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1993-02-23
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FLOPPY TO TAPE UTILITY
for DOS
BY
PRACTICAL-ly SOFTWARE
20553 Lowfield Drive
Germantown, MD 20874
(301) 972-3954
FLOP2TPD (Floppy to Tape/DOS) is the DOS version of a utility
which is designed to ease the task of backing up floppy disks to
a tape drive. The program is basically a front end for Colorado
Memory Systems "Jumbo x.xx" software, and is limited, but very
handy within its scope. FLOP2TPD requires Colorado Memory
Systems' TAPE.EXE.
A Windows version of this program is also as shareware from
PRACTICAL-ly Software, called FLOP2TAP.
NOTE: Colorado Memory Systems, Inc. retains all rights on its
Jumbo tape backup software, and may be used only by those persons
as designated in their licensing agreement.
**********************************************
WHAT DOES THIS PROGRAM ACCOMPLISH?
**********************************************
It's a good idea to have a backup of each floppy that you use.
Most software vendors recommend that you make a backup of the
original disks and use only the backups. However, if you have a
lot of programs, you can find yourself with an awfully lot of
floppy disks that never get used, taking up room and getting lost
or used over again for something else.
The Colorado Memory Systems tape backup systems can back up a
floppy disk just as easily as it can a hard drive. Making
backups of floppies to tape is not only easy, but it eliminates
the need for piles of floppy backups. For instance a 250MB tape
backup can store about 170 high density 3.5" floppies.
An important key to making this type of archiving work is giving
a proper volume title for each floppy. TAPE.EXE allows a volume
title length of 40 characters. FLOP2TPD lets you enter the
volume title in a box which is only 40 characters long, and it
won't let you exceed 40 characters. By selecting Drive A or
Drive B, you can easily select which floppy to backup. FLOP2TPD
SIMPLY ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR FIGURING OUT ALL THE EXTENSIONS
YOU NEED TO PUT ALONG WITH THE TAPE.EXE COMMAND. Just enter the
title you want for the volume, and that's it.
*********************************************
HOW TO INSTALL FLOP2TPD
*********************************************
FLOP2TPD needs to be in the same path as TAPE.EXE. For instance
if you have your Jumbo software in a subdirectory called TAPE,
then copy FLOP2TPD in the TAPE subdirectory, as well. That's the
easiest way. Of course, there are other ways which anyone
familiar with DOS knows about.
Once you have the FLOP2TPD copied to your hard drive, the program
is ready to run.
*********************************************
USING FLOP2TPD
*********************************************
Before you begin, you need to decide if you want the archive bit
on your floppy to be set by the Jumbo software as it backs up
files. If you want the floppy to remain in its pristine state,
that is without making any changes to the diskette at all, make
sure that you first ensure that your Jumbo software setups do not
allow the archive bit to be set for backed up files. This means
that for version 3.03, the "Reset File Archive Bit" option should
NOT be selected. On earlier versions of the Jumbo software, the
"Read Only Mode on Backups" SHOULD be selected.
TAPE.EXE has a large library of extensions that enable it to be
very flexible. The fact that you have TAPE.EXE assumes that you
have a Colorado Memory Systems tape backup system and that you
have correctly installed and configured the hardware.
FLOP2TPD.EXE will send the following command line to your
computer:
TAPE BACKUP [drive]:\*.* /s/a/T="[volume title]"
The only input required from you is the drive and the volume
title that you want your floppy to be backed up with. You are
allowed a volume title length no longer than 40 characters, and
FLOP2TPD makes sure that you don't exceed 40. The documentation
for TAPE.EXE says that any characters over 40 will be truncated,
but I have found that you just get an error.
/s in the command line specifies that all subdirectories on the
floppy will be backed up to the tape.
/a in the command line specifies that the volume that you are
creating is to be appended to the volumes already on the tape.
That way, you won't overwrite any previous backups.
/T, of course, specifies the volume title. It might be a good
idea to adopt a standard method to specify the title, such as:
PCTOOLS V8.0 Disk 1/Install:1.44M
In this way you archive what the program/version is, which
particular disk in a set is being backed up, and what size floppy
is being backed up. The actual volume label on the floppy will
also be saved automatically to tape by TAPE.EXE so that you can
restore the disk volume label when you need to restore a floppy.
To get around in FLOP2TPD, use the TAB key to move through the
boxes in one direction, or SHIFT TAB for the other direction. As
each box is activated, the color of the boxes changes to red. If
you press ENTER on the Drive and Volume label boxes, the next box
will become activated. However if you press Enter on either the
Start Backup Box or the Exit to DOS box, then the appropriate
action will occur.
To use FLOP2TPD, select which drive your floppy is in, A or B.
You can either type A or B, or use the up/down arrow keys.
Switch to the Volume Title box using TAB or by pressing ENTER,
and enter the volume title. Now select the Start Backup Box.
When the Start Backup box is highlighted, press ENTER and
FLOP2TPD will call TAPE.EXE and back up your floppy. When
TAPE.EXE is done, the FLOP2TPD screen will allow you to continue
with another disk if you like.
*********************************************
TROUBLESHOOTING FLOP2TPD
*********************************************
1. If you're wanting to use FLOP2TPD with Microsoft Windows,
you need to be in real (v3.0) or standard mode (v3.0 and
3.1). For some reason, it will not work in 386 Enhanced
Mode.
2. FLOP2TPD also doesn't like disk that have errors on them. If
your having trouble with a disk that won't back-up, use
CHKDSK to make sure that your floppy is OK. If a disk is
copy-protected, you can't back it up, either.
3. "Write Protect Error Writing Drive X:". Here's a sneaky
one. In your software setups in Jumbo x.xx, you have the
option of having each file's archive bit set when it is
backed up. This makes it easy to do incremental backups on
just the files that are new or have been changed since the
last backup. This software setup option is called "Reset
File Archive Attribute" in version 3.03 and "Read Mode Only
on Backups" in earlier versions. If you have opted to allow
the archive bit to be set on backups, then you have to
remove the write-protect from your floppy to back it up.
BUT... It's a good idea NOT to alter the original floppy
that you're backing up, ESPECIALLY if it is software that
you've purchased and want to protect. If you want to
maintain your floppy in its pristine state, do NOT allow the
archive bit to be set. This means that for version 3.03,
the "Reset File Archive Bit" option should NOT be selected.
On earlier versions of the Jumbo software, the "Read Only
Mode on Backups" SHOULD be selected.
*********************************************
LISTING THE TAPE CONTENTS
*********************************************
Before too long, you'll want to have a listing of the floppies
you have archived to tape. As of Colorado Memory Systems Jumbo
Software release 3.03, you can list the files on the tape, as
well as dump the information to a printer or to a file.
***********************************************
ABOUT SHAREWARE - AND WHAT REGISTERING GETS YOU
***********************************************
FLOP2TPD is copyrighted by Practically Software; it is not free.
It is distributed on a free-trial basis. If you want to use
FLOP2TPD, you're required to pay a $5.00 registration fee. Think
about it, $5 isn't much. Practically Software tries to provide
quality software for a reasonable price.
*****************************************************************
* Those who register their software by sending $6.00 will also *
* receive the latest version of FLOP2TPD which allows the use of*
* a mouse and also removes the annoying registration screen when*
* you leave the program. *
*****************************************************************
Feel free to distribute this shareware version of FLOP2TPD to any
BBS that you like.
All comments and suggestions are welcomed, and any questions will
be answered promptly. If you call, please do so between 6:00
p.m. and 10:00 p.m. EST. Direct correspondence to the author:
William R. Wharton
20553 Lowfield Drive
Germantown, MD 20874
301-972-3954
The author can also be reached on CompuServe 70400,2233.
*****************************************************************
DISCLAIMER: IN ANY CASE, PRACTICALLY SOFTWARE SHALL NOT BE
HELD LIABLE FOR LOSS OF DATA, LOSS OF PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS,
SPECIAL,INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, INDIRECT OR OTHER SIMILAR
DAMAGESARISING FROM THE USE OR DISTRIBUTION OF THIS
SOFTWARE.
*****************************************************************
Jumbo 2.54 is a product of Colorado Memory Systems.
Windows is a product of Microsoft Corporation.