WinImage Clone

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http://dvalot.chez.tiscali.fr/software.htm

<SNIP>
What is a diskette image?
A diskette image is a data file including information to allow a
program to write a diskette identical to the diskette it was built
from.

It is important to understand that some programs rely on the data
location on the diskette media. You cannot simply copy the files from
one diskette to another to get another identical diskette. The data
will not be in the same sectors on the diskette.

If you want to send a diskette over the net and be sure to get the
same diskette on the destination site, just use a diskette image
builder to build the diskette image , send the file to the other
location (after encoding the file with MIME or Base64 , if you send
the file by E-MAIL ; the mail program does that for you.). On the
target location (after decoding it with MIME or Base64 if you got it
by E-MAIL ; the mail program does that for you.), use a Diskette
builder to get your physical diskette.
<SNIP>
 
http://dvalot.chez.tiscali.fr/software.htm
Click to expand...

It is important to understand that some programs rely on the data
location on the diskette media.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Anyone here got any idea why they do that ? I presume
that means more than simply saying that there are directories/sub
directories involved ?
You cannot simply copy the files from
one diskette to another to get another identical diskette. The data
will not be in the same sectors on the diskette.
Click to expand...

< snip >

Okay, has anyone got any examples of the type/name of a
program/utility that relies on the data location ?

Regards, John.
 
Interesting. Anyone here got any idea why they do that ? I presume
that means more than simply saying that there are directories/sub
directories involved ?
Click to expand...
Okay, has anyone got any examples of the type/name of a
program/utility that relies on the data location ?
Click to expand...

If I'm not mistaken, Windows uses this as a copyright protection
scheme. On install I think certain file locations are noted and that
is why they do not move in defrag. I don't think that you can simply
xcopy Windows to a new drive and then boot off of the drive. Xxcopy
works though.
 
Interesting. Anyone here got any idea why they do that ? I presume
that means more than simply saying that there are directories/sub
directories involved ?
Click to expand...

IIRC this was one of the old forms of copy protection for programs
(games:) distributed on floppy disks. ISTR a program called COPY2PC
which allowed one to backup such disks -- but it didn't evolve past
the 5.25" 360K format AFAIK. There were all sorts of funny bits in
these protection schemes -- fake CRC errors, "weak bits", and extended
tracks, etc., which rendered normal COPY and DISKCOPY useless.

Also, the earlier versions of MSDOS had to have the system files
(IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS -- and COMMAND.COM too?) in the correct sectors
of the floppy or the thing wouldn't boot.
< snip >

Okay, has anyone got any examples of the type/name of a
program/utility that relies on the data location ?
Click to expand...


Cheers, Phred.
 
John Fitzsimons said:
Interesting. Anyone here got any idea why they do that ? I presume
that means more than simply saying that there are directories/sub
directories involved ?
Click to expand...

As in old non-IBM days (the days of Apple, Atari, Commodore, etc.)
some programs and / or boot disks relied on absolute sector
positioning versus relative sector positioning; a basic scheme used
for copy protection (but not always) or custom DOS's or even sector
skewing (to supposedly increase boot speed and / or load speed); This
has conveniently found its way into the Windows and Linxu worlds.
(RAwrite for example)
Okay, has anyone got any examples of the type/name of a
program/utility that relies on the data location ?

Regards, John.
Click to expand...

Again, RAwrite (which ironically the next version of Windows,
Longhorn, is supposed to support); IIRC most pre 5.0 versions of MSDOS
and or PCDOS (more precisely PCDOS because of the licensing and
certain BIOS codes) but not limited to floppies or boot disks. Even
certain CD ROMs (games for example) would use this method.
 
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