Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr31/dim14a.zip/DIM.DOC

Text File | 1993-04-18 | 17KB | 363 lines

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                       Disk IMage Archiver  V 1.4.A
              Copyright (C) 1992, 1993 by Ray (Arsen) Arachelian
                           All Rights Reserved

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Warranty, License, and Documentation File:

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Warranty:   Simply put, there ain't none.  There are no warranties, express
            or implied, including, but not limited to the merchantability,
            or fitness of this software.  Use it at your own risk.
            At no time shall the author be liable for any lost profits or
            savings or for any indirect, special, or consequential
            damages arising out of the use, abuse or misuse of this software
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License:    You, the user, may freely distribute this software without
            modification, and with all the accompanying documentation and
            files as you have yourself received it.

            You may charge a small duplication fee for the disk on which
            this software is stored, but the duplication fee is not to
            exceede five dollars ($5.00 USA Currency.)  This software may
            be placed in an on-line archive system, such as bulletin
            board systems, ftp sites, etc.

            This software may be distributed by shareware distributors
            on floppy disk or CD-ROM media provided that there is no
            special price for obtaining the DIM program.  If DIM is to
            be distributed as part of a CD-ROM archive, the CD-ROM may
            be priced over $5.00, however the CD-ROM archive must
            also contain other shareware programs. (IE: You can't sell
            a CD with just DIM on it.)

            You may use this software freely for a trial period of two weeks.
            After this period, if you find the software useful, and wish to
            continue using this software, you will register it by filling
            out the registration form, and mailing it to the author (that's
            me,) along with the proper registration fee which applies to you
            or your company.

            Should you decide not to register this software, you will not
            use DIM for any purpose other than distributing it to others.
            (IE: If you don't pay for it, you can give out copies to your
            friends, but you're not allowed to use it yourself until you
            send in the registration fee.)

            Any other use or distribution of this software is prohibited.
            Using this software without registration past the two week
            trial period is prohibited.

            By using DIM, you agree to abide by these terms.

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Documentation:

  Usage:
              DIM {command} {floppy_drive} {file_name} {options}


Where command is:

   -i         Display information about the DIM {file_name}

   -m         Make an image of the disk in the {floppy_drive} and store
              that image in the {file_name}

   -r         Restore an image of the disk to the {floppy_Drive} from
              the image in the {file_name}

   -c         Copy diskettes in the {floppy_drive}, using the {file_name}
              to store a temporary image of the diskettes.  You will be
              prompted to insert diskettes.   After copying, the {file_name}
              will be deleted unless the -nd option flag is used.

   -rc        Restore to multiple copies.  Same as -c command, but
              instead of asking for a source disk, it uses the {file_name}
              image, and does not delete the {file_name.}  Useful for making
              multiple copies of a disk from an existing image.

   -d         Duplicate diskettes from one drive to another.  The format
              of this command is:

              DIM -d {source_drive} {target_drive} {options}

              Note the order of the source and target drives.  No disk image
              will be created.  Also note that this method is slower than
              using the -c command, however it can be used to convert a
              5.25" diskette in one drive to a formatted 3.5" diskette in
              the target drive.

   -e:{pwd}   Encrypt a diskette with a password.  The password may be upto
              63 characters in size.  This command will either encrypt or
              decrypt a diskette.  To encrypt a diskette use the -e:{pwd}
              command once.  To decrypt a diskette use the -e:{pwd} command
              again.  Note that if you enter a wrong password when you wish
              to decrypt a diskette, you must first encrypt the diskette
              with that same wrong password before you can attempt to
              decrypt it with the correct one.

Where floppy_drive is:

              a physical floppy drive containing a formatted disk. Never
              specify a hard drive for this parameter.  (Dim will not
              format disks, make sure you have formatted your disks
              before restoring, or copying to them.)


Where file_name is:

              any legal DOS file name.  The default extentsion to this file
              is .DIM.  The default file name is $DISK.DIM. This file cannot
              reside on the disk in the {floppy_drive}.  Since image files
              will be slightly larger than the source disk capacity, it is
              reccomended that you store images on a hard drive,  a network
              drive, or at least a floppy drive of higher capacity than the
              original floppy.


Where options are:

    -bat        Batch file mode.  This mode will suppress all keyboard
                waits, and assume "Yes" for all conversion warnings. Use
                this with care since it will not ask you to confirm that
                you have the right disk in the drive.  Useful for automated
                operations or when you don't wish to be bothered by
                conversion warnings.

    -v          Verify after writing tracks.  (slower)
                Applies to the -r, -c, -rc, and -d commands.

    -nd         Don't delete temporary file after copy operation (see -c
                command above.)  Applies only to the -c command.

    -fs:{size}  Force Disk Size appropriate values are 160, 180, 320
                360, 720, 1200, and 1440.  (Please Do not use -fs:360K
                instead use only -fs:360, or DIM will ignore your
                request.)  If you already know the size of the source
                disk to make an image from, this option can save
                you 5-15 seconds which would normally be used in
                analyzing a disk.  Also this option is useful when you
                wish to extract a disk image from a disk on which you
                restored an image of a different size. (ie: If you had
                a 360K image and restored it to a 1.44, then sometime
                later you lost the image file, but required it you
                would use the -fs:360 option.)

                WARNING: If you select the incorrect size, for this
                option, the disk image will be partial, therefore
                important data will be lost!  Be careful when using
                this option.  It is far safer to let DIM analyze the
                disk.


    -fd:{trk}:{hds}:{sec}

               Force Disk Parameters.  Same as -sf:{size} parameter,
               however this option lets you specify the exact number of
               tracks, heads, and sector you wish to make an image of
               from the disk.

   -e:{pwd}    Encrypt a disk image with a password.  The password may
               be upto 63 characters in size.  This is identical to the
               -e:{pwd} command, only this option can be attached to the
               end of any DIM operation involving a disk. (ie: copying
               disks, making / restoring images, etc.)


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Make Self Extracting Disk Image:

MKSFXDIM diskimagefile

The MKFSXDIM program will take a disk image created by DIM and generate
a self extracting program, which when run will let the user restore the
disk image to a floppy.

When a self extracting disk image program is executed without any parameters,
it will return information on the disk image contained within it, and
instructions on extracting the disk image.

If you have a disk image file called "MYDISK.DIM", executing MKFSX

*NOTE* MKFSXDIM will create a DIM extractor that is incapable of extracting
an encrypted disk image!  Don't use MKFSXDIM on any encrypted images or you
won't be able to distribute them without DIM.

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Examples:


To make an image of a diskette in drive A: and store that image in
C:\MYDISK.DIM, type the following:

    DIM -m a: c:\mydisk.dim

To find out the type of disk you will need to restore an image stored
in a file called C:\MYDISK.DIM, type the following:

    DIM -i c:\mydisk.dim

To restore an image file stored in c:\MYDISK.DIM to a formatted disk in
drive B: type the following:

    DIM -r b: c:\mydisk.dim

To copy a diskette in drive A:, and keep the temporary file, and also
verifying the diskettes as they are written, type the following:

    DIM -c a: c:\mydisk.dim -nd -v

To duplicate a disk in drive A: to a formatted diskette in drive B:, type
the following:

    DIM -d a: b:

To make an image of a diskette in drive A: and store that image in
C:\MYDISK.DIM, and also encrypt the image with "Hello" as the password,
type the following:

    DIM -m a: c:\mydisk.dim -e:hello

To restore the image with the password to another disk, type:

    DIM -r a: c:\mydisk.dim -e:hello


To encrypt a disk in drive A: with "Hello" as the password, type the
following:

    DIM -e:hello a:

To decrypt the same disk, type in:

    DIM -e:hello a:

* Notice that the same command is used to both encrypt and decrypt a disk.
See the encryption notes below.


Conversions:

You will be warned when converting between diskettes.  If the conversion
is possible, then you will be asked if you wish to continue.  The following
table shows the types of conversions possible.

-------------------------------------------------|-------------|
|Image |            Possible Storage             | Disk info:  |
|File  |-----------Physical-Disk Size:-----------|-------------|
|      |160K|180K|320K|360K|720K|1.2M|1.44M|2.88M||TRK|SEC|SIDE|
|------|----|----|----|----|----|----|-----|-----||---|---|----|
|160K  | Y  | Y  | Y  | Y  | Y  | Y  |  Y  |  Y  || 40| 8 | 1  |
|180K  | N  | Y  | Y  | Y  | Y  | Y  |  Y  |  Y  || 40| 9 | 1  |
|320K  | N  | N  | Y  | Y  | Y  | Y  |  Y  |  Y  || 40| 8 | 2  |
|360K  | N  | N  | N  | Y  | Y  | Y  |  Y  |  Y  || 40| 9 | 2  |
|720K  | N  | N  | N  | N  | Y  | Y  |  Y  |  Y  || 80| 9 | 2  |
|1.2M  | N  | N  | N  | N  | N  | Y  |  Y  |  Y  || 80|15 | 2  |
|1.44M | N  | N  | N  | N  | N  | N  |  Y  |  Y  || 80|18 | 2  |
|2.88M | N  | N  | N  | N  | N  | N  |  N  |  Y  || 80|36 | 2  |
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The formula for finding out if you can store an image on to the disk
is simple:

 If the number of sides on the image is less than or equal to the disk's AND
 If the number of tracks on the image is less than or equal to the disk's AND
 If the number of sectors on the image is less than or equal to the disk's,

 THEN the image may be stored on that diskette.  But it's a lot easier to
just let DIM tell you if it can't be done.

The physical format of the target disk will not change, however if you, lets
say, convert a 360K diskette image to a 1.44M diskette, the 1.44M diskette
will now have 360K of accessible space.  The rest will be unusable until the
disk is reformatted.

If you now make an image of this 1.44M disk, the image will be stored as 1.44
although only 360K of that space will be useful.  It is reccomended that once
you convert a disk to another sized disk, that you use the original image
rather than making an image of the larger disk.  If you by chance have lost
the original 360K image, running DIM on the 1.44M disk will result in a
1.44M image!  To get the original 360K image off the disk, use the force
disk size option for 360K ( -fs:360 )  Don't guess wrong, or else you'll
wind up with a chopped up disk image that will be totally useless.

Provided the diskette you are trying to get an image of, use 512 bytes per
sector (all normal DOS diskettes use 512 bytes per sector,) DIM will be able
to read it.  Provisions have even been made for oddities such as single
sided 3.5" disks or whatever.

At the begining of most tasks, you will see "Checking Disk."  At this point
DIM is attempting to asses the type of diskette you are using by counting
the number of sides, number of tracks, and the number of sectors per track
on a diskette.  Provided that a floppy disk can be read and written to via
INT 13h, DIM will work with it.

DIM will atart checking from track 38 and walk up to track 255 (if one
exists.)  This speeds up 360K disk analysis by 90% from previous versions
of DIM, and all disks with 80 tracks by 50%.  (for more speed use the
force size option.)

If DIM cannot read at least 2 sectors on the first track, it will abort. If
it encounters any errors while trying to read a track, it will assume that
there are no more tracks after the bad track.  If the first sector of a
disk's side is bad, DIM will assume that the side is not used.

In other words, DIM will only work properly on disks that have no errors.

Infact, DIM's analysis should provide the ability to work with disks that
have upto 99 sectors per track, upto 99 heads (sides), and upto 255 tracks,
so you can rest assured that if IBM wakes up tomorrow and introduces a new
type of floppy media (as it did with the 2.88M disks,) DIM will most likely
be compatible with it.

I've used DIM to backup my Coherent 386 diskettes, and it worked.  I've
even used DIM to generate an image of an old CP/M 86 diskette!  As long
as the disk is formatted with 512 bytes per sector, and reasonable tracks
and sectors, DIM will be able to make an image of the disk even when DOS
will refuse to read the disk because they were formatted other operating
systems!

As for memory requirements, DIM will require at least 256K of free
conventional memory, and a 286 or better CPU.  If you wish to use DIM with
an older 8086/8088 machine, please send a blank disk with your registration
form, and I shall mail you a compatible version.

Notes on the encryption employed by DIM:


              The encrypt operation is a two way process, that is it can be
              used to both encrypt and decrypt a diskette.  The encryption
              used by DIM is a XOR type encryption with the password and the
              position of the character within the track, and thus it is
              not very secure, (not as secure as DES), however for most
              usage, it will suffice.

              The password to the encrypted disk is not stored anywhere,
              so there is no way for me to recover disks which were encrypted.
              Should you forget the password, you're out of luck.

              The two way encryption method was chosen because of its added
              security.  The only way to break the security is by brute
              force, which will take a very very long time since each password
              is upto 63 letters in length.

              However, to use a brute method to break the encryption, you'd
              have to first try a password by encrypting the disk, then you'd
              have to decrypt the disk with that same password before trying
              to guess again.  It'll be a very long time before you would
              even come close to breaking it, so don't bother.

              If however you're interested in adding more security to your
              encrypted disk, encrypt the disk two or three times with
              different passwords.


Enjoy, and don't forget to send in your registration fee!