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Dave Dunfields Imagedisk

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Chromedome45

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Jul 6, 2009
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Location
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I have tried using Dave's image disk on several different computers and every time I try to write an image the computer locks up! This has happened on a Pentium III using an adapted 1542 scsi controller using floppy port only, IBM 50z and a Pentium 1 that won't even run the program. I need to get this running to create some images. Or is there another program that will do the same thing.

Getting very frustrated and angry about this not working!!! Had this problem before and the only computer that would run it was a Tandy 1000 TX!!!:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused:
 
I have used ImageDisk on multiple computers and floppy controllers and it has never locked up. In fact my main imaging machine is a PIII PICMG SBC using a 1542 plugged into the backplane and it works fine.

Make a new copy on a known good disk from a new download from Dave's site and see if it behaves any better. Have you sent an email to dave about the problems? He may have some insight.

I don't think rawwrite will work with IMD images, but I could be wrong.
 
Well I was trying to write 8" IMD images onto a 5.25 HD floppy for testing. But this happened before. 2 years ago I wanted to make floppies for my Tandy 2000. The only computer that would write the images was a Tandy 1000TX. No other computer would do it. And I contacted him at the time and he didn't have a clue as to why it wouldn't work. Plus his site is constantly down. then up then down again.

I am using version 1.18 his latest. What version are you using KB2?

And like you I have a 1542 in my Pentium III machine. And it fails too!

So have no idea what to do.
 
I haven't had problems with it, I too use an Adaptec card (1522A iirc), up til recently in a Pentium III 550 MHz machine. I downloaded ImageDisk from his site a year or two ago, so it's probably not the latest version.
 
I guess it's just me. Everyone else it works for. But not for me!

I am using a ASUS p2b-ds with a single Pentium III 600 cpu. Adaptec 1542 only using the Floppy controller. I disabled the config.sys and autoexec.bat
still no go. I'll try and find an older version then.

Oh and it is straight DOS 5.0 no windows

Are there any image convertors so I can change the IMD over to say DSK.

In my opinion this program sucks!
 
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Chromedome45 said:
Are there any image convertors so I can change the IMD over to say DSK.

In my opinion this program sucks!
Click to expand...
Why are you beating your head against the wall? Since you are trying to create a disk image why don't you just use another program like one that will create an IMG file?
 
And the obvious question - you are running it in DOS, right? Not on a windows machine?

What are the results of the floppy test? It will give you information about what you can read/write, modes, etc. As always, make sure your drive is configured right in the bios, etc.

You also have to be sure your transfer rates are right - you can't write 360KB floppies with a 1.2MB drive with your DSDD data rate set to 250K, for example.

It's not as easy to use as say, teledisk, and it does have a bit of a learning curve, but once I got used to it I have zero problems anymore.
 
Floppy test report all ok even single density. That's on a 360k DS/DD disk. No pure DOS. Ok could you enlighten me about the learning curve?
When I select write form the menu it says to insert disk and press enter. Well I do that and LOCK UP. Every time!

Oh I know about the data rates on HD disks. Needs to be at 500kb AFAIK
 
I've used it on a Win98SE (booted to DOS) and it's fine.

Did you disable the controller on the motherboard correctly (assuming that you're using the one on the 1542)? Have you tried it running from the motherboard FDC and disabling the 1542 controller?

I've used it on several systems, but my usual is an old Amptron 8600 P1 board. Onboard FDC disabled and using a CC IV as the primary.

There is a utility in Dave's distro that will convert an IMD to a raw binary image.
 
Well I see a bin2imd but no imd2bin in the 1.18 distro. The thing is when I go to write it doesn't even access the floppy. It immediately hangs! No disk activity light whatsoever. But it does format the drive and testfdc reports all is well in both single density and double. On a 1.44 and a 360k drive.

Yes motherboard FDC is disabled.

tried onboard FDC same thing.

Stone: this id the only software I know of that will write these images. Yes I am beating my head against the wall.
 
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Try IMDU with the /B option to get a raw binary of the IMD file.

Let's see what else might be wrong. You are running IMD from the hard drive, right? I haven't tried running it from a floppy, but I could see where there might be problems.

Is it just this file that's created problems, or have you tried using others? (Wondering if the file structure might be corrupt)

Have you tried creating an .IMD file on this system by reading a fioppy using IMD?
 
Stone said:
I use diskcopy.com to generate .IMG files which can be recreated with either diskcopy.com or rawrite.exe.
Click to expand...

Stone--rawrite and diskcopy will work only with "standard" (e.g. 512 byte sector MFM-encoding) disks. My suspicion is that since these images are from 8" floppies that it's not the case here.
 
Chuck(G) said:
Stone--rawrite and diskcopy will work only with "standard" (e.g. 512 byte sector MFM-encoding) disks. My suspicion is that since these images are from 8" floppies that it's not the case here.
Click to expand...
Now I see a can of worms... Frank is trying to write an image from an 8" disk to a 5¼" disk. That, itself, presents a whole new set of variables/problems, doesn't it?
 
Stone said:
Now I see a can of worms... Frank is trying to write an image from an 8" disk to a 5¼" disk. That, itself, presents a whole new set of variables/problems, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

Not as much as one would think. There's very little difference between a 5.25" high-density floppy and an 8" soft-sectored floppy. The same can be said of 1.23MB "Japanese" floppies--all spin at 360 RPM and support the same 500K data rate.
 
Stone said:
Now I see a can of worms... Frank is trying to write an image from an 8" disk to a 5¼" disk. That, itself, presents a whole new set of variables/problems, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

Not really. I do it quite regularly. As long as the geometry and encoding is possible with the FDC you're using.

I still say get a new copy to make sure the one you downloaded wasn't damaged in some way. Try the 1.18 and the 1.17 versions.

Try it with the most basic system, running MS-DOS 6.22 (there is a bootable disk image on dave's site for that). It might be something with DOS 5 even. Never liked that version myself. If DOS 3.3 can't do it I go right to 6.22. ImageDisk runs fine from Floppy too. It is quite small and just loads into memory.
 
Chuck: Ok tried the IMDU /b option on one of my Tandy 2000 disks took the .BIN file it created and ran Rawrite on a 720k 3.5" floppy and it worked. Yes I am running from a Hard drive not floppies. Also many different images not jut one in particular. No did not try to create an IMD image.

ALL: There is a site where an individual replaced the 1 8" floppy in a Model II with 2 5.25HD floppy drives and created the disk images on 5.25HD disks and they worked. That's what I am trying to do here. To see if it could be done.

kb2syd: Tried with DOS 6.22 no go and when I tried booting with DOS 3.3 I swapped disks and put in the Imagedisk program and got the drive not ready error reading and hung there.

Tried 1.17 and 1.18 same results.

I tried to do the IMDU /B on one of the 8" files CPM22.IMD and didn't want to work. cursor flying by the screen finally stopping with "EOF in comments"

Tried TDOS12.IMD and it did seem to work. So seems to be hit or miss. Hmmm
 
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I am working successfull with Dave Dunfield's IMD programs on an Compaq ProLinea 386/66 with MS-DOS 6.22 on 8" floppy's (26x128Byte/SS/SD).
Also it is possible to get the 8" images to an 360RPM 5 1/4" drive.
Loading he programs from the hard disk is no problem.
With 1522 and 1542 controllers i have no success.

Frank
 
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Chromedome45 said:
I guess it's just me. Everyone else it works for. But not for me!

In my opinion this program sucks!
Click to expand...
Yeah, must be the program that sucks... ;-)

FWIW, it's always worked for me and I use it mostly for 8" images on 5 1/4 HD diskettes; I'm grateful for what I think is an extremely useful set of tools.
 
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