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IBM PC DOS Boot Disks
- Thread starter RHopple
- Start date
Jackson
Experienced Member
As much as I would like to help you, sharing copyrighted software without permission is not allowed. But I'll give you a hint; search W__Wo__d for legitimate images.
When I write images of various sizes on modern computers, I typically do a per track format on SAMDisk with a real drive and fdrawcmd.sys installed. You'll need to do
SAMdisk format a: -s8
for a 160k/320k disk format used by DOS 1. Then, write the image like so (If you're writing standard .img files, rename them to .raw):
SAMdisk [filename].raw/td0/etc a:
When I write images of various sizes on modern computers, I typically do a per track format on SAMDisk with a real drive and fdrawcmd.sys installed. You'll need to do
SAMdisk format a: -s8
for a 160k/320k disk format used by DOS 1. Then, write the image like so (If you're writing standard .img files, rename them to .raw):
SAMdisk [filename].raw/td0/etc a:
krebizfan
Veteran Member
What system are you using to create the DOS 1.x disks? Might help determine why you are not having success. Could be bad disk, bad drive, wrong disk imaging tool, faulty image, just not enough to go on.
You may want to try using CP/M-86 v1.1 disks just for testing. Images of those are legally available for download, for example, http://www.retroarchive.org/maslin/disks/cpm86/index.html If you can successfully boot with that, then trying to replicate the process with DOS 1 should be straightforward.
You may want to try using CP/M-86 v1.1 disks just for testing. Images of those are legally available for download, for example, http://www.retroarchive.org/maslin/disks/cpm86/index.html If you can successfully boot with that, then trying to replicate the process with DOS 1 should be straightforward.
I was using a Windows 98 machine with a 1.2MB drive and 360k disks. They both work well, but I wonder if the size difference is important. I got the images from the website Kazblox mentioned, and they work in an emulator, so theres that.
I did attempt to use SAMDisk with the fdrawcmd.sys installed but it requires Win 2k or greater, and the machine I was using refuses to install that operating system. I couldn't find any older versions of those programs and none of my other Win 2k machines seem to work at all with the drive.
I did attempt to use SAMDisk with the fdrawcmd.sys installed but it requires Win 2k or greater, and the machine I was using refuses to install that operating system. I couldn't find any older versions of those programs and none of my other Win 2k machines seem to work at all with the drive.
I have tried a few systems with the same floppy drive. I have tested it and it is working, along with a few disks I have. Unfortunately, I seem to be unable to install the drivers and SAMDisk without Win 2k, and I am having immense difficulty installing even that. I have a few desktops from the time, and every time the Win 2k installation fails. I'm not a computer novice; its still a mystery why the installations fail.
Jackson
Experienced Member
Try installing Windows 2000 on a different computer, then transplant the hard drive over.
Stone
10k Member
Use a DOS machine or boot from a DOS floppy for best results.
You probably need to write the disk(s) on a 360K drive. Chances are pretty good that your 360K drive in the PC can't read a disk written on the 1.2M drive.
SomeGuy
Veteran Member
First of all, it is not possible to reliably write a 360k floppy disk with a 1.2mb drive. 360k disks written in a 1.2mb drive will usually only be fully readable in other 1.2mb drives. This has to do with the narrower track width of a 1.2mb drive not overwriting all existing magnetic flux, that the wider head of a 360k drive will read and barf on.
You should write the disk with a genuine 360k drive. If you MUST write a disk image with a 1.2mb drive, then you need to thoroughly degauss the disk before writing the image. (But the moment you write to such a disk with a 360k drive, things start getting hairy again)
Another issue is that DOS 1.x floppy disks lack geometry information in their boot sector. This prevents most disk utilities from working with them. Add to that that many disk utilities already don't know how to handle 160k, 180k, or 320k floppy disk formats.
The easiest way to write a DOS 1.x disk is with ImageDisk http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/img/index.htm . The better DOS 1.x archives out there will contain ImageDisk .IMD files. ImageDisk is a DOS program and must be run under DOS, or Windows 95/98 DOS mode.
You should write the disk with a genuine 360k drive. If you MUST write a disk image with a 1.2mb drive, then you need to thoroughly degauss the disk before writing the image. (But the moment you write to such a disk with a 360k drive, things start getting hairy again)
Another issue is that DOS 1.x floppy disks lack geometry information in their boot sector. This prevents most disk utilities from working with them. Add to that that many disk utilities already don't know how to handle 160k, 180k, or 320k floppy disk formats.
The easiest way to write a DOS 1.x disk is with ImageDisk http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/img/index.htm . The better DOS 1.x archives out there will contain ImageDisk .IMD files. ImageDisk is a DOS program and must be run under DOS, or Windows 95/98 DOS mode.