3.5" floppy read to file (then write to floppy)

[peter]

Hi . I've been looking for tips/hints as to how to read a bootable  3.5" floppy to a file using imgburn - Then recreating a bootable clone on a blank disk.

Build mode seems to be the only way of getting some image files - a 1920kb  ISO and a 5kb mds.

To recreate the disk I'm assuming you have to use build mode again however you cant just select a:\ as destination (it needs a file or folder !!!)

Also the make image bootable checkbox wants a boot image file . What do i Input in this field ?

Any help useful. Thanks.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

ImgBurn is for optical drives and discs, not floppy drives / discs.

Windows can copy a floppy disc.

[peter]

35 minutes ago, LIGHTNING UK! said:

ImgBurn is for optical drives and discs, not floppy drives / discs.

Windows can copy a floppy disc.

Imgburn has some capability for floppy discs. The main purpose is to take an archive and be able to recreate the disc if needed.

There are very few windows programmes that are able to create an image archive.

WinImage, MagicISO, etc, etc are all a bit flaky.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Try winimage, it’s what I always used to use.

[peter]

6 minutes ago, LIGHTNING UK! said:

Try winimage, it’s what I always used to use.

I have tried winimage and get an error when trying to recreate disk - "current image format is not supported"

As regards imgburn I was looking at the bottom of the comholio7 document -

 - http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?/topic/1779-imgburn-build-mode/

"'Create Boot Image' can be used to read a bootable floppy disc to an image, or extract an existing boot image from a bootable CD. You just need to select the source drive and then click on the picture of the floppy disc. It'll ask you for a name for the image and then start creating it. It's is this type of image that the above mentioned 'Boot Image' option would point to."

 

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I’m sure winimage must be able to open its own images. It would be useless otherwise.

When ImgBurn reads the floppy to an image, it’s a straight sector dump of the disk. There is no method of writing that back to a floppy disk within the program. It’s meant for use when building a bootable optical disc.

[peter]

10 minutes ago, LIGHTNING UK! said:

I’m sure winimage must be able to open its own images. It would be useless otherwise.

When ImgBurn reads the floppy to an image, it’s a straight sector dump of the disk. There is no method of writing that back to a floppy disk within the program. It’s meant for use when building a bootable optical disc.

Thanks for that info. I'll keep on looking for something to do the job

If anyone has any other software suggestions then please let me know.

[dbminter]

I always used WinImage to make images of my floppies, particularly bootable ones.  So, why you can't get it to work is beyond me.

[peter]

36 minutes ago, dbminter said:

I always used WinImage to make images of my floppies, particularly bootable ones.  So, why you can't get it to work is beyond me.

I hope you tried to recreate a disc before chucking them !

Iv'e found a little utility called floppyimage (floppyimage152.zip) .

Works great and re-creates a bootable disc which tested OK.