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From: jep@oink.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: 3B1 questions
Message-ID: <126@oink.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 28-Oct-87 14:59:49 EST
Article-I.D.: oink.126
Posted: Wed Oct 28 14:59:49 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Oct-87 08:38:35 EST
References: <6001@sunybcs.UUCP> <125@oink.UUCP> <7576@e.ms.uky.edu>
Reply-To: jep@oink.UUCP (James E. Prior)
Distribution: na
Organization: Random Prime Research Institute  Columbus, Ohio
Lines: 37

In article <7576@e.ms.uky.edu> eric@ms.uky.edu (Eric Herrin) writes:
>Question:  How do you back up diagnostics disk?
>Answer:    With the copy program supplied with V3.5[1].
>	   Tricks?  no, the system software is mostly 10 sectors/track
>	   so you have to format your floppy with the fdfmt10.whatever.
>	   V3.51 has the 10 sector format in the menus.
>
>|Eric Herrin II				     	cbosgd!ukma!eric      |
>|"'tis better to be silent                         	eric@UKMA.BITNET      |
>|and be THOUGHT a fool, than to open              	eric@ms.uky.csnet     |
>|one's mouth and remove all doubt."                	eric@ms.uky.edu       |

The above presumes that one knows with certainty the correct format and
program, and how to execute it properly.  Unfortunately, whenever one
gets a new version of software, or is completely new to a machine, one
doesn't know what the format of disks is, and which special program to use.

I almost expect a diagnostics disk to do special things in some special
screwy way.

That's why I have recommend and continue to recommend the use of some
completely general purpose disk backup program.  Such programs simply
remove all concern about trying to get the format on the UNIX-PC, because
they figure out the format themselves, and automatically format the copy
if needed while copying to it.  I would recommend the UNIX-PC utilities
only when one doesn't have access to a PC.

The general purpose disk backup programs I know about for PC's (that will
usually copy *any* format short of Apple ][ disks) are:
COPYWRIT.EXE
COPYIIPC.EXE

The people who wrote COPYIIPC.EXE, also have a special floppy controller
board (the Option board) that will copy anything on the basis of *flux
changes*.
-- 
James E. Prior  {ihnp4|cbosgd}!n8emr!oink!jep