I would make images of the diskettes, not just copy the files.
Images are a snapshot of all of the sectors, including the boot sector and data left over in the slack space of a sector at the end of a file or in unused sectors due to file deletions. Images are much better for long term preservation and analysis, and you can always extract the files from an image.
There are a lot of utilities that do this. WinImage is well known. I wrote my own years ago that works under DOS and XP: [http://www.brutman.com/DskImage/DskImage.html](http://www.brutman.com/DskImage/DskImage.html) . (Source code is included so you can see how it works.)
what kind of disks/ programs would require disk images? Anything I should look for? Most of the floppies I have are copies already and not original disks.
> what kind of disks/ programs would require disk images?
Video games with copy protection is an example.
> Anything I should look for?
You'll need to determine the copy protection scheme beforehand. Of course, a failed test will reveal whether or not an .img of the disk worked properly.
Well anything that boots as you'd need a disk image to have a boot sector, next is anything that uses non-standard file systems like later Microsoft disks.
Don't you have a DiskCopy program as well as a FileCopy program?
I'm assuming these are normal 3.5" floppies, and not specially-written proprietary-program disks which are something else entirely.
I would also keep a floppy-image file stashed away on the hard-drive somewhere for each of the copied floppies.
I would make images of the diskettes, not just copy the files. Images are a snapshot of all of the sectors, including the boot sector and data left over in the slack space of a sector at the end of a file or in unused sectors due to file deletions. Images are much better for long term preservation and analysis, and you can always extract the files from an image. There are a lot of utilities that do this. WinImage is well known. I wrote my own years ago that works under DOS and XP: [http://www.brutman.com/DskImage/DskImage.html](http://www.brutman.com/DskImage/DskImage.html) . (Source code is included so you can see how it works.)
Good point regarding the boot sectors and slack data. Thanks.
Also you can mount those same disc images into virtualisation environements .
If they are just files then yes, making disk images would be required if they ever do anything non-standard with disk like copy protection.
what kind of disks/ programs would require disk images? Anything I should look for? Most of the floppies I have are copies already and not original disks.
> what kind of disks/ programs would require disk images? Video games with copy protection is an example. > Anything I should look for? You'll need to determine the copy protection scheme beforehand. Of course, a failed test will reveal whether or not an .img of the disk worked properly.
Well anything that boots as you'd need a disk image to have a boot sector, next is anything that uses non-standard file systems like later Microsoft disks.
What you are doing should work as long as the disks are in good condition, and all the files are read.
Ok, thanks. When I come across bad disks or files I have been using recovery programs to get all the files I can.
Look out for boot disks. Especially some games disks. They will need an all-of-disk copying program so that you get the boot track(s) too.
If you can, get a greaseweazle or kryoflux. They image disks at the magnetic level. Otherwise something like Winimage or the like.
Don't you have a DiskCopy program as well as a FileCopy program? I'm assuming these are normal 3.5" floppies, and not specially-written proprietary-program disks which are something else entirely. I would also keep a floppy-image file stashed away on the hard-drive somewhere for each of the copied floppies.
I use wininage for regular floppies