Diskette Imaging Software?
 

I run tests for computer literacy, and this involves preparing anything between 100 and 200 1.44Mb 3.5" diskettes per week. Since these sort of numbers add up significantly over a period of time, I copy the completed diskettes off to my hard disk (and subsequently to CD-ROM for archive purposes), and then re-use the diskettes.

At present I then re-format the used diskettes (tedious) and then copy the required files onto the diskette (anything up to about a 1Mb). Extremely tedious!

It occurs to me that a better way to go would be to use diskette imaging - that way I can effectively format the diskette and copy the files at the same time. It might also be faster than copying file by file.

Thinking that this should be within the capability of Norton Ghost, I fired it up -- only to discover that it only works with hard disks and quasi-hard didks (ZIP drives) but not with diskettes.

Does anyone know of a diskette imaging programme (preferably freeware, and preferably one that would detect any bad sectors on the diskette).

Many thanks in anticipation ....

Feline - hi there!

[Edited: Ooops - someone has already done it or course! Goto http://sac-ftp.externet.hu/utildisk1.html and download add107.zip - extract readme.txt and add107.exe. Windows app - I've tested it and it works. Insert master, say how many copies you need and go. Havent explored it fully so I don't know how well it copes with abnormal situations admittedly. Still have to swap by hand tho']

Perhaps I'm being dense as to what you are doing, but why not use a nice batch file to do all this in one? Still a awful chore swapping disks but there you are.

Pseudo batchcode: ------------------

a:
attrib a: *.* -h -s -r -a (if you are likely to have any protected files on the diskette, omit if not)
errortrap here
del a:\*.* (no need to format unless disk is likely to be damaged)
errortrap here
{otherwise you could do a quick format in the form FORMAT A: /Q [V:label] /F:1.44) and errortrap
xcopy C:\mydir\*.* a:
errortrap here
beep beep if finished with no errors
goto end

:error1
beepwarn
errormessage
[action]
goto end

error2
beepwarn
errormessage
[action]
goto end

etc.

:end
echo Finished with not errors!
echo Please put in another disk (Press Ctrl-C to stop)
end pseudocode ------------------

If you can give me a better idea of what what exactly you are doing I could write you a nice batchfile with errortrapping, compile it with BUILDER into a DOS executable for speed, test it and email it to you.

Easy to make a friendly and colourful interface too.

(BTW, at those volumes I'd hunt around for a 2nd hand disk-duplicator (like the standalone shown at http://www.cyber-pr0.com/copybus63.asp or the add-on at http://www.ioproducts.com/flopdisdup.html ) that would automate the whole thing - just throw 50-100 disks into the hopper and go and have a beer!)

Cheers

Mac

Try this Feline. Tested and it works. Can't check that it picks up ALL the errors that it should but it should. Proper copy of FELDUPE.BAT sent to your addy. BTW cutting and pasting won't work because for some reason my main editor strips all the ^G s (BEL) out of the ring-a-bell echo statements. Can be replaced using the DOS Edit editor by typing echo<space><Ctrl-P><Ctrl-G>

[Edit: To anyone interested the batch file listing below has subseqently been modified quite a bit to tart it up & add refinements. The core below however remains the same. Feline says it works for him and is busy adding some personalised refinements of his own.]

I'd almost forgotten how much fun batch files could be.


@echo off
cls

echo.
if [%1]==[] goto syntax
if [%2]==[] goto syntax

if not exist %1\nul goto notfound

echo FELDUPE.BAT
echo.
echo This batchfile will format the disk in the A drive (which is assumed to be a
echo 1.44M stiffy) and copy ALL the files in the source directory to the disk.
echo.
echo After each copy is finished you will be asked to insert another disk.
echo.
echo The process will continue indefinitely until you Press Ctrl-C to halt
echo [it may take a moment to complete the current write before stopping].
echo.
echo You must enclose file or pathnames which have a space in them in quotes
echo (eg "C:\Program Files\My Files") or you'll get an error.
echo.

echo Source directory is %1
choice /c:yn Is this correct?
echo.
if errorlevel 2 goto end

echo Disk label is %2
choice /c:yn Is this correct?
if errorlevel 2 goto end

:start
echo ^G
echo.
echo Insert disk in A: drive
echo Press any key to continue or Ctrl-C to stop copying
pause > nul
echo.
format a: /autotest
if errorlevel 0 goto label
if errorlevel 5 if not errorlevel 6 echo User halted format process
if errorlevel 4 if not errorlevel 5 echo Fatal error - disk may be bad
if errorlevel 3 if not errorlevel 4 echo User halted format process
echo.
goto end

:label
label a: %2

:copy
xcopy %1\*.* a:
if errorlevel 0 goto start
if errorlevel 5 if not errorlevel 6 echo Disk write error occurred
if errorlevel 4 if not errorlevel 5 goto initerr
if errorlevel 2 if not errorlevel 3 echo User halted Xcopy process
if errorlevel 1 if not errorlevel 2 echo No files were found to copy!
echo.
goto end

:syntax
echo ^G
echo.
echo Syntax is FelDupe source disklabel
echo.
goto end

:notfound
echo ^G
echo.
echo The source directory was NOT found!
echo Please check your typing & try again.
echo.
goto end

:initerr
echo ^G
echo.
echo Initialization error occurred. There is not enough memory or disk space.
echo.
echo Most probable cause is that there are too many files to fit on the disk
echo Please check yours filesize totals and try again
echo.
goto end

:end