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CD ROM Paradise Collection 4 1995 Nov.iso
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dskutil
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cmflop11.zip
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MANUAL
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1994-08-15
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CMFloppy: A Three-in-One Utility for Floppy Diskettes
by Charles F. Martin <ASP>
CMFloppy v.1.1 is a menu-driven or command-line-driven shareware program
for DOS, for copying, formatting and scanning floppy diskettes of format
3.5" or 5.25" DSDD or DSHD (360k, 1.2M, 720k or 1.44M). CMFloppy is
distributed as shareware. You are licensed to use it for evaluation for
60 days. After 60 days, you must register it by sending $10 to
NoVaSoft, 3239 Riverview Dr., Triangle, VA 22172-1421.
CMFloppy is most often distributed as a .ZIP compression or .EXE self-
extracting compression. Extract the file set to a disk, and select that
disk and directory as the DOS default.
- RUNNING WITH NO COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:
At the DOS prompt, just type CMFLOPPY. An opening screen asks if you
want to copy, format or scan a diskette, or exit. Make your choice by
pressing the appropriate letter.
-- Diskette Copying:
After pressing C to select diskette Copy, CMFloppy will ask if you want to
use a diskette image file as the master. If this is the first time you
have used CMFloppy, the answer is certainly No (the default). Press N or
Enter.
CMFloppy next asks which hard disk (or RAM disk, if you have one big
enough) to use for the scratch file which will be created and will become
the master diskette image. Press a drive letter C or above. (A and B
are always taken to be floppy drives.) CMFloppy will create a file
called SCRATCH.TMP on the root of the requested drive, and make sure
there is enough room for a 1.44M floppy image.
Next CMFloppy asks which floppy drive to use for copying. The only
answers recognized are A and B. After pressing A or B, CMFloppy tells
you to insert the master diskette in the drive and press Enter. This
diskette is read and written into the scratch file.
After successfully reading the diskette and writing the scratch file
image, CMFloppy will ask if you want to save the image permanently to the
same disk for reuse at a later date. The default is No. If you answer
Y, you will be asked to enter a file spec for the image to be saved.
Omit the drive letter and colon, but include a path (optional) and
filename (necessary). The scratch file will be renamed as you specify.
(CMFloppy uses the DOS "rename" function to rename and move the file to
the directory you specify, and this function does not work across disks.
Therefore use as the "scratch" disk the hard drive you intend the image
to be saved on.)
Next CMFloppy will ask how many copies to make. The defauly is 1. Press
Enter if you want to make just one copy, or use + or - to adjust the
selection before pressing Enter. You will be asked if you want to verify
each track as it is written as a check of the data integrity (the default
is Y), and then you will be asked to insert a blank diskette in the
specified drive and press Enter to continue, Esc to quit.
You may use formatted or unformatted disks as the target for diskette
copying. CMFloppy first checks to see if the diskette is already
formatted, and, if it is, warns you that all its data will be destroyed
during the diskette copy and requests confirmation to proceed. CMFloppy
counts down through the number of copies you specified as disks are
successfully duplicated, but you may decide to stop after any copy by
pressing Esc instead of Enter.
If the copy routine runs into any error which indicates that the target
diskette magnetic media itself is defective, it stops trying to make the
copy, and warns you not to use the diskette. You should simply throw
away any diskette that produces such an error. With quality floppies
available at low prices these days, this is cheap insurance against
defective media.
-- Diskette Scanning:
The scanner function reads in a diskette in the same way as the copier,
including offering you the choice of using an image file to start with,
and making an image file after reading a diskette. After reading the
diskette, it displays the diskette contents three sectors (3x512 bytes)
at a time, starting with the boot sector, track 0, head 0, sector 1.
(Tracks and heads are numbered from 0, sectors are numbered from 1.)
Parameters for the recognized diskette formats are:
Format Tracks Sectors Heads Size
5.25 DD 40 (0-39) 9 (1-9) 2 (0-1) 360k
5.25 HD 80 (0-79) 15 (1-15) " 1.2M
3.5 DD 80 (0-79) 9 (1-9) " 720k
3.5 HD 80 (0-79) 18 (1-18) " 1.44M
The scanner display shows the ASCII character corresponding to each byte
in each sector. Executable code and numerical data just looks like hash,
but text is quite readable. The scanner is good for looking at a
diskette to see if there is information on the diskette not shown as part
of files in the directory lists. (The DOS delete function leaves data in
diskette sectors alone, and only changes the directory table and FAT.)
The keys PgUp/Dn and Ctrl-PgUp/Dn navigate through the diskette three
sectors and one track at a time, repectively. Esc leaves the scanner
back to the CMFloppy main menu.
-- Diskette Formatting:
The CMFloppy formatter overwrites all information on a diskette with the
format fill character, F6 hex. There is no way to unformat a diskette
once formatted by CMFloppy. While this may seem a drawback, the
advantage of using the CMFloppy formatter is that there is no risk of
having an sensitive data left on the diskette after formatting.
The formatter asks which drive to use for formatting, A or B, and then
which density, Double or High (D or H). After selecting, insert a
diskette to be formatted and press Enter. If the diskette is already
formatted, CMFloppy will alert you to this fact, remind you that all data
will be destroyed, and ask for confirmation to proceed. The default is
No. As formatting proceeds, CMFloppy shows you the progress.
As in the diskette copier, if CMFloppy encounters an error formatting or
verifying a track, it will stop formatting and warn you not to use the
diskette.
- RUNNING WITH COMMAND LINE PARAMETERS:
CMFloppy may optionally be driven by command line parameters, for
convenience in constructing batch files. The command line convention is
case-insensitive, and the syntax is:
CMFLOPPY /commands FloppyDrive: HardDrive:ImageFileSpec
All arguments are optional. CMFloppy will simply ask you for any missing
information.
The command arguments which follow the slash can be any number from 1 to
99 anywhere in the string, and any combination of the following letters,
all run together with no spaces: fcsxhdvni.
-- Operation Code: f,c or s defines the operation: format, copy or scan.
One of this group should be the first member of the string. If more than
one is specified, CMFloppy picks out the last in the string.
-- Auto Exit: x tells CMFloppy to exit immediately after completing the
operation.
-- Format Density: h or d defines the diskette density, high or double
density, during format.
-- Track Verification: v or n tells CMFloppy to verify each track after
writing during diskette copy, or to not verify. Verifying is slightly
safer, though most errors caused by defective diskette media seem to get
detected during the format or write steps.
-- Warning Override: i tells CMFloppy to ignore the warning normally
issued when a previously formatted diskette is being used as the object
in a format or copy operation.
-- Drive and File Specifications:
FloppyDrive is the single letter A or B, and must be followed by a colon.
It tells CMFloppy which drive to use for formatting/scanning/copying.
HardDrive is a letter C or higher, and ImageFileSpec is the optional spec
to a file on the hard drive that will be used as the diskette image for
copying, if it already exists and meets the size requirement for validity
(i.e., exactly 360k, 720k, 1.2M or 1.44M); or that the image made from a
master floppy diskette will be named after reading if it does not already
exist.
-- Examples:
The following are all examples of valid command lines:
CMFLOPPY /f5d a:
(This command formats 5 disks in A drive at double density,
prompting each new diskette insertion.)
CMFLOPPY /10CVIX B: C:\IMAGE
(Assuming the file C:\IMAGE does not exist, this command reads a
master diskette in drive B, creating an image on drive C as \IMAGE, makes
10 copies in drive B at the same density, prompting each diskette
insertion, ignoring the warning if formatted disks are inserted,
verifying each track as it is written, and then exits CMFloppy
immediately.)
cmfloppy /cn3 c:\image
(Assuming C:\IMAGE now exists and is of a size exactly corresponding
to one of the floppy formats supported by your system, this command first
determines which floppy drive to use, then makes three copies in that
drive, prompting each diskette insertion, giving a data destruction
warning if a formatted diskette is inserted, not verifying each track as
it is written, and staying in the program after completion.)
- ERROR DETECTION:
CMFloppy reports any error returned by the BIOS (Basic Input/Output
System) diskette services, and the operation during which the error
occurred. The following is a listing of the errors the BIOS may report,
in hexadecimal format, as relayed by CMFloppy. It is included here for
completeness. CMFloppy will ask you if you want to try another master if
an error occurs during diskette reading, and will advise you not to use
the partially copied or formatted diskette if the error occurs during
diskette format/write/verify:
Error Code: Error Description:
02h Address mark not found
03h Attempt to write on write-protected diskette
04h Sector not found
0Ch Media type not found
20h General controller failure
40h Seek operation failed
80h Timeout (no diskette in drive)
The only error you will likely ever see is 80h, if you forget to put a
diskette in the drive.
- ASP OMBUDSMAN STATEMENT:
Charles F. Martin is a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle
works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem
with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an
ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products.
Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442
or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman
70007,3536.
- REGISTRATION: Reason and benefits:
CMFloppy is distributed as shareware. It is not "freeware" or public
domain software, but is made available to you, the user, for evaluation
for 60 days under the shareware principle of "try before buy". CMFloppy
is protected under copyright law the same as retail software, and may not
be used beyond this evaluation period.
If you wish to use CMFloppy beyond the 60-day evaluation period, you are
required to register your copy. Registration benefits include a copy of
the registered edition of the current version of CMFloppy on disk, along
with a bonus shareware collection of NoVaSoft's highly versatile CMFiler
file manager (evaluation edition), and Stiller Research's incomparable
Integrity Master anti-virus/data integrity program (evaluation edition).
Registration fee for CMFloppy is $10.00, and may be remitted using the
form below to:
Charles F. Martin NoVaSoft
3239 Riverview Dr.
Triangle, VA 22172-1421 USA
Author may be contacted by telephone at (703) 221-1833 or 221-1471,
or by CompuServe E-mail [72130,1400].
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CMFloppy v.1.1 Registration
NoVaSoft, 3239 Riverview Dr., Triangle, VA 22172-1421
(Please remit cash or make checks payable to NoVaSoft)
________________________________________________ ________________
Name Date
_______________________________________________________________________
Address
_______________________________________ _________ _________________
City State ZIP
Enclosed is $10 in US currency, check or money order to register
CMFloppy.
I understand NoVaSoft will send me the current registered edition of
CMFloppy on diskette, along with the current shareware editions of
CMFiler (from NoVaSoft) and Integrity Master (from Stiller Research) for
my evaluation.
I further understand that if I register CMFiler within 60 days of
receipt, my full CMFloppy registration fee will be applied to the $30
CMFiler registration fee as a $10 discount.
--------(Tear off and save to submit with CMFiler registration) --------
________________
Date
This coupon is a reminder for NoVaSoft that
_________________________________________________
Name
is a registered user of CMFloppy and is entitled to a $10 discount on the
enclosed CMFiler registration. This discount has been taken in the form
of a reduction in remitted payment for CMFiler registration.