other one that I downloaded before in the above screenshots

NeoG_ wrote on Today, 13:44:

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:41:

So I have downloaded and installed the one you said. then I opened the win98 file in question. But I am unsure of what to do next! please see image attached

In the disk menu, select your floppy drive, then in the disk menu again select write disk

There are 4 options showing a disk. again please see attachment

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:52:

There are 4 options showing a disk. again please see attachment

The word "Disk", in the top menu

It's not clear what exactly the file type is (only that it's ".im?") or it's size .

A 1.44m 3.5" floppy disk image would normally be ".IMG" with a size of 1,474,560 bytes.

When posting screenshots of files like this when seeking help with them, it's worth turning on the display of extensions and sizes (things I always keep turned on in my systems)

Im from Windows wrote on Today, 13:49:

I just downloaded it thanks! after abstracting the file to my chosen folder (compressed zipped files) it looks identical to the other one that I downloaded before in the above screenshots

I'm not sure exactly what you are doing ... my DOSBOOT.ZIP archive contains a bunch of DOS boot disk images, as well as some tools for working with them:

1W:\SITE\DNLD> ZDIR DOSBOOT.ZIP
22026-04-24 16:49:04         8362 _DOSBOOT.TXT
32026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 CALDERA.IMG
42026-04-24 16:49:04        17408 DSKWRITE.EXE
52026-04-24 16:49:04         6776 FDI.COM
62026-04-24 16:49:04         3234 FDI2ISO.COM
72026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 FREEDOS.IMG
82026-04-24 16:49:04       327680 MSDOS112.IMG
92026-04-24 16:49:04       368640 MSDOS211.IMG
102026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 MSDOS331.IMG
112026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 MSDOS400.IMG
122026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 MSDOS500.IMG
132026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 MSDOS622.IMG
142026-04-24 16:49:04       163840 PCDOS090.IMG
152026-04-24 16:49:04       163840 PCDOS100.IMG
162026-04-24 16:49:04       163840 PCDOS110.IMG
172026-04-24 16:49:04       368640 PCDOS210.IMG
182026-04-24 16:49:04       368640 PCDOS300.IMG
192026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 PCDOS330.IMG
202026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 PCDOS71.IMG
212026-04-24 16:49:04      1474560 PTSDOS.IMG
222026-04-24 16:49:04         3302 XDISK.COM
23W:\SITE\DNLD> 

The one you want is DSKWRITE.EXE