Author Topic: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE  (Read 3892 times)

ashley27

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PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« on: May 23, 2018, 12:43:30 PM »
Can anybody help come up with a way that I can load a .IMZ file (downloaded from another forum member) onto a blank floppy disk? It's to future proof me losing Program Disks in the future!

I can't find any spare Program Disks and mine encounters an error if I run the !DT disk test command. Keith @ Recycled sent me a new program disk that he assures me works fine but my computer also reads this to have an error. Keith is kindly sending yet another disk, if this also reads to have an error then there must be something wrong with my disk drives and or one of my computer cards. I've purchased a replacement G+ disk drive unit so have both this and the new program disk on the way.

I keep getting the error "reel disk identifier not found." This doesn't happen for all reel disks, but most of them. If I find one that formats and works, often it will end up getting corrupted further down the line. Maybe this is because of a dodgy program disk, who knows!? It's one of those annoying problems that likes to persist. I've tried swapping disk drives and my program disk loads fine on both of them, despite supposedly having an error. Another problem is that I can't copy from one disk to another using the copy ALL command, an error is always encountered.

HELP!

I've tried taking out all of the computer cards, cleaning edge connectors and reseating all cards but no cigar. I use the automation every mix and often bring back recalls so it's an issue for me to not have a reliable computer.

Any advice appreciated.
Ash

ashley27

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2018, 12:52:02 PM »
I'll also purchase a new batch of floppy disks, a different brand to what I'm currently using. I currently use "Imation IBM formatted 2HD 1.44MB" floppies, and have done for the past 5 years.

ashley27

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2018, 12:58:07 PM »
Another thing that I'm sure has been considered..... has anybody successfully swapped out the floppy drives for something more current/reliable?

Clip6

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2018, 02:28:53 PM »
You clean the floppy heads with q-tip?

ashley27

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2018, 04:06:02 PM »
I've cleaned them with a floppy disk cleaner but same result. Here is a link to what I used.....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brand-new-3-5-inch-Floppy-Disk-Drive-Head-cleaner-Kit-Amiga-Atari-ST-PC/122457019401?hash=item1c8301d409:g:ytAAAOSwQ3pane7U

I have actually in the past cleaned the drive heads with a Q-Tip but again it made no difference.

I should also point out that I sent my drive unit to Keith a few months back and he replaced the program disk drive with a new one, he said everything worked OK his end but that he never usually runs the !DT command to check a disk for faults, so it may be that my program disk has been faulty for longer than I think.

Not being able to copy ALL is a real problem for me.

Thanks for chiming in clip6

Clip6

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2018, 06:47:55 PM »
Search other floppy threads.

Reseat all connectors inside your 3.5 unit.

Reseat power multipin ssl power cable and scsi.

Reseating solves alot of problems.

matt

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2018, 07:26:43 PM »
Hi Ash,

just to follow up on your initial question :

Can anybody help come up with a way that I can load a .IMZ file (downloaded from another forum member) onto a blank floppy disk? It's to future proof me losing Program Disks in the future!

In case you have access to a computer (Windows, Linux, Mac) with a matching floppy drive, you can 'sector copy' the IMZ file to a floppy.
There are pretty cheap 3,5" USB Floppy drives on the market in case you don't have access to a computer with an internal floppy.
Like this one here (sorry points to a german site) :
https://www.amazon.de/CSL-Externes-Diskettenlaufwerk-Slimline-portable/dp/B00AU07SUA?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duc03-21&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00AU07SUA

The IMZ file is nothing but an image for a floppy.

Here's a link to a page giving some solutions on how to copy images (aka all sectors) :
https://superuser.com/questions/664475/how-to-copy-a-floppy-boot-disk
This should at least give you some thoughts on copying images (like IMZ) to a floppy.
Downside is that if the contents of the source disk are faulty then they will be faulty on the destination as well because you usually use a 1:1 copy on sector basis.

I've made a couple of copies of my program disk with Linux 'dd' (diskdump) command (available in stock MacOS as well).

Hope this helps at least for that part of your problem.

Matt

Showcase

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2018, 07:29:41 PM »
I had this problem, sometimes it found the reel sometimes not, it had problem to switch from 8" to berno, ye I used 8" floppy and bernoulli, in my case it was the disc controller card, dont think you even need that in your case? also my computer PSU kept corrupting discs when +24v regulator went on/off
« Last Edit: May 23, 2018, 07:31:21 PM by Showcase »

ashley27

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Re: PROGRAM DISK .IMZ FILE TO FLOPPY ANYBODY!?/COMPUTER ISSUE
« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2018, 09:30:43 AM »
So.............

Problem hasn't been solved but it has been fixed by swapping out the disk drive for a new one and using a new program disk. I'll have to fault find the disk drive as and when time becomes available. Happy to have a spare!