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Robust floppy disk acquiry -- tools?

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(@athulin)
Posts: 1156
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Topic starter
 

Are there any tools for floppy disk acquiry that provide a track-by-track image, regardless of how floppy disk sectors are numbered, or how many of them there are per track, or how big they are?

Technically, I suspect that what I am asking for is software that images floppy drives by means of the READ TRACK command.

I'm looking specifically at a couple of floppies that I think may use the MS DMF format (which has additional sectors per track), or something related that IBM used (XDF), or something along those lines.

I used to have a tool from Sydex called Anadisk – it could do this kind of thing, and I see that it still remains in some form. That *might* be one way forward – if I could locate it again in my 'archives' …

Are there any other tools that image floppies this way?

At the very least I would like to ensure that there isn't any monkey business with track formatting or sector sizes.

 
Posted : 30/10/2010 2:54 pm
jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
Posts: 5133
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Are there any tools for floppy disk acquiry that provide a track-by-track image, regardless of how floppy disk sectors are numbered, or how many of them there are per track, or how big they are?

I knew that before or later my prehistoric technology knowledge may become useful. wink

Here is a thread where a number of such tools are listed/discussed
http//www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=136856

Please remember that some kind of floppies CANNOT be imaged/accessed from a "normal" NT based system (and though there are ways on them too, for a few special formats, it is NOT recommended to attempt accessing floppies from NT based systems and from Windows 9x GUI, plain DOS is the most reliable OS for that)

jaclaz

 
Posted : 01/11/2010 2:23 am
Beetle
(@beetle)
Posts: 318
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Take a look here http//retro.icequake.net/dob/

They have a library of orphan diskette imaging software.

 
Posted : 01/11/2010 2:41 am
(@athulin)
Posts: 1156
Noble Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks for the suggestions! – I'll need to check out the software mentioned on those web pages.

Meanwhile I found the Linux fdutils package (which may be among those programs already), which, I was interested to see, comes with a fairly detailed 'here's how to analyze a floppy of unknown origin'. (Just Google for fdutils, and look for 'How to identify an unknown disk'.)

It doesn't seem to do the READ TRACK, so guessing sector numbers still seems to be necessary (some platforms label first sector 0, others 1, which tends to be a source of upset). However, as fdutils comes with source, it may be possible to add it on – assuming it is stable enough to extract sector numbers, I don't care much if the actual sector contents might be garbled.

Added There's also a very useful overview of floppy disk technology here
http// www . moria . de/ ~michael/floppy/floppy.pdf

 
Posted : 01/11/2010 12:40 pm
jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
Posts: 5133
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Take a look here http//retro.icequake.net/dob/

They have a library of orphan diskette imaging software.

Can I catalog this under "news"? ?
http//www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=136856&st=1
http//www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=136856&st=3

wink

jaclaz

 
Posted : 02/11/2010 4:31 pm
Beetle
(@beetle)
Posts: 318
Reputable Member
 

Take a look here http//retro.icequake.net/dob/

They have a library of orphan diskette imaging software.

Can I catalog this under "news"? ?
http//www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=136856&st=1
http//www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=136856&st=3

wink

jaclaz

It may have been news to some.

8)

 
Posted : 02/11/2010 5:53 pm
(@rampage)
Posts: 354
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as a retrogaming addict and collectionist i always kept a look on this http//www.kryoflux.com/ and tried to think if it could be useful in forensics for floppies.

considering

Read at lowest level possible - precisely sampling the magnetic flux transition timing. Custom formats? Recording scheme violations? Encodings? KryoFlux reads them all!

 
Posted : 03/11/2010 4:39 am
Beetle
(@beetle)
Posts: 318
Reputable Member
 

as a retrogaming addict and collectionist i always kept a look on this http//www.kryoflux.com/ and tried to think if it could be useful in forensics for floppies.

considering

Read at lowest level possible - precisely sampling the magnetic flux transition timing. Custom formats? Recording scheme violations? Encodings? KryoFlux reads them all!

Yery cool! Any idea what the commercial licence might cost?

 
Posted : 03/11/2010 5:23 am
(@rampage)
Posts: 354
Reputable Member
 

i have no clue, they say to contact them for a quote on the store.

 
Posted : 03/11/2010 6:01 am
jaclaz
(@jaclaz)
Posts: 5133
Illustrious Member
 

It is still a prototype, as explained on the site first batch was 80 (eighty) pieces, and there were people pre-ordering it since months.

Unless they start production of bigger lots it will be costly and not easily available.

A catweasel seems like a more practical choice, if going the hardware way.

Just for the record wink
http//www.forensicfocus.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=6542493

jaclaz

 
Posted : 03/11/2010 2:27 pm
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