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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
D O S D U P E
Version 2.xx
Reference Manual
Fast and safe diskette duplication with smart loading, compressed
image files, context sensitive help, and much more!
DOSDupe is user supported software (shareware). If you use it past
the initial 15 day evaluation period you are required to register it.
DOSDupe is published by: MaeDae Enterprises
5430 Murr Road
Peyton, CO 80831-7402 USA
(719) 683-3860
Page 1
(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
The printed reference manual and associated registered software
may not be copied, resold, reproduced, disclosed, archived,
transmitted, or transferred in any form, electronic or otherwise,
without the expressed written permission of MaeDae Enterprises.
You may freely distribute the shareware version for evaluation
purposes.
TO REGISTERED USERS: (those who paid for DOSDupe) MaeDae
Enterprises hereby grants a "book" license to the original
individual (even if purchased by a company) user of this copy of
DOSDupe. You may use the program on your computer and make one
backup for storage as long as there is no possibility of use or
residence on more than one machine at any time. Just like two
people cannot read the same book in different locations at the
same time. You may not sell or give copies of the registered
program or printed documentation to anyone. No exceptions.
Pricing, specifications, and conditions are subject to change
without notice.
Send all registrations and inquires for site (multiple CPU or
network) licensing to MaeDae Enterprises at the above address.
Disclaimer:
MaeDae Enterprises makes NO claims AND offers NO warranties of
any sort with DOSDupe. MaeDae Enterprises assumes NO
responsibility for any sort of damage resulting from the apparent
or actual use of DOSDupe (mental or physical). The program
provided is not guaranteed as to merchantability or fitness for
its ultimate use. The user accepts all responsibility for use
and may not resell the program.
IBM PC/XT/AT are registered trademarks of the International
Business Machines Corporation.
DOSDupe is a trademark of MaeDae Enterprises. Other trademarks
belong to their respective owners.
Page 2
(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
PREFACE
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
You will notice that this manual is concise. This is intentional
as we have strived to make DOSDupe the easiest program of its
type to use. We have opted to provide an on-line manual and
extensive context sensitive user help. Feel free to use this
reference manual to install and get acquainted with the program.
For many of you, this may be your first exposure to shareware.
To help eliminate possible confusion, we have included a short
description of this unique marketing concept, explaining what it
is, how it benefits you, and why it relies on you for its
survival.
What is shareware? Shareware is not a kind of software. It is a
revolutionary method of marketing Commercial quality software.
DOSDupe a high quality, commercial software package that we are
allowing you to examine in your unique environment for up to 15
days before you make the purchase decision. With traditional
marketing methods, you have to purchase the "desired" software
from a computer store or through mail order businesses, then try
it out, and hope it does what you want. Shareware allows you to
"try before you buy!"
We rely upon you, the customer, to examine our software. If you
find our software useful, or use it for more than a 15 day
trial period, you are required to register it. Your support is
needed for us to continue to improve our products.
If you receive the shareware version of this software from a
"shareware distributor" or library, and paid a few bucks for it,
rest assured that we did not receive any of this distribution or
duplication fee. We rely on all these libraries to distribute
the shareware versions of all of our product to make it easier
for you to access them and try them out.
Enough of this verbage. The real fun and learning begin when you
use the program.
Page 3
(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
Table of Contents
=================
Page Description
==== ============
5. What is DOSDupe?
5. Hardware Requirements
6. Installation - Introduction
7. Installation Notes
8. Getting Started
13. Tutorial
14. Additional Features (like command line use)
14. Troubleshooting
16. Miscellaneous
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
WHAT IS DOSDupe?
=======================
DOSDupe is a powerful diskette duplicator for DOS that allows you
to:
1. Read an entire diskette into memory,
2. Make as many copies as you desire without re-reading the
source,
3. Compare the disk in memory against other diskettes,
4. Format diskettes in a variety of formats,
5. Map out a diskette's data locations,
6. Find out information about a diskette -- sides, sectors, etc,
7. And do it all without cryptic commands!
DOSDupe comes configured to work with most display adapters and
monitors. You can easily customize it to suit your needs.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
=====================
1. IBM PC/XT/AT, IBM PS/2, or fully compatible computer.
2. 256K RAM and DOS 3.0 or later. We recommend 640K base RAM
and 2MB of free XMS or EMS memory for maximum performance.
3. Any monitor. DOSDupe has been written to accommodate
monochrome, color, enhanced graphics, and video graphics array
adapters. Some "autoswitch" adapters may need to be in "manual"
mode.
4. At least one 5.25" floppy disk drive and a hard disk (2MB
free space minimum for the full system and space for a spool file
to allow copying of floppies) are strongly recommended. DOSDupe
supports 160K, 180K, 320K, 360K, and 1.2M format 5.25" diskettes
and 720K/1.44M 3 1/2" diskettes.
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
INSTALLATION INTRODUCTION
=========================
DOSDupe is normally delivered on one 3 1/2" 1.44M diskette. The
registered version of DOSDupe will be in the root directory.
Space permitting, we will include shareware versions of all our
applications in a subdirectory called SHARE.
To use DOSDupe, copy the files from the root directory
(DOSDUPE.EXE, DDUPE_HM.TXT, and DDUPE_HM.INX) to a subdirectory
on your hard drive. From there, run DOSDupe (type DOSDUPE and
press Enter).
INSTALLATION
============
1. Make sure the Disk Operating System (DOS) has been loaded
into your system and you are at C:> (system prompt).
2. Create a subdirectory for DOSDupe using the make directory
command (MD \DOSDUPE).
3. Insert a distribution diskette into DRIVE A:.
4. Copy all the files from drive A: into the subdirectory you
just created (\DOSDUPE).
5. Run DOSDUPE.EXE.
In general, all you have to do to run DOSDupe after it has been
installed on your hard drive and is in the path, type:
DOSDUPE <Enter>
The on-line help and manual should get you going quickly.
Although DOSDupe is not copy protected, you may make copies for
archive purposes only. The purchase of one copy does not
authorize you to install DOSDupe on more than one machine or on a
network. If you intend to install to a hard drive, but run the
program from your floppy drive first, delete the file DOSDUPE.CNF
(if it exists) before loading to your hard drive.
P.S. The Shareware (Test Drive, 15 day trial version) of
DOSDupe will do everything the registered program will
do. Feel free to share ONLY the shareware version with friends
and potential users of DOSDupe for 15 day trail and
evaluation purposes only. You may not use the shareware version
on other machines in order to avoid purchasing additional copies
of the full program. You NOT not give away any copies or make
more than one copy of the fully operational program for other
than archival purposes.
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
IMPORTANT INSTALLATION NOTES:
============================
1. Our distribution diskette contains many files in addition to
DOSDUPE.EXE. Because DOSDupe is a concise program (to save as
much memory as possible), the additional files DDUPE_HM.TXT and
DDUPE_HM.INX are required for context sensitive help and on-line
manual. So please make sure that these files are in your default
directory when running the program.
If you have only one floppy drive, you can build a work diskette
containing: DOSDUPE.EXE, DDUPE_HM.TXT, and DDUPE_HM.INX. Do not
copy DOSDUPE.CNF, if it exists. A new DOSDUPE.CNF will be saved
when you select options.
2. If your DOSDupe does not run properly:
A. Delete the DOSDUPE.CNF file and try to run again. Check out
our troubleshooting section near the end of this manual.
B. Your machine may not be totally IBM PC operating system
compatible. This is not always disastrous and a quick call to
our phone support staff may solve your problem.
C. You may have a slightly incompatible "EGA" card with auto
switch features. Usually, turning off autoswitch and forcing the
system into the EGA mode solves the problem.
D. If you have any memory resident programs or system drivers,
try running without them loaded in your computer. On some
computers, ANSI.SYS is suspect. It is very important to disable
any disk caching software before running DOSDupe since DOSDupe
works very closely with the disk drives.
E. DOSDupe can only use the XMS and EMS memory that
hasn't already been allocated by other applications. If DOSDupe
gives you the message "Unable to allocate!" when setting up
memory to load your diskette, other applications have used all
your free XMS/EMS memory. There is none left for DOSDupe!
3. If your monitor appears to be losing certain characters or
features, you may have a "color" system with a composite
monochrome (green, amber, LCD, etc.) monitor. Adjust the
contrast and brightness of the monitor until the screen is
readable. In some cases, you may have to go to the Install Menu
to chose acceptable "colors". See the "Troubleshooting" section.
4. This Manual is designed to give you a general overview and
familiarity with the program. More complete, up-to-date
information is available to you through the context sensitive
help (F1) and the on-line manual. When using the more advanced
features of the program, the help screens will guide you through
the toughest questions with ease. As DOSDupe continues
to add more features, you can be sure that the on-line manual and
context sensitive help will give you the guidance needed. This
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
way everybody wins. We don't spend money continually revising
manuals and charging you higher prices, and you get what you want
and deserve: accurate up-to-date information. So fire up the
computer, dig in, and welcome to DOSDupe!
5. Note to advanced users: To be able to run DOSDupe
from any point on your hard disk, create a batch file called
DOSDUPE.BAT and store it in your path.
It should contain C:\DOSDUPE\DOSDUPE.EXE /C=C:\DOSDUPE\DOSDUPE.CNF
This will enable you to run DOSDupe from anywhere on your hard disk
with full help and on-line manual. Be sure to install the
help/manual path within DOSDupe to be C:\DOSDUPE.
GETTING STARTED
===============
After you type DOSDUPE <<cr>> (Enter or Return), the opening screen
of DOSDupe will appear. At the bottom of your DOSDupe opening
screen you are instructed to press any key to continue. The MAIN
MENU will appear on your screen.
The main display of DOSDupe consists of:
1. The main menu at the top of the screen
2. A description of the currently highlighted menu item at the
bottom
3. An operation history at the left center
4. An abbreviated directory at the right center once a diskette
is loaded
The operation history box contains some information about
operations already performed. The top four lines show execution
times for the last load, copy, compare, or format operation.
These times are shown for informational purposes only. The
bottom two lines of the history box show what the last operation
was and its status. This frees you from having to watch the
screen during an operation and allows you to quickly select the
next operation.
The abbreviated directory box shows the names of the first four
files of the loaded diskette. When no diskette is currently
loaded into memory, this box does not appear. You can use the
directory command under the utility section to display a full
directory at any time, once a diskette is loaded.
When a load, copy, format, or compare operation is in progress,
the main display is replaced by a progress box in the center of
the screen. The box gives information on what low-level
operation is currently being performed. This allows you to see
how DOSDupe performs its various operations. For example, if you
answered NO to the Forced Format Option, under Copy/FormatOpt,
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
you can see when DOSDupe is forced to format anyway because the
diskette isn't already formatted.
The Main Menu items are described below.
** On-Line Manual: This is an on-line manual covering features
of DOSDupe in more depth than the documentation
available in this manual.
** Load: Load a source diskette into memory for further copies
or compares. We even support reading back a previously saved
diskette from a file. See the copy section for how to save a
diskette to file.
Before a copy, compare, or directory can be performed, a diskette
must be loaded into memory. This is usually a master diskette
created specifically for the purpose of duplication, but of
course, it can be any diskette in a format that DOSDupe supports.
This diskette is loaded track by track, which allows DOSDupe to
create an exact duplicate.
If any bad sectors are encountered on the diskette, the load
operation is halted. If this does occur, format a new diskette
using DOSDupe, then exit to DOS and use DOS's copy command to copy
the files to the new diskette.
DOSDupe requires only 256K of free memory to work (640K RAM and 2MB
free XMS/EMS recommended for faster operation). This is possible
because of our virtual memory techniques. Any loaded data that
can't fit into memory is placed on another disk drive instead.
This 'virtual' drive can be a hard disk, RAM drive, or even
another floppy drive. A floppy virtual drive will greatly slow
the load, copy, and compare operations. For fastest operation,
we recommend using a RAM drive if no XMS/EMS is available, but a
hard disk will do very well. You can choose the virtual drive by
using the Install-VirDrive command.
** Copy: Copy a diskette. This option allows you to easily copy
a diskette without any complex commands. It also supports
multiple copies and saving the diskette to a compressed file.
This command will make a single copy of a loaded diskette.
Simply re-run the command to make as many copies as you need. A
diskette must first be loaded into memory with the Load command
before a copy of it can be made. DOSDupe automatically verifies
each track as it makes the copy. This does slow the copying
process slightly, but the reliability gain this achieves is well
worth the time.
If any bad sectors are encountered on the diskette, the copy
operation is halted. DOSDupe can only make exact image duplicates,
so any bad diskette locations would prevent this. This also
serves to improve reliability of the copied diskette, since a
diskette with some bad sectors is likely to have more bad sectors
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
in the future. When a bad spot is found, an error message is
displayed. Insert a new floppy diskette and re-run the copy
command.
** Copy/FormatOpt is used to force the formatting of all disks.
If you are constantly saving to blank unformatted diskettes,
it is strongly recommended that you set the default at forced
format. Without forced format, DOSDupe first tries to
write to the diskette, if that fails it will then sets forced
format to on for this one copy only.
** DiskComp: Compare the diskette stored in memory against a
diskette you insert into the diskette drive.
DOSDupe automatically verifies each copy or format, track by track.
The DiskComp command allows you to perform this verify at any
time afterwards, for an extra measure of reliability testing
(maybe on a different machine or drive), or for spot-checking by
a Quality Assurance department.
If the DiskComp fails at any point, the operation is halted and
an error message is displayed.
** Format: Format the specified diskette in a variety of
formats.
The Format command is useful for formatting diskettes that are
not to be used for disk duplication. Since DOSDupe will format a
diskette during Copy, this command is NOT necessary for disk
duplication. Formatting a diskette before it is copied will not
affect the copy, and can speed up the copy operation if the
Forced Format Option is turned off. However, the best overall
throughput is achieved by turning on the Forced Format Option,
not running Format, and letting the Copy operation take care of
formatting.
The format performed is simple and straightforward, and does not
include the ability to add a volume label, make the disk
bootable, or mark bad sectors. Furthermore, once a format is
complete, NO data can be recovered from the formatted diskette.
To add a volume label to the diskette, use the DOS label command.
To make the diskette bootable:
1. Exit to DOS. Do not copy any files to the new floppy
diskette until after you run steps 2 and 3.
2. Run 'SYS drive:' where 'drive' is the drive letter of where
your newly formatted resides.
3. Copy COMMAND.COM from your boot drive to the new floppy.
When bad sectors are encountered, the format operation stops and
displays an error message.
** Format/Specify Temporarily changes capacity to be formatted.
We default to the highest capacity support for your drives. You
may want to use this option to override our defaults.
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
** Format/QkFmtOption A diskette can be formatted in as little
as two seconds using this option. IF THE DISKETTE HAS NOT BEEN
PREVIOUSLY FORMATTED, DO NOT USE THIS OPTION.
** Utility: Utilities for checking a diskette status (type) and
mapping out diskette usage on a cluster basis. This area is for
the advanced user.
** Utilities/Directory is the in-memory directory command allows
you to do a directory of the source disk you have loaded in
memory. This allows you to quickly check the contents of the
in-memory diskette to ensure you have the correct diskette loaded
for copies or compares.
** Utilities/CleanDisk DO NOT USE ON YOUR HARD DRIVE!
If no drive is specified, CLEAN assumes you want to work on the
default drive, else drive a:, b:, etc. When it is finished, you
are asked if you want to clean any other drives, and if so,
prompts for the drive letter.
Wet cleaning disks, available from many sources are recommended.
Follow the instructions that come with them.
This works on single or double sided or quad density drives
without modification and naturally will not accomplish too much
on your fixed disk. No harm will come, however, if it is run on
your fixed or floppy disk as it uses the PC-DOS absolute sector
READ to move the head around the disk.
The reason you use a cleaning utility rather than using DIR or
any other command to get the disk moving is that since the disk
in the drive is paper, the head will never get past Track 0 where
DOS goes for the directory in order to try to accomplish your
command. In other words you will never use more than 2.5% of the
surface of your cleaning disk. CLEAN knows there is a cleaning
disk in the drive, ignores the DOS error message that the READ
has failed, and tries to read another sector on another track.
This way the head is moved about the disk and more effectively
cleaned.
Cleaning your disk drive is good preventive medicine, but don't
overdo it. A drive that is in heavy use probably needs to be
cleaned once a week, but on the average once every other month is
plenty.
CLEAN now times in closer to the recommended 30 seconds for
cleaning a disk. It also uses a random factor to start its
journey across the surface on different tracks. Since it uses
only the most basic of MS-DOS functions, it should run on any
MS-DOS computer.
** Install: The installation portion of DOSDupe allows
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
you to customize the colors, directory defaults, and other
options.
** Quit and exit to DOS: All good things must come to an end.
Choose this option if you want to leave DOSDupe and
return to DOS.
You may choose any of the displayed options by pressing the first
letter or by moving the light bar (the giant cursor) with your
cursor keys or space bar to the desired option and pressing
Return. Please note that once you have a pulldown active, the
first letter selects options within the pulldown NOT the top
DOSDupe main menu line.
(If you have a "color" system with a composite monochrome monitor
and don't see a light bar or other features, try adjusting the
brightness or contrast of your monitor. You may also need to
install special colors for your system. See the Install Menu.)
Now let's do something simple to demonstrate how DOSDupe
works.
Insert a source diskette into drive A:. Select the Load option
from the Main Menu. Use the down arrow to highlight the "Load
from A:" and press enter.
Your screen should clear and a box will appear in the middle of
the screen showing you the status as the diskette is loaded.
Insert a destination diskette into drive A:. Select the "Copy
Option" from the main menu using the down arrow and select "Copy
to A:" and press enter. The screen will clear and a box will
appear showing you the status as it makes a copy of the diskette.
You can make as many copies as desired without reloading the
source diskette.
Page 12
(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
TUTORIAL (copying diskettes)
============================
Now let's copy a diskette while using various options. Don't
worry about being fancy or being intimidated; this first use is
only for practice. We can get fancy later.
From the Main Menu, press
L
(Load) a diskette.
Insert a source diskette into drive A:, close the drive door, and
press A to load from drive A:. You will notice the screen clear
and a box appear in the middle of the screen showing you the
status of the operation.
After the diskette has been loaded you can make as many copies as
desired by selecting the main menu copy option and pressing - A
for destination drive A: or B for destination drive B:. You
don't even have to worry about whether the diskette has been
formatted. DOSDupe will "sense" the state of the destination
diskette and format as needed (you can override this by "turning
forced format on" thru the option on the menu).
Once the diskette has been loaded, you can use the utilities
section Directory function of DOSDupe to "look" at the data. You
will notice that an extra window comes up at the bottom of the
screen showing an abbreviated directory once the disk is
loaded.
Insert a diskette into drive A:. Press A to copy the diskette to
drive A:. DOSDupe will keep you advised of the status of the copy
operation. You have now made a copy of the source diskette. If
you want another copy, insert another diskette and press copy
option A again. What could be easier or faster?
Page 13
(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
===================
COLOR CONTROL
For users with color monitors, the color option in the Install
menu gives you total color control of text, background, borders,
highlighted areas, etc. Just press C from the install menu.
COMMAND LINE USE
DOSDupe supports the use of command line arguments
similar to the way the DOS diskcopy does. When used in this
mode, the diskettes are read and copied without any pulldown
menus. To call it up to copy the diskette in drive A: to A: use:
DOSDupe source_drive destination_drive as in DOSDUPE a: a:
If the source and destination drives are the same, you will be
prompted to change diskettes.
DOSDupe also supports several / flags for added
capability. They are:
/c=config_file Ex: DOSDUPE /c=dosdupe.cnf
/r=record to file Ex: DOSDUPE /c=dosdupe.cnf /r=myfile.fdf a:
/p=playback from file Ex: DOSDUPE /c=dosdupe.cnf /p=myfile.fdf a:
Notes: ALL / commands must come before any drive designators on
the command line. Full paths are supported for use with record
and playback modes. The command line is set up for high speed
access to only file read or write per access. If you want to use
multiple files, the easiest way is to use the menu system and
have full access to all functions.
Troubleshooting
===============
Displays
If, after loading DOSDupe, you see text and no borders, or
nothing at all, you may have a compatibility problem. DOSDupe
uses high speed screen updates which may cause a problem with
the older not-too-close IBM PC operating system compatibles. For
example, the Tandy 2000 and Sanyo 555 series computers are not
compatible with DOSDupe.
IBM type monochrome (MDA), color (CGA), EGA (enhanced graphic),
and VGA (video graphic array) adapters are known to work with
DOSDupe. If you are using a compatible color video card
with a green or amber screen, or LCD monitor, you may need to
adjust your brightness and contrast, or Install other "colors"
from the color installation screen. Sometimes executing the DOS
"MODE BW80" command works.
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(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
Some "autoswitch" Enhanced Graphic Adapters and "Hercules" type
mono-graphics cards may need to have their auto modes disabled
for proper operation.
If DOSDupe will not run, you may have insufficient
memory, or too many memory resident programs. Try running
DOSDupe with no memory resident programs.
If DOSDupe just stops running or "freezes", you may have
removed the program diskette from the disk drive. The program
disk must be available to access the context sensitive help and
on-line manual. Of course, if DOSDUPE.EXE and its support files
are on your hard drive, this will probably not be a problem.
Occasionally, certain memory resident, TSR, or "pop-up" programs
conflict with DOSDupe. In general, there is no problem,
but there are many new programs being written without regard to
the system requirements of DOSDupe. Remove them from memory, and
try again. If that fails, try getting rid of device drivers in
your CONFIG.SYS file. ANSI.SYS is a prime suspect for some
not-so-compatibles.
Page 15
(C) Copyright 1987-1994 MaeDae Enterprises
Miscellaneous
DOSDupe works closely with your computer's disk drives
to gain much of its speed. However, it never directly addresses
your computer drives without using standard DOS calls. If you
have any disk cache software that modifies the way DOS works,
then DOSDupe may not function properly. If you are
having "strange" problems, we strongly recommend that you remove
all disk cache software before running DOSDupe!
For DOSDupe to make copies as quickly as it does, it
must perform operations without being interrupted by memory
resident programs. DOSDupe will work with almost any
memory resident program. However, some of them may double the
time required to make copies due to them stealing time away from
DOSDupe during critical periods of the copying process.
DOSDupe verifies ALL writes to your diskette during
copies. It takes longer to verify every write but ensuring the
validity of your data is worth it. Our goal is to be the most
reliable (and fastest) software disk duplicator available.
DOSDupe uses the fastest memory it finds in your
computer. It first uses normal RAM, then XMS, then EMS, and
finally spools to a virtual memory file. Use of a RAM disk as
the spooling drive can drastically speed up the performance of
DOSDupe when copying larger diskettes and using a
virtual memory file. If you don't have a XMS or EMS memory
manager, your extended or expanded memory as a RAM disk and
install DOSDupe to use that drive as your spool drive.
DOSDupe uses your computer's Basic Input Output System
(BIOS) for working with your diskette drives. If your add-on
drives use special drivers that "trick" your computer into
accepting them, then they may not be recognized and supported by
your computer's BIOS. DOSDupe will work with any 360K, 1.2M,
720K, or 1.44M drive as long as that drive is recognized AND
supported by your computer's BIOS.
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