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IMG image files.

Flavio

Experienced Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2021
Messages
62
Ok... I surrender.
How can I write a IMG file to a floppy (IMG files that I can read in Windows so that I would assume are correct and not corrupted)? I would like to use a Mac with OS9.2 and I have read that Disc Copy should do the job but it doesn't.
I would simply like to recreate the floppies with a MacOS 7 for the first Macs.
Thank you very much
 
An IMG file contains data over and above the data normally found on a disk, data that provides extra information for the recreation of the disk image as an exact image. So unless there are extra facilities within the MAC OS software, the Disk Copy process will NOT do the job. Anyway, I'm not sure there is a version of IMGDISK for MAC?

What you might try though is to take your MAC floppy disk, and put it into a suitable PC. The PC I assume could NOT read the disk, or do anything directly with it. You could then run the IMGDISK software on the PC, and hopefully the software - disregarding the fact that the disk is NOT any sort of PC disk, would then read the disk and create the image file on the PC's hard drive. Then, you should have the disk image you want. You could then test this image by using IMGDISK (or is it just IMD?) to write everything back to a new disk, on the PC, so you should then end up with a copy of your original disk. You could then transfer that disk to the MAC system, and see if it behaves as normal there.

If is does, then you've done what you wanted. If not, then try to work out what's gone wrong, checking back here for help as needed. Posting the image file that was created, if one was, could help a lot re the diagnosis.

Geoff
 
Oh, have I mixed up?

Are you starting with an image file that you've got from somewhere else? Or do you want to create the image file on the MAC (or from a MAC disk). If you've got the image FILE already written, then the next part MUST be done on the PC, using the IMD software. So the first part of my message above is already done. IMD can create the format as well as transfer the data, and the format info is with the disk data in the image file. But you need a PC type FDC (Floppy Disk Controller) to do the job. Do you have access to an older type PC that will have such a FDC. The IMD software package includes a prog to test your FDC.

Geoff
 
Need more specifics about what is being written, and what machines will be reading the disks.

For standard 3.5" 1.44MB disks, simply use WinImage on a Windows PC, even if it is a Macintosh formatted disk. In this case, even crappy USB floppy drives should work.

For standard 3.5" 720k IBM PC disks, same as above, but you must make sure your 3.5" drive supports 720k. Some crappy USB floppy drives lack support for 720k even though they are supposed to support it.

For standard 5.25" IBM PC disks you will need a PC with a real floppy controller. Again, use WinImage. There are also a variety of disk writers for MS-DOS.

For copy protected or non-standard disks, you will usually need a flux level writer like a Kryoflux, SuperCard Pro, or Greaseweazle.

For 400k/800k Macintosh disks, you will also need a flux-level writer. Most Macintosh archives with "IMG" files are packaged for use with either flux-level writers, or emulators. They are NOT intended to be written from a real Macintosh, as that is increasingly impractical these days.
 
IMG is not a format. It's just a file extension. If it is a raw sector dump, just use WinImage on Windows to write it to floppy. The Mac will read the floppy just fine after that.

The Mac works different; a file has not only data but also a resource fork. Without that, no program knows how to handle the file and that's why Disk Copy can not use your IMG file. That's also why pretty much everything to be used on (old) Macs comes as .sit, which preserves both the data and resource fork.
 
@Flavio The simplest solution is to download the image from somewhere else in hopes that it is both a regular high density floppy disk and a raw sector file (.img, .dsk, etc.), then write the disk back using WinImage as suggested above.

However, if there is no alternative file, or, the disk image is a 400K or 800K disk image, there are a few options available to you. The free way is to download a copy of Basilisk II, download this custom Disk Image I made for you, and the IIci.rom file. The Disk Image I made has System 7.1.1 Pro, Stuffit Expander, and DiskCopy 6.3.3. You'll need these to convert a Macintosh .img file. Configure Basilisk II to use the Disk Image I provided (and set it the System to Macintosh IIci with a 68030 + FPU) and set a directory for the "UNIX" directory. Next, download a copy of convert2dsk.

Copy the .sit or binary encoded .img file to your emulator via the "UNIX" shared drive. Launch Basilisk II, copy it to your virtual Mac's hard drive, then decode it with Stuffit Expander. Inspect the .img file by selecting it, then Get Info via the File menu. If it is roughly 2MBs, then just open Disk Copy 6.3.3 and do a "Convert Disk Image," select the file, then save it as a "Disk Copy 4.2 Image." Copy the image to the shared UNIX folder. Open convert2dsk, convert the disk image. You now have a raw sector disk image ready to use in any imaging software, emulator, or drive emulator.

If it is a 400K or 800K disk, mount the disk first using Disk Copy. Then "New Disk Image from Disk," select the mounted disk, change the file size to standard 1.4MB, and set the format as Disk Copy 4.2. Save, copy to UNIX drive, convert using convert2dsk.

However, if you intend to use these files on a real Macintosh, then buying a FloppyEmu is a worthy investment. It is a file based Apple disk emulator useable on both Macintosh and Apple II computers with a 3.5" drive support. It also supports the Disk Copy 4.2 format without the need to convert it to raw sector image. In addition to raw sector images and DC4.2 images, it also now supports the new MOOF format, enabling you to use copy protected software and games.

With a FloppyEmu attached, you can mount the image files directly to your Mac's desktop exactly like a floppy disk. You can then duplicate the disk using Disk Copy to the physical floppy drive, and have yourself an actual floppy. With the SD card, it makes it easy to copy disk images back and forth between your PC and vintage Mac.
 
I also forgot to mention that if your vintage Macintosh only has a 400K or 800K drive, then converting them to 1.4MB disks obviously isn't going to work. You'll really want to get a FloppyEmu. This will allow you to work with 400K and 800K images directly on the vintage Mac, and will enable you to create real 400K and 800K floppy disks from those images.
 
Hello and thank you for your help... my need is to recreate 800k or 400k systems disks to install the OS on old REAL Mac... I understand from what above that in Mac world there is not the possibility to have images of disks to be written again on floppies?
I have found a SIT volume with the OS volumes but I have discovered that SIT is more or less like a ZIP... when I have been able to open it with a real Mac, I have found inside some 1.44Mb IMG files that are... not readable from Disk Copy. :(
My "simple" idea was to donwload images, transfer to a G3 Mac with 1.44Mb standard PC floppy and then... write them on 800k floppy disks... I am stuck in "writing stage" since I feel these images do not exist! :(
 
Please forgive me... I have read IMG and I supposed it could be used like... an IMG file for disk images. I have not noticed the sentence "It is possible to write Macintosh 400k/800k images to a real disk using a Kryoflux.".
I have it and I will try... :-|
 
In the meantime I have found a video that solved most of my issues... I have been able to create new FDs 800k.
You can find the video at the following link:
The last (?) issue I have is that I cannot boot from the FD I have created... both the Mac Plus and the PowerPC G3 see them but they do not boot... do I have to make them bootable in "some way"?
 
I didn't know you had a G3. The G3 can write 400K and 800K disks like the one your Macintosh Plus uses.

Do you have Stuffit Expander on your G3? If not, download Stuffit Expander and write it to an HD floppy disk using your PC. Copy it to your G3.

Download the System 6.0.8 System Tools disk from my website. Copy the file to your G3. Decode the .hqx file using Stuffit Expander. Use Disk Copy to write the 800K System 6 disk to a real 800K floppy disk. Try booting your Plus using the new disk.

If you're writing the 800K image to a 1.4MB HD floppy, make sure to cover the hole with some tape.
 
Really really thank you! It worked! The moment in which the Mac went on was magic! Could it be possible to have that type of images for other old versions of MaxOSes?
 
@Flavio Yes, the one linked to by @bolex is the Apple Recovery CD. Copy it to your G3 (or burn it to a real CD) and mount the .iso using Disk Copy. On the disc you will find every version of Mac OS from 1.0 through 8.1, neatly organized, including versions that will only work on specific computers. Also included is a lot of Apple software such as drivers, system enhancements, and utilities.
 
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