Disk Copy is a utility application that will mount disk images on your desktop, make exact copies of floppy disks from a disk image, convert disk images from one format to another, create a disk image from a mounted volume or individual folder, segment a disk image into separate files, create self-mounting disk images, and create a new blank disk image. Using DiskScripts, AppleScript, and self mounting images, it can be used to automate software installations and disk image manipulation.
This Quick Reference will explain the basic functions of Disk Copy. More detail is provided in the Disk Copy Manual and Balloon Help.
Changes from Disk Copy 6.2
¥ Added Navigation Services support.
¥ Added ability to duplicate a floppy.
¥ Added support for creating self-mounting images.
¥ Various improvements to AppleScript support.
¥ Fixed possible data loss issue when imaging a folder from an HFS+ volume.
¥ Imaging a folder with less than 32MB of data from an HFS+ volume results in an HFS formatted volume.
¥ Various interface improvements.
Changes from Disk Copy 6.1.3
¥ Added ability to create blank read-write images.
¥ Added support for Macintosh Extended format volumes.
¥ Added support for segmented images.
¥ Disk Copy will launch without the presence of the ObjectSupportLib shared library, but the attachable Scripts menu and AppleScript control of the application will be disabled.
¥ Various interface improvements.
Changes from Disk Copy 6.1.2
¥ An issue making floppies from uninitialized disks on certain machines has been corrected.
¥ An issue converting certain Disk Copy 4.2 format disk images has been corrected.
¥ Various interface improvements.
¥ Two-Byte character support for Apple Language Kits.
¥ Disk Copy will launch without the presence of the AppleScriptLib shared library, but the attachable Scripts menu will be disabled.
Changes from Disk Copy 6.1
¥ AppleShare IP 5.0 support: Disk Copy can now mount images via AppleTalk or TCP/IP.
¥ The Mount Image and Convert Image now include a ÒSkipÓ button during checksum verification.
¥ If Disk Copy is in the foreground and a disk (floppy, CD, etc.) is inserted, the ÒCreate Image from Disk...Ó command will automatically start.
¥ Disk Copy can now mount a disk image residing in a disk image, up to five levels deep.
¥ Improved AppleScript support.
¥ Improved support for Macintosh Application Environment.
¥ Various interface improvements.
¥ An issue with certain Disk Copy 4.2 800K format disk images has been corrected.
System requirements and supported features
Disk Copy requires System Software 7.0.1 or later and is a Òfat binaryÓ for both PowerPC and 68K-based Mac OS compatible computers. Macintosh Application Environment 3.0 Update 4 or later is also supported; A/UX is not supported. Disk Copy features extensive Balloon Help and supports Drag and Drop (requires System Software 7.5 or later), AppleScript, PlainTalk Text-to-Speech, Navigation Services, and DigiSign digital signatures.
Note: Due to a potential data cache issue, it is not recommended to create or work with read-write disk images on System Software prior to 7.5. Please upgrade to System Software 7.5 or greater if you need to create or use read-write disk images.
Disk Image Formats
Disk Copy can read and write three types of NDIF (New Disk Image Format) disk images: (Read/Write, Read-Only, and Read-Only Compressed), Disk Copy 4.2 disk images, as well as read DART and other disk image formats. Disk Copy also supports segmented disk images.
Segmented Disk Images
Disk Copy supports mounting disk image files that are segmented into separate files. When dragging any part of a segmented disk image onto Disk Copy, the application detects all the other parts and mounts the volume represented by the segmented image, provided that all of the parts are in the same folder. If a part is missing (or corrupted), Disk Copy determines which part is missing (or corrupted) and notes this in the log and error messages. The first file in a segmented disk image appears to Disk Copy as a regular disk image when mounting, converting, or making a floppy. The other parts are recognized when dropped onto Disk Copy. All the parts of a disk image must be in the same folder, and on a volume that Disk Copy can mount a single file image from. Aliases to parts of an image will not be resolved.
Creating a segmented disk image is supported through Disk CopyÕs AppleScript interface.
Self-mounting Images
Disk Copy supports the creation of applications that contain disk images that can be mounted without the presence of the Disk Copy application (self-mounting image or SMI). When double-clicking or opening a self-mounting image, the checksum(s) of the image(s) in the self-mounting image will be verified, and the images mounted. Additionally, a self-mounting image can be configured such that an application or document will be automatically launched when the image(s) are mounted (similar to a DiskScript). See Disk CopyÕs AppleScript dictionary for information on the AppleScript syntax for creating a self-mounting image.
Creating a self-mounting disk image requires System Software 8.1 or later (the self-mounting image itself will work on SSW 7.0.1 or later).
Mounting disk images
¥ Select one or more disk images/parts and double-click. This only works for NDIF images
(Read/Write, Read-Only, and Read-Only Compressed).
¥ Select one or more disk images/parts and drag into the Disk Copy main window (when running System Software 7.5 or later).
¥ Select one or more disk images/parts and drag onto the Disk Copy application icon.
¥ Choose ÒMount Image...Ó from the Image menu and select a disk image.
Note: Selecting multiple parts of a segmented disk image and dragging them onto Disk Copy will result in the segmented imageÕs volume being mounted (provided that all of the parts are in the same folder), followed by mount operations for each of the image parts dropped on Disk Copy. It is only necessary to drag one of the parts onto Disk Copy in order to mount the volume contained within.
After a disk image is selected, Disk Copy will present a progress dialog for mounting and checksum verification (if the option is selected), and an icon for the mounted volume will appear on the desktop.
You can now work with the mounted volume as you would any regular volume. To unmount it, either drag the disk volume icon to the Trash or select the icon and use the ÒPut AwayÓ command from the File menu. When you restart your computer, any mounted disk images will be unmounted.
Making floppies from disk images
¥ Select one or more disk images and double-click while pressing the Option key. This only works for NDIF images (Read/Write, Read-Only, and Read-Only Compressed).
¥ Select one or more disk images and drag into the Disk Copy main window while pressing the Option key (requires System Software 7.5 or later).
¥ Select one or more disk images and drag onto the Disk Copy application icon while pressing the Option key.
¥ Choose ÒMake a Floppy...Ó from the Utilities menu and select a disk image.
Disk Copy requires PC Exchange to make floppies from disk images that contain DOS or ProDOS volumes, such as a PC drive container or a DOS-formatted floppy. To make DMF (a 1.7 MB PC format) floppies, Disk Copy requires a SuperDrive and Mac OS 7.6 or later, which includes PC Exchange version 2.1.1 or later.
Users of PowerBook computers with removable or separate floppy drives need to make sure the floppy drive is installed in the PowerBook before attempting to make a floppy.
After a disk image is selected, Disk Copy will present a progress dialog for checksum verification and ask you for a floppy that is the same size as the disk image. For example, you cannot use a 1.4 MB floppy to make an 800k disk image.
When making floppies, Disk Copy uses more memory than its default memory setting. If there is not enough free RAM available, Disk Copy will not be able to make the floppy and will present an error message. Either quit other running applications or increase Disk CopyÕs Preferred memory size to 2048K.
If you insert a floppy that has been previously formatted and the ÒConfirm EraseÓ option is selected in the Preferences dialog box, Disk Copy presents a dialog box asking you to confirm before erasing the floppy and copying new data to it.
Duplicating floppies
When Disk Copy is in the foreground and a floppy disk is inserted, it will be duplicated versus saving it as a disk image, if the Ôauto copy upon floppy insertÕ AppleScript application preference is set to ÔtrueÕ.
Creating disk images
¥ Select one or more folders or disks and drag them into the Disk Copy main window (requires System Software 7.5 or later). Each folder and disk will be made into a separate disk image.
¥ Select one or more folders or disks and drag onto the Disk Copy application icon. Each folder and disk will be made into a separate disk image.
¥ Choose ÒCreate Image from Folder...Ó from the Image menu and select a folder.
¥ Choose ÒCreate Image from Disk...Ó from the Image menu and select a disk.
¥ Choose ÒCreate New Image...Ó from the Image menu and enter a disk image file name.
¥ Bring Disk Copy to the foreground and insert a disk.
After a folder or disk is selected, Disk Copy will present a save dialog. Here you can enter a name and choose a format and size for the new disk image. When creating a new image, a save dialog will appear, followed by a disk initialization dialog.
Converting disk images
¥ Select one or more disk images and double-click while pressing the Command key. This only works for NDIF images (Read/Write, Read-Only, and Read-Only Compressed).
¥ Select one or more disk images and drag into the Disk Copy main window while pressing the Command key (requires System Software 7.5 or later).
¥ Select one or more disk images and drag onto the Disk Copy application icon while pressing the Command key.
¥ Choose ÒConvert Image...Ó from the Image menu and select a disk image.
After a disk image is selected, you will see the same standard dialog box that is presented when creating a new disk image. Conversion is actually creating a new image based on the original.
Disk Copy will then create a new disk image based on the selected original and save it using the size and format options.
Note: When converting a segmented disk image, the new disk image will be a single disk image file. In order to create a segmented image, an AppleScript must be used.
About the Disk Copy log
The Disk Copy log window keeps a detailed record of all activity since the Disk Copy application was last launched. To view the log window, choose ÒShow Log WindowÓ from the Edit menu. The contents of the log window can be saved to the ÒDisk Copy LogÓ file by selecting the ÒSave LogÓ option in the Preferences dialog box.
If the ÒSave LogÓ option is turned off, and the ÒDisk Copy LogÓ file is deleted, it will not be recreated until the ÒSave LogÓ option is turned back on.
Executing a DiskScript
A DiskScript is a special file containing commands that instruct Disk Copy to perform an action on a list of disk images, and to optionally launch an application with or without a specific document. DiskScripts are not related to, and do not require AppleScript to run.
¥ Select one or more DiskScripts and double-click.
¥ Select one or more DiskScripts and drag into the Disk Copy main window (requires System Software 7.5 or later).
¥ Select one or more DiskScripts and drag onto the Disk Copy application icon.
¥ Choose ÒExecute DiskScript...Ó from the File menu and select a DiskScript.
AppleScript support
Disk Copy is fully scriptable, recordable, and attachable. To get a list of the scripting commands available, use a script editor application to view the AppleScript dictionary of Disk Copy.
AppleScripts can be executed directly from Disk Copy by placing them in a folder named ÔScriptsÕ in the same folder as Disk Copy. When a Scripts folder containing AppleScripts is present, a new menu will appear in Disk Copy named ÒScriptsÓ. AppleScripts selected from this menu will have their Òon runÓ handler executed.
Scripting Additions placed in the Scripts folder are accessible by AppleScripts run from the Disk Copy ÔScriptsÕ menu. In your AppleScript, bracket references to the Scripting Additions with ÔTell Application ÒDisk CopyÓÕ and ÔEnd TellÕ to access them.
Note: When opening an AppleScript that uses Disk Copy, or opening Disk Copy with the Script Editor to view its Dictionary, the Disk Copy application will launch. This is so that any Scripting Additions in the Scripts folder will appear in the Dictionary, and any AppleScripts that use those Scripting Additions will compile.
Note: Running Large AppleScripts from the ÒScriptsÓ folder or adding Scripting Additions to the ÒScriptsÓ folder may require increasing the amount of memory provided to Disk Copy.
The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Use of the ÒkeyboardÓ Apple logo (Option-Shift-K) for commercial purposes without the prior written consent of Apple may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of federal and state laws.
Apple, the Apple logo, AppleScript, Mac, Macintosh, and PlainTalk are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
Balloon Help and DigiSign are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines, Inc., used under license.
