DiskDupe General Help

This screen appears when no help is currently available.

It should only appear if there are no jobs on the screen and the user presses <F1>. It can also appear if we forget to put a reference to a dialog box in this Help file.

All the other menus can be accessed by pressing <Alt><Z>, where <Z> is the first letter of the menu. For example, the "File" menu is pulled down by pressing <Alt><F>.

Press <Esc> to close the Help screen (Dos only).


File  <Alt><F>

The File menu includes choices for opening and saving files, changing directories, Dos shell (Dos only), and exiting the program.

 Open

 Change Dir

 Exit

 File types:

 job

 image

 set

 serial

 label


File|New

The File|New command creates one of the file types used in DiskDupe. You can create a new job, image, set, serial, or label file.  To open a pre-existing file, use the File|Open command.


File|New|Set

Creates a new set file.

See Also:

 Creating/Editing a Set File


File|New|Serial

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Creates a new serial file.


File|New|Label

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Creates a new label file.


File|Open

The Open command displays the Open File dialog box for one of the file types used in DiskDupe. You can open an existing job, image, set, serial, or label file. If you want to create a new file use the File|New option.

The Open File dialog box contains:

  An name box with a history list

  A list box to browse the directory

  The Cancel button

  The Open action button

  An information panel that describes the

   selected file

 Whenever you open an Image, Set, Serial, or Label, you can press <Tab> to the pick list and use the down arrow key to browse through the list of files. You can also type the first few letters of the file and then press <Tab>.


File|Open|Image

The Open Image command allows you to change the description of the image file.


File|Open|Set

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This allows you to edit the set(s) files that you have created.


File|Open|Serial

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This allows you to edit a serial file for the serialization of diskettes.


File|Open|Label

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This allows you to edit a label file for printing labels as the disks are copied.


File|Save

The Save command allows you to save the current editor window to a disk file.  If it has already been saved, the file will be saved under the same name.  If you wish to save the file under a new name, select the File|Save As command instead.


File|Save As

The Save As command allows you to save the current editor window to a new file name.  Note that if an editor window does not have a name (it is called "Untitled"), selecting File|Save will execute the Save As command.


File|Save All

The Save All command saves all editor windows to disk.


File|Change Dir...

File|Change Dir brings up the Change Directory dialog box, in which you can change the current directory.


File|Dos Shell

With the Dos Shell command, you can leave the program temporarily to perform a Dos command or run another program.

To return to this program, type EXIT at the Dos prompt.


File|Exit      <Alt><X>

The Exit command terminates this program.


Edit      <Alt><E>

The Edit menu includes choices for UNDO in the editor and managing the clipboard.


Edit|Undo      <Ctrl><BkSp> (Dos only), <Alt><BkSp> (Win only)

The Undo command allows you to "take back" the last editor action you performed.  For example, if the line:

  This is an editor test

is changed to:

  This was an editor test

the Undo command will become active.  Executing the Undo command will cause the line to revert back to its original version.  Note that changes which can be undone are grouped into similar actions, such as typing, or deleting characters.  Any action type you perform that is different than the last action type will cause the Undo information to be lost.


Edit|Redo

The Redo command allows you to "take back" the last undo command of the last editor action you performed.


Edit|Cut      <Shift><Del>

The Cut command removes the selected text and places it on the clipboard. Any information previously on the clipboard is lost. Text cut from the editor may be immediately replaced by selecting the Undo command before moving the cursor.


Edit|Copy      <Ctrl><Ins>

The Copy command places a copy of the selected text on the clipboard.  The selected information is left unchanged, but any information previously on the clipboard is lost.


Edit|Paste      <Shift><Ins>

The Paste command inserts the contents of the clipboard into the current editor window at the cursor position. If any text is selected in the current editor window, the highlighted text is replaced by the text coming from the clipboard. The contents of the clipboard remain unchanged. Information pasted into an editor may be removed immediately by using the Undo command before moving the cursor.


Edit|Clear      <Ctrl><Del>

The Clear command removes any selected text from the current editor without placing a copy of the text on the clipboard.  The effects of this command may be reversed by selecting Undo before moving the cursor.


Edit|Find      <Alt><F>

The Find command performs a text search in the editor.


Edit|Replace      <Alt><R>

The Replace command performs a text search and replace in the editor.


Edit|Search again      <Alt><S>

The Search again repeats the last Find or Replace.


Job      <Alt><J>

A job is a particular task that the user would like DiskDupe to perform. The purpose of a job is to allow the user to save the settings for a particular task under a particular job name. The next time that task needs to be performed, the user can simply select the appropriate job rather than re-entering the settings.

New jobs can be added for each task that the user performs frequently and some or all of the jobs can be included in an opening menu screen that is presented when DiskDupe is run.

Most of the job settings are displayed in a job dialog box in the center of the screen.


File|Open|Job      <F3>

The open command allows you to open or delete existing jobs.


File|New|Job

Creates a new job.


Job|Delete

The delete command allows you to choose an existing job to delete.


Job|Source

The Source is the location of the master diskette to be copied or compared to the destination chosen for the job to be performed. The Source could be a drive that contains a master diskette, an image file, a set of image files, a RamboDisk or a Dos format. If you are creating a set of images and you have the masters for the set in several drives, set Source to Cascade. If you want to make copies of different master disks without using the keyboard, set Source to Relay.


Job|Source|Drive

This allows you to use a drive as your Source. This drive will contain the master diskette that you want to read in.


Job|Source|Cascade

The Cascade option allows you to set your source to a set of drives. DiskDupe will read the master disks in the order that you set the Cascade drives.


Job|Source|Image

The image option allows you to choose a previously created image file (stored on the hard drive) as your source.  The image file will be copied to the destination.


Job|Source|Set

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The set option allows you select a set of images as your source.  These images will be copied to the destination.


Job|Source|Rambo

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This setting allows you to use the RamboDisk as your source. The destination will receive the data from the Rambodisk.


Job|Source|Format

This is used to copy a blank Dos format to the disks in the drive chosen as the Destination.

A Dos version 3.3 format is used since this format is compatible with all versions of Dos. If you would like to use a different Dos version, create an image of a blank disk with the preferred format and then use that image file as your Source instead of choosing "format".


Job|Source|Relay

In this case the destination drive (or drives) will be used as the Source and the disks will be copied in Relay mode (DiskDupe senses write protected masters and copies their contents to subsequent non-write protected disks).


Job|Source|Ask Each Time

This setting prompts the user to select a new source between jobs.  See Ask Each Time for more information on how it works.


Job|Destination

The destination is the place where you want your source to be copied and/or compared.

Destination could be:

 Drive

 Cascade

 Image file (to create a new image file)

 Set of image files

 Rambodisk.


Job|Destination|Drive

The drive option allows you to choose the drive that will contain the floppy diskette that is to receive the data from the source.


Job|Destination|Cascade

This option allows you to use more than one floppy drive of the same type. If you are making multiple copies, you can use Cascade to "daisy chain" the drives so that they copy in sequence. Once the last diskette of the last drive in the chain has been copied to, DiskDupe sits and waits for the diskette in the first drive to change.  Once this has changed, DiskDupe assumes that the rest of the drives in the chain also have new diskettes and continues making copies.

For more information on using Cascade, click on Cascade below or press <Enter>.

 Cascade


Job|Destination|Image

The destination of the source disk will be an image file. If you type in a new image name, DiskDupe will store an image of a floppy disk on your hard disk. If you choose an existing image name DiskDupe will replaced the old image with a new image of the source disk, unless you have marked the image as read-only.


Job|Destination|Set

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Choose Set as your destination when you want to make the images in a Set. Before making the images, the Set file must be created first. The end result is the same as creating each image file individually, with less effort.

See Also:

 Creating/Editing a Set File


Job|Destination|Rambo

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This option allows you to use the RamboDisk for temporary storage of your source disk. If you choose this as your destination, a copy of your source disk is stored on the RamboDisk.

To update an image file:

 1) Copy the image to the RamboDisk (Source = image, Dest. = RamboDisk).

 2) Quit out to Dos to modify the files on the RamboDisk.

 3) Go back into DiskDupe and copy from the RamboDisk to the image (Source =

Rambodisk, Dest. = image).

The above process can be automated with a batch file (Dos only).


Job|Destination|Ask Each Time

This setting prompts the user to select a new destination between jobs.  See Ask Each Time for more information on how it works.


Job|Disk

The disk is the type of disk, or media, that you are using. In almost all cases, this is set to Auto to let DiskDupe automatically sense the type of disk that you are using.


Job|Format/Verify

This dialog screen lets you select the Format, Verify, and Track Range options.

Choose one of the following for further information.

 Format

 Verify

 Track Range


Job|Serial

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The serial option allows you to serialize your disks. If you don't want to serialize your disks, make sure it is set to Off.


Job|Label

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The Label option allows you to turn the label printing On or Off and to select which label file gets printed when a diskette is copied.

See also:

 Labels

 Label Choices


Job|Options

This option allows you to change the name of your current job, control how the disks are counted, set the number of allowable "Retries" and set the User Interrupt option.


Job|Protect

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This menu item is for DiskDupe's optional copy protection module for creating copy protected diskettes.  Consult the DiskDupe manual or call Micro System Designs for more information on the copy protection option.

See also:

 Technical Support


Job|Go

The Go option is selected when the user is ready to perform an operation (duplicate or compare). If the user has a mouse then the "Go" button on the job dialog box can be selected, provided that the "Sticky Menu" has not been selected.

Disks can also be formatted in a separate pass through the Go option by choosing Format as the Source. This applies a Dos format to the disks.

See also:

 Go Options

 Using DiskDupe


Window|List

Window|List allows the user to choose which window to put in the foreground to make it easier to access the windows on mouseless computers.


File|New|Image

Creates a new image file of a master diskette on the hard drive.


Using the Network Server

 (AutoPro)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE NETWORK SERVER

1) Have a job open.  Set the Destination to the autoloader drive, and set the "Job|Disk" to the correct disk type of the job the Network Server is waiting for.  For example, change Disk to 1.44MB instead of "Auto", or 720K instead of "Auto", etc.

2) Go to "Setup|Network", and set the network directory to the directory you want to pull Network batch files from.

3) Select "File|Network Server".  From another computer on the network copy a batch file into the directory that was entered under Setup|Network (step 2). A sample batch file can be found under Network Batch Files.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR TURNING ON REPORTING

1) Go to "Setup|Network", and select the box marked Reporting On.

Doing so creates a STAT#.LOG file, where # is the number of the file.  This has all of the data fields that are pulled into the Network Monitor from DDNet.  The data fields are comma delimited so they can be pulled into a spreadsheet or database.

With the Network Server activated, DiskDupe will scan the network directory for batch files to run that begin with a remark line that specifies the same disk type as the type that was mentioned in Step 1, under INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE NETWORK SERVER.  For example, if Disk was set to 720K then DiskDupe will look for batch files that include the line: REM DISK=720k, or if Disk was set to 1.44Mb, then batch files with REM Disk=1.44Mb will be executed.

If the batch file also contains a workstation identification field, the job will be executed by the Network Server with that workstation name, unless of course that station is not currently an active Network Server.  If that station is not active, the job will be executed based on the Disk field.

These batch files can be copied into the common network subdirectory by another application from anywhere on the network.  DDNet however automatically does this for you.

See Also:

 About Network Server


Setup|Barcodes

  (Pro/AutoPro)

This is where the barcode print settings can be changed.


Setup|Alignment

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This is where the parameters for the alignment diagnostic system can be adjusted.


Setup

This is where the user defines their particular hardware configuration (controllers,drives, and disks), as well as settings for the colors (Dos only) and some global settings that are not specific to any particular job.

Normally only the first three items on the list (Controllers, Autoloaders and Drives) need to be set by the user.


Setup|Controllers

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

This is where the floppy disk controllers are identified for use with DiskDupe.


Setup|Drives

This is where the user defines what floppy drives are connected to the computer.  The A: and B: drives of a computer will normally be set up automatically by DiskDupe, but other floppy drives need to be specified.

 Drive List


Setup|Disks

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This is where you define disk formats (how many tracks, sectors per track, etc.).  This will already include the commonly used formats (360k, 720k, 1.2MB, 1.44MB, etc.) and allows for the user to enter in custom formats as well.  If necessary, the user can define a different format for each track of a custom disk.

See also:

 Disk List


Setup|Global

Global settings are those settings that will be the same no matter what job is being processed.  Settings that change from job to job (like the "source" and "destination" are saved under the job that they correspond to.


Setup|Colors (Dos only)

The Colors option brings up the Colors dialog box, where you can customize the colors of the screen display.


Setup|Autoloaders

 (Auto/AutoPro)

This option brings up the Autoloader List where the Autoloaders are set up for use with DiskDupe.


Setup|Passwords

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This is where the password system, that allows for the administration of security, accountability and control in your duplication environment, can be accessed.


Setup|Network

 (AutoPro)

This is where the network directory is defined for running DiskDupe's Network Server feature for remote control of the duplication machine. This is also where Reporting can be turned on to generate a history file of the machine's activity.


Setup|Sound

This option allows the user to customize the sounds produced by DiskDupe.

See Also:

 Sound


Window <Alt><W>

The Window menu contains commands to close, move and perform other window-management commands.

Most of the windows in this program have all the standard window elements, including scroll bars, a close box, and zoom icons.

For more about windows and their elements, refer to windows.

 Window-management commands

 Size/Move      Zoom

 Cascade      Close

 Next      Previous


Window|Cascade

Choose Window|Cascade to stack all file viewers on the desktop.

                            1

 |                          2

 ||                         3

 |||                        4

 |||

 |||

 |||

 |||

 |||

        Cascaded Windows


Window|Size/Move      <Ctrl><F5>

Choose this command to change the size or position of the active window.

  Size

If you drag the Resize corner or press <Shift> while you use the arrow keys, you can change the size of the active text editor windows or Help screens. Once you've adjusted its size, press <Enter>. Dialog boxes cannot be resized.

  Move

When you choose Window|Size/Move, the active window moves in response to the arrow keys. Once you have moved the window to where you want it, press <Enter>.

A window can also be moved by dragging its title bar with the mouse. If it doesn't move, make sure the mouse is activated by pressing <F10>.


Window|Zoom      <F5>

Choose Zoom to resize the active text editor window to the maximum size. If the window is already zoomed, you can choose this command to restore it to its previous size.

You can also click anywhere on the window's title bar (except where an icon appears) to zoom or unzoom the window.


Window|Next      <F6>

Choose Next to cycle forward through the windows on the desktop.


Window|Previous      <Shift><F6>

Choose Previous to cycle backwards through the windows on the desktop.


Window|Close     <Alt><F3> (Dos only), <Ctrl><F4> (Win only)

Choose Close to close the active window.

You can also click the Close box in the upper left corner to close a window.


Help      <Alt><H>

The Help menu provides access to DiskDupe's on-line help, which provides information for virtually everything in DiskDupe.

When a topic says (Dos only) or (Win only) the information pertains to only the Dos version or Windows version of DiskDupe, otherwise the information applies for both versions.


Help|Contents

The Help Contents provide a summary of several help topics that you can choose from, like the "Table of Contents" of a book.

You can get to the list by clicking on Contents or press <Enter> when Contents is highlighted.

Once you are in Contents and the item that you want is highlighted, press <Enter> (or click on the mouse) to get to the help screen of that item.

 Contents


Help|Index

DiskDupe's on-line help comes with a comprehensive alphabetic index.

You can get to the list by clicking on index or press <Enter> when Index is highlighted.

Once you are in the Index and the item that you want is highlighted, press <Enter> (or double-click on the mouse (Dos only), click on the mouse (Win Only)) to get to the help screen of that item.

When a topic says (Dos only) or (Win only) the information pertains to only the Dos version or Windows version of DiskDupe, otherwise the information applies for both versions.

 Index


Help|Getting Around

 Navigating the Menus

 (press <Enter> for this topic,

 <Esc> to exit this help screen (Dos only))

 You can access DiskDupe context sensitive Help at any time by pressing the <F1> key.

 To access the Help Index you can click on the Help menu bar and then click on Index (if you have a mouse), or type <Alt><H> followed by "I" .

 To access the Help Contents you can click on the Help menu bar and then click on Contents (if you have a mouse), or type <Alt><H> followed by "C".

 You can click on any word that is highlighted to get more help on that particular subject.  If you do not have a mouse, you can press the <Tab> key to choose between highlighted words and then press <Enter> when the word that you want is highlighted.  Press <Esc> (Dos only) to leave a Help screen.

 When a topic says (Dos only) or (Win only) the information pertains to only the Dos version or Windows version of DiskDupe, otherwise the information applies for both versions.


Help|About      <F9>

When you choose the About command from the Help menu, the copyright and version information will appear.

To close the box, press <Esc> (Dos only), <Space> or <Enter>, or press Ok.


About DiskDupe

The About screen shows the version of the software and the serial number of this particular copy.  Each copy of DiskDupe has a unique serial number which needs to be referred to by the customer in order to receive technical support.


Controller Setup

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

This is where the floppy disk controllers are defined when editing or adding a controller to the Controller List.

 Name: Can be up to 20 characters.

 Type: This is the type of the controller card that you are using.  Almost all primary controllers are of the Standard type. Add-on controllers (also called "Secondary controllers") usually have the controller type labeled on the board itself.

 Base Address: This should be set up the same as the address jumper setting on your controller card.  3F0 is the Primary address (for A: and B:). Additional controller cards are jumpered to operate at other addresses. DiskDupe will allow you to list more than one controller at a given address even though it is impossible to operate two controllers at the same address. If your controller is at an address that is not listed, you can enter it in as a custom address and type in the address field below the Base Address field.  See also CompatiCard IV.

 Interrupts: Most floppy controllers use Interrupt 6.  The one exception to this rule is when two controllers are used to control an SDS drive.  In this case the first controller (for head 0 of the drive) uses Interrupt 6 and the second controller uses no interrupt at all (Interrupt 0).

 DMA Channel: This needs to be set the same as the DMA Jumper settings on your controller card.  If you are using an Allegro I, Allegro Mini or CompatiCard IV controller, you can leave this set to Auto and let DiskDupe determine the DMA channel.  If you are using an Allegro II you must select a channel.

 DMA Burst Mode: The DMA burst mode needs to be turned on in order to operate high density double speed floppy drives.  If you are using an CompatiCard IV or Allegro controller, you can leave this set to Auto.


Controller List

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

This is where the floppy disk controllers are defined for use with DiskDupe.  If a drive is connected to a controller other than the primary controller (for A: and B:) then the additional controller(s) must be listed here.  The primary controller is included on the Controller List by default.

You can have DiskDupe automatically set up your controllers by pressing the Auto-Set button or set them up manually by pressing Edit or Add. When you press the Edit or Add button, DiskDupe brings up the Controller Setup dialog box, where the controllers can be manually defined.

If you are manually adding a controller to this list and you are not sure what type of controller you have, try setting the type as Standard, the DMA to 2 and the IRQ to 6.  Primary controllers are always at address 3F0 and almost all secondary controllers are at address 370.

If your computer locks up when the Auto-Set button is pressed, there is probably a card in the computer (such as a network card) that is using one of the floppy disk controller addresses.  In this case the additional controllers should be added to the Controller List manually.


Cascade

At the Drive Letters prompt, enter the drive letters that you want DiskDupe to Cascade through. For example, if you want DiskDupe to Cascade through your A:, B:, and D: drives, than at the prompt enter ABD and press <Enter>.


Choose

Use the arrow keys or the mouse to move the highlight bar to the disk or drive being selected.

 Disk       Drive


Disk Setup

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The Disk Setup allows you to define the parameters of special diskette formats.

 Density: Choose the density of the disk that most closely matches the disk format that you are using.

 Name: This can be up to 20 characters.

 Cylinders: The number of cylinders (tracks) that your disk has per side. 360k disks have 40 cylinders, all others have 80. You can specify up to 81 cylinders, however, not all drives can step to cylinder 81.

 Sides: The number of sides on your disk; 1 or 2.

 Fill Bytes: Sectors of the disk that have no data will have a fill byte written in place of the data.  Most disks use an F6(Hex) fill byte.

 Skew: The amount of sector displacement successive cylinders will have from the first cylinder.  For example, if Skew was set to 1, and the sector order of the first cylinder was 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 DiskDupe would assume the successive cylinder sector order to be 9,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8.  Skew allows faster reads because it gives the drive head time to step, allowing the first sector to be ready for reading.

Skew applies only to tracks that are not defined.  Normally, you only need to define the first track and then specify the skew.

Skew should normally be set to 0, since it only applies to diskettes that have unusual formats.

 ISO format: This format is characterized by the lack of an index field at the beginning of each track of the disk. You need to use an Allegro controller to write the ISO format, otherwise the regular IBM format will be written.

 Special 1.84Mb: This is a special IBM format that can only be used if the 1.84Mb format appears on the Disk List menu under Setup|Disks.

 Side 2 as 1: This is for disks that put side 1 marks on side 2 and is rarely used.

 Track List: This lists the parameters of the tracks.  Only one track is listed if all of the tracks of the disk have the same parameters. If some tracks are different from the first track then they are listed here as well. Unlisted tracks are assumed to have the same parameters as tracks that precede them.  For example, if the track list includes two sets of parameters for track 0 and track 1, tracks 2 and beyond will have the same information as track 1.


Advanced Disk Setup

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The Advanced Disk Setup allows you to set the advanced parameters of custom disk formats.

 Sector size: This is the sector size in bytes (decimal).  Most diskettes have a sector size of 512 bytes.

 Start Track: This decimal number is usually set at 0.  The start track is the track that the parameters that you list will begin on.  Unlisted tracks will be assumed to have the same parameters as tracks that precede them. Cyl 0, Head 0 refers to track 0; Cyl 0, Head 1 refers to track 1; Cyl 1, Head 0 refers to track 2, etc.

 Sectors: This is the number of sectors (in decimal) that your disk has on this track.

 Read Gap: This is how many bytes (in hexadecimal) the controller will ignore after the end of a data sector before it begins to look for the next data sector.  The purpose of this is to ignore the write splice that occurs after the sector data since these write splices can cause the controller to lose synchronization with the data stream.

 Format Gap: This is the number of bytes (in hexadecimal) that are written between each sector.

 Format: FM stands for Frequency Modulation and MFM stands for Modified Frequency Modulation.  Most disks use MFM encoding.

 Lower Density: The first track will be low density (LD) and the rest of the disk will be high density (HD).  This is for some NEC formats that require the first track to be LD for booting purposes.

 Sector Order: The sectors are listed here in the order that they are found on the diskette.  Sector numbers (in decimal) are separated by commas.

 Set Sector Interleave To: Allows you to define the sector interleave. Interleave is the number of sectors between consecutive sectors.  Most disks have an interleave of one.  For example, a 9 sector track with an interleave of 1 has the sectors in order: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9.  With an interleave of two the order would be: 1,6,2,7,3,8,4,9,5.


Disk Auto-Add

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Disk Auto-Add allows you to specify the number of cylinders to be analyzed on the disk. Usually 4 is enough, however if it has varying tracks near the end, you could analyze more.


Disk List

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This Setup|Disk option allows you to Edit, Add, or Delete the disk type that is highlighted.  DiskDupe defaults to include all of the standard disk types in the Disk List (1.2MB, 1.44MB, etc.).  For most users, nothing needs to be set in this list.

There are several extended capacity formats to choose from.  See Special Formats for more information.

 If you choose Add, DiskDupe will add the new disk type that you have specified and place it under the highlighted disk type in the Disk List.

 DiskDupe's Auto-Add command will automatically analyze the disk format and add the new type to the disk list for you.

 The Delete command will allow you to delete a disk type that you don't want or don't use.

 If you choose to Edit a disk type, DiskDupe will allow you to edit the highlighted disk type manually.


Advanced Drive Setup

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

The Advanced Drive Setup allows you to set the advanced settings for your drives.

 The Step Rate is the time delay in milliseconds between the step pulses sent out to the drive when stepping the drive head from track to track on the diskette.  If it is set too long, the drive may not copy at its optimum speed.  If it is set too short, the drive stepping motor will not be able to keep up and DiskDupe will report an Error 209, Bad Seek when duplicating disks or running drive test. This option is usually set to Auto.

 Head Settle.  The head settling time is how long the head is allowed to settle on a new track before beginning to write the data.  The copy quality can suffer if this time is set too low but the copying time can increase if it is set too high. This option is usually set to Auto.

 Motor Delay is how much "spin up" time the drive is allowed from the time it is turned on to the time that the first data is written on the diskette. This option is usually set to Auto.

 Pin 6 Control.  Mark this option if you are using a Trace Qualicopy drive with either an Allegro I, Allegro II or CompatiCard IV controller. This will reduce the write current on the inner tracks for better copy quality. In order for this to work, JP2 on the Tracer autoloader interface board should be jumpered to positions 2 and 3.

The Pin 6 Control is normally set Always High, but if Auto-Set were used to configure a drive, DiskDupe would automatically determine which setting was best for the drive in use.

 Connector.  This is the type of interface the drive is using.  If you are using a regular speed (1x) or double speed (2x) drive, select Normal.  For SDS drives, the interface can be anyone of the three listed.  Single cable SDS drives can be either Y-E Data or Alf.  Dual cable SDS drives should be set to Normal.  If you are not certain which connector to select, use the Auto-Set feature to have the software determine the drive interface automatically.

 Total Disks Copied, Disks Since Cleaned and Disks Since Aligned keep track of the use of the floppy drive for maintenance purposes.  A reminder for drive cleaning and alignment can be set in the Setup menu under Global.


Drive List

The Drive List allows you to Edit, Delete, Test (Diagnostics) Clean or Align the drive that is highlighted. You can also add a drive or use the drive Auto-Set feature to add drives automatically.  (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

When you press the Edit or Add button, DiskDupe brings up the Drive Setup dialog box where the drives can be manually defined. Any changes you make will either change the drive that is highlighted or will be added to a new drive on the Drive List.

Note: If you want to add drives to the Drive List that are connected to a controller other than the primary, the other controller(s) need to be added first under Controller List.


Drive Setup

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

The Drive Setup dialog box allows you to manually configure your drive.

 The Drive Letter can be any letter or number and does not have to correspond to the letter that Dos may have assigned to the floppy drive.

 The Drive Name can be up to 40 characters, although the Drive List will only show the first 20 characters of the name.

 The Drive Type should be set to the maximum capacity of the drive. For example, if you have a drive that can copy 1.44MB and 720KB diskettes then the drive type should be set as a 1.44MB.

 The Drive Speed for the majority of 3.5" HD/LD drives is 300 RPM and for 5.25" HD/LD drives is 360 RPM (the drives that come with a standard PC system for example), but most duplication drives are capable of operating at higher speeds.  For example, 2X speed drives operate at either 600 or 720 RPM, and the new 4X drives operate at either 1200 or 1440 RPM.

 SDS stands for Simultaneous Double Sided (SDS drives are supported only in the AutoPro version of DiskDupe).

 The Number (position) of the drive indicates where the drive is connected on the controller.  Most controllers only have two numbers available, number 0 (for a twisted drive cable) and 1 (for a straight cable). In the case of the primary controller, drive A: is at number 0 and drive B: is at number 1.  On controllers that support four drives there are two more drive numbers available on a separate connector: number 2 for a twisted cable and number 3 for a straight cable.

 The controller that the drive is connected to needs to be selected in the Controller field.  If you are using an SDS drive, there are two controllers used for the drive and the first of these should be selected.

 If the drive is in an autoloader, then this autoloader should be specified in the loader field.

 The Advanced menu for the drive can be accessed by pressing <A> from the Drive Setup dialog box.


Format, Verify, and Track Range options

This dialog screen lets you select the Format, Verify, and Track range options.

 Please choose one of the following:

 Format

 Verify

 Track Range


Global Settings

 Misc. If "Auto-set A: & B:" is selected, then DiskDupe will determine the drive types of A: and B: by reading the CMOS of the computer.  If you are using an autoloader or plan on changing the drives frequently, deselect this so that your changes won't be reset every time you start DiskDupe.

 Old Style Menus can be selected for users that are used to using the menu system from earlier versions of DiskDupe.  The new menu options at the top of the screen get replaced with the familiar Go, Source, Destination, Options, Setup, Quit, and include two additional menu options: Window and Help.

 EMS and XMS memory (Dos only) usage ,by DiskDupe can be limited if needed. In most cases it is best to leave these set to -1 for "No Limit".

 Disks between Cleaning and Disks between Aligning are for reminding the operator to clean and align the drives at the specified intervals.  DiskDupe keeps track of the disks copied in each drive in the Drive List and reminds the operator to service the drive when the specified number of copies has been reached.


Image description

This text field allows the user to enter a brief description (up to 40 characters) of the image file that is being created.  When the image file is used in the future, up to 20 characters of the name will be displayed in the message window of the status screen.


Using DiskDupe

DiskDupe uses the same technique for navigating the menus that is used in Windows, and just like Windows there are pull-down menus available across the top of the screen that allow the user to access dialog boxes for entering selections.

NOTE: DiskDupe requires that at least one Job window be open to operate.  If you close all the Job windows leaving a blank desktop, you can obtain a list of jobs available by pressing <F3>, or by selecting File|Open|Job from the menu bar.

 If you have a mouse, you can select menu choices by clicking on them with the mouse.

 If you do not have a mouse, you can select menu choices by pressing <Alt><Z> where <Z> is the first letter of the menu.  Once the menus are active, you can move around them using the arrow keys.  Use <Enter> to select a menu item.

 The <F10> key enables the 'Sticky Menus' for default access to the menus for mouseless computers.  Press <F10> again to turn 'Sticky Menus' off.

 Once you have selected a menu item, a dialog box appears with choices for that item.  Use <Tab> or <Shift><Tab> to move from field to field. When you have made your selections, press <Enter> to save them.

 When you are in a dialog box you can press <Alt><N>, where <N> is the highlighted letter of the option you want to go to. You can also press the highlighted letter of the option alone to move around as long as you are not moving from a field that required you to type something in.

 To leave a dialog box press <Esc>. To leave a help screen press <Esc> (Dos only). To close a job or any other file box, either click on the Close button in the upper left corner of the box or press <Alt><F3> (Dos only).

 In the Help screens you can also use the <Tab> key to move the highlight bar from one keyword to another.  Use <Enter> to select the highlighted keyword.  Use the arrow keys or the <Page Up> and <Page Down> keys to scroll up and down in the Help screen.

See also:

 File Menu

 Edit Menu

 Job Menu

 Setup Menu

 Help Menu


Delete

If you press delete, it will delete the Job that you highlighted. Otherwise press <Esc> or click on <Done> to exit this dialog box.


Job|Options

Use the <Tab> key to move from field to field. When all of the settings are correct press <Enter>.

 (Pro/AutoPro) When Count Bad Disks is selected, DiskDupe will count both good and bad disks while duplicating, instead of not counting any bad disks encountered.  This is useful when disks are pre-labeled with a serial number , and you do not mind DiskDupe skipping the serial number of the bad disk. Disks that are skipped can always be remade at a later date time the correct serial number.

This function is always "OFF" when you're comparing disks, since DiskDupe reports counts for both good and bad disks.

 (Pro/AutoPro) When Collate Sets is selected, copies made from the images in the set will remain in the same order specified by the set.  This option by default is normally selected.  For more information on sets see Sets or for additional information on collating see Collation and Sets.

 When Ask Copies & Op is selected, the Go dialog box with the number of copies and operation will be displayed before a job can be executed.  This makes selecting the number of copies and operation quicker than having to navigate the DiskDupe menu to select these options.

 When Detect Data Area is selected, DiskDupe will perform an exact comparison between two or more disks, images, etc.  Normally, when comparing an original to a copy, DiskDupe will compare the Source (master disk or image) to the data portion of the copy.  If the unused portion of the copy (the portion without any files) has some deleted files on it, DiskDupe will not report a compare error.  This is done so that comparing disks can be quicker.

With Detect Data Area activated, DiskDupe will compare the area outside of the data as well, revealing any discrepancies between the Source and Destination no matter what.

 When Boot Virus Protect is selected, DiskDupe will not copy the boot sector of the source disk or image.  Instead it will place a standard Dos 3.3 boot sector onto the copies, preventing the spread of a boot sector virus that may be present on the original disk or image.

If you use DiskDupe's compare function to compare your copies with the original disk or image, you should make sure that the Boot Virus Protect option is on otherwise the source disk or image might not compare with the copies since the boot sectors might be different (remember that DiskDupe performs a disk compare, not a file compare, which means that it compares data on a byte level).

If your source disk or image has a boot sector that you would like to have placed onto the copies, make sure this option is off.

The Boot Virus Protect option will not place a boot sector on a copy if the source disk or image does not have a boot sector on it.

 When Skip Bad Sectors is selected, DiskDupe will be able to copy a disk that has bad spots on it (a bad spot on a disk is either an area that the controller reports as being unreadable or that the data has been corrupted).

Normally if a disk has a bad spot on it, DiskDupe will re-read the disk track with the bad spot in an attempt to retrieve the data.  After several unsuccessful attempts, a typical error such as "207 Bad CRC" or "202 Bad Address Mark" will be reported indicating that the disk was bad.

With this option on, DiskDupe will retrieve as much data as it can rather than producing an error.  This means that the copies made may not be exact copies of the original, and may not even work.

 (Pro/AutoPro) User Interrupts can be activated here for interfacing with TSR's that are made to work with DiskDupe, such as BBI's StopCopy and Az-Tech's Everlock.  If you are not using such a TSR then leave this turned off.

 The Job Name is the name that is displayed at the top of the Job dialog box.

 (Pro/AutoPro) Retries specifies the number of retries that DiskDupe will attempt when coping or reading disks.  Four numbers are entered, separated by commas, with no spaces.  They represent in order:

1) Retries allowed per track for duplication and verification.

2) Retried tracks allowed during duplication and verification.

3) Retries per track allowed when reading a master disk.

4) Retried tracks allowed per disk when reading a master disk.


Label Choices

 (Pro/AutoPro)

There are four main options in this menu.

1) "Off" turns off the label feature so that diskettes are copied without printing labels.   If the "Off" option is chosen then the Edit and Select buttons have no effect.

2) "Select One" allows the user to select a single label file that will be sent to the printer for each diskette copied.  With this option no matter which diskette is being copied, the same label file will be printed. When "Select One" is chosen, you can <Tab> over to the Select button to choose or create a label file that you would like to use.

3) "Follow Image" allows the user to have a different label file for each image file.  For example if you are copying from an image file called DISK1.DDI then DiskDupe will look for a serialization file called DISK1.DDL and print that label when DISK1 has been copied.  When "Follow Image" has been selected, you can <Tab> over to the Edit and Print buttons to edit or print the label files that have the same names as the images that you are going to copy from.

4) "Ask Each Time" will prompt for the selection of a new serial file between jobs.  See Ask Each Time for more information on how it works.

 The printer type can usually be set to Standard unless you are using one of the other printer types listed.

 The Print To option would normally be set to print to LPT1, which is the default on most computers. This can be changed to another port or to a filename if desired.

 The Delta DPU is an inline printer.  If it is not in-line with the auto-loader, it should be set up as a Standard printer.  Select ports LPT1 - LPT4 for use with it.


Open File

This screen allows you to choose the file that you want to edit by double-clicking on the filename or by typing the name of the file. When typing the name of the file, you don't need to type the extension unless it is an extension other than the default.


Select Rambo

 (Pro/AutoPro)

In this screen you need to type in the drive letter of your RamboDisk, which is the drive letter that Dos assigns to it. The drive letter is displayed as the Rambodisk is loaded when the computer boots. You can also type RAMBODSK from the Dos prompt to see which drive letter has been assigned.


Status Screen

The status screen gives the operator information about the job that is in progress.

 The main status box shows the progress of the operation by displaying a character for each track of the diskette as it is duplicated, formatted, or compared.  The key box in the upper left-hand corner of the screen shows the meaning of these characters.   The   character, which is not listed in the key, is used to represent a format-with-write operation, which is only supported on certain controllers.

The Statistics box keeps track of the copying speed and the total number of good and bad diskettes that have been produced.

The message window at the bottom of the screen displays messages for the operator.  You can scroll through the list of messages that have appeared using the arrow keys or the mouse.

At any time, the <Esc> key can be pressed to stop the current operation.


Advanced Serialization

 (Pro/AutoPro)

 Increment on Bad disks: This would normally be unmarked so that all of the good diskettes produced are in order.  If you are serializing disks after they have been pre-labeled with the serial numbers, mark this option so that if bad disks are encountered the subsequent disk labels will not show the wrong serial numbers.

 Motorola Style Binary: When serializing a disk with a binary serial number, the number is stored using Intel's "Little Endian" notation, i.e the most significant byte is stored in the lowest numeric byte address. If the number needs to be stored using Motorola's "Big Endian" notation, where the least significant byte is stored in the lowest numeric byte address instead, then select this option.

 Special Characters: These are the reserved characters used in the Stamp Mask to denote ASCII, Binary, and CRC Check replacement characters, respectively. The default characters are @^~.

 CRC Seeds: Used to create CRC Check Digits.

 Use External File: This allows the user to use an ASCII file that they have created ahead of time as the source of the serial numbers that will be written to the diskettes.  "Select" is for choosing the source file.

 Encryption Key: This is used to encrypt the serial number on the disk to prevent users from finding or changing it. If you put a string here, it will be xor'ed with the serial number before putting it on the disk.

 Serial Log File: This is for creating a log file during duplication to give the user a record of the serial numbers that have been used. It is an ASCII file with four fields that are separated by commas. The fields contain the date, serial number, serial ID surrounded by "", and the time.

 Log Entry ID: This is an identifier for the serial numbers printed in the Serial Log File. You can enter up to 80 characters.

See also:

 Serialization

 Serial File


Serialization File

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The Serialization file contains information that DiskDupe uses to serialize the diskettes, and can be stored on the local hard drive or a floppy.  A serialization file is required in order to serialize copies, and can be created from File|New|Serial.

 "Serial Number" is the current serial number.  This is the number that will be put on the next disk that is serialized. The serial number can be between -2,147,483,648 and 2,147,483,647.

Note: If, on the Advanced Serial dialog box, you have "Use External Serial File" selected, the "Serial Number" option will change to "Line Number" and will indicate which line from the external serial file is to be used next. If DiskDupe detects that the date or time of the external serial file has changed, it will automatically set the "Line Number" back to 1.

 "Increment" is the amount that the serial number will increment by between disks. The increment can be a positive or negative number between -32,768 and 32,767.

 "Stamp Mask" is the string that will replace the search string on the diskette.  There are three special (reserved) characters used in the stamp mask: @,^, and ~.  These special characters can be changed in the advanced menu.

The @ character is a special character that gets replaced by an incrementing ASCII serial number when the diskette is serialized.

If you put ^^^^ (four ^ characters) in the Stamp Mask, they will be replaced with the 32 bit binary serial number.

The ~ character is a special character that gets replaced by CRC check digits.

 "Locations" refers to the locations on the diskette where the serial Stamp Mask is to be written.  You can use a table of locations if you know the exact locations that you want to serialize or you can use a Search String that you have put on the master disk.

 "Search For" is the string that DiskDupe will search for on the master disk when "Locations" is set to "Search".  "Num to Find" is the number of search strings that you have left on the disk for DiskDupe to find.

 "Description" helps you to identify the serial file when opening it. The description can be up to 40 characters.

 "Edit Table" allows you to access DiskDupe's table of serial locations for the disk.

 "Advanced" is for the advanced serialization options.


Serialization Choices

 (Pro/AutoPro)

There are four main options in this menu.

1) "Off" turns off the serialization so that disks are copied without modification.

2) "Select One" allows the user to select a single serialization file to specify how to serialize the disks.  With this option, no matter which disk is being copied, the same serialization file will be used. When "Select One" is chosen, the you can <Tab> over to the Select button to choose or create the serial file that you would like to use. Also, if this option is selected and your Source is set as an image or RamboDisk, you can Search it to see if it can find the "Search For" string.

3) "Follow Image" allows the user to have a different serialization file for each image file.  For example, if you are copying from an image file called DISK1.DDI, DiskDupe will look for a serialization file called DISK1.SER and use its parameters to serialize the disks. When "Follow Image" is selected, you can <Tab> over to the Edit and Search buttons to edit or search the label files that have the same names as the images that you are going to copy from.

4) "Ask Each Time" will prompt for the selection of a new label file between jobs.  See Ask Each Time for more information on how it works.

Also see:

 Serialization


Dialog Serial locations


Serial Locations List

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This list describes the locations of each serial string on the diskette to be copied.

The cylinder, head, sector, and offset are all listed as decimal values. If you do not know the locations that you want to use to serialize your disks, you can use a search and replace string instead.


Select Source

Choose the Source where you want your master to be read from.

For more information on the specific sources, select one of the following options.

 Drive

 Cascade

 Image

 Set

 Rambo

 Format

 Relay

 Ask Each Time


Drive Auto Ins


Protection Choices

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This dialog box is for DiskDupe's optional DDProtect copy protection software.  For more information on this product, please contact us.

The options you can choose between include whether to turn off the copy protection, selecting a single copy protection file, selecting the "Follow Image" option to have DiskDupe use a protection file that has the same name (but different extension) as the image, or to select Ask Each Time which prompts the user for a new protection file between each job (see Ask Each Time for more information on how this works).


Job|Go

 Operation: Choose Duplicate or Compare.

 Copies: Enter the number of copies that you want to Duplicate or Compare. For Duplicate, the number entered is the number of good disks that will be produced.  For Compare, the number entered is the total number of disks (good and bad) that will be compared to the master disk or image.  For continuous operation, enter 0.


Job|Open

This allows the user to open or delete a pre-existing job. Use the arrow keys to move the highlight bar from job to job.


Autoloader Setup

 (Auto/AutoPro)

The Autoloader Setup allows you to define your autoloader for use with DiskDupe.

 Name: This is whatever you want your autoloader to be called.  It can be up to 40 characters, with up to 20 characters displayed in the Autoloader List.

 Type: Select the type of autoloader you are using with DiskDupe.

 Port: This is the communication port that the autoloader is connected to.

 Baud: The rate at which the autoloader and the computer can transmit data back and forth. Most autoloaders work at 9600 baud. Allowable baud rates are 9600, 2400, 300, and 19200.

 Misc: This field contains the Use CTS and Full Status options.

Mark "Use CTS" if you don't want DiskDupe to send any characters to the autoloader until the computer asserts the Clear To Send line. Leave this unmarked unless you are having problems communicating with the autoloader.

Normally, after every command, DiskDupe will ask the autoloader for status information. On some older autoloaders (especially Mountain), the status is not always correct. Mark "Full Status" unless DiskDupe copies the first disk and reports "Error 403", or has problems communicating with the autoloader.

 Stop Bits: The number of stop bits the port expects. This value is rarely critical to the COM port's operation and the default value, 1, will work under most circumstances. The only other option is 2.

 Data Bits: Indicates how many data bits the port requires. Autoloaders generally use 8 data bits to communicate. The only other allowable value is 7 bits, but DiskDupe will usually work correctly if set to 8 bits even if the autoloader uses 7 bits.

 Parity: The port's method of checking for errors during the transmission of data. Normally, select None. Other options are Odd and Even.


Autoloader List

 (Auto/AutoPro)

This is where the autoloaders are defined for use with DiskDupe. When you press the Edit or Add button, DiskDupe brings up the Autoloader Setup dialog box, where the autoloaders can be manually defined.

As with any other drive you use with your computer, you should test the autoloader drive. Since there are more variables here, this can be a little tricky and sometimes requires simple trial and error.


Job Name

Enter the name of the job that you are creating. The name can be up to 40 characters and will appear when opening a job and on the top of the job dialog box.


Colors

The Colors dialog box consists of two list boxes, a text display area, the standard OK, Cancel, Help buttons and one of the following:

  On color and black-and-white systems, it

   also contains two color palettes.

  On monochrome systems, it contains a set

   of radio buttons instead of the palettes.

This dialog box is where you can change the colors of different parts of this program.

    Group

 |   Desktop          -|

 |   Menus            [image] |

 |   Dialogs/Calc      |

 |   Puzzle            |

 |   Calendar          |

 |   Ascii table       |

 |                    |

The Group list box contains the names of the different regions of the program that you can customize.

    Item

 |   Color            -|

 |                    [image] |

When you select a group from the Group list, the Item list box displays the names of the different views in that region.

   Foreground       Background

 |            |   |            |

 |            |   |            |

 |            |

On color and black-and-white systems, you use the Foreground and Background palettes to modify colors.

   Colors

 |  ( ) Mono low        |

 |  ( ) Mono high       |

 |  ( ) Mono underscore |

 |  ( ) Mono inverse    |

On monochrome systems, you use the Colors set of radio buttons systems to modify the character attributes.

 | Text Text Text |

 | Text Text Text |

On all systems, the display text shows the current color or attribute settings.

Changes do not take effect on the desktop until you close the Colors dialog box by pressing Ok.


Network Setup

 (AutoPro)

 In the "Network Reporting" option, use the spacebar to turn Reporting on. This will cause DiskDupe to create files called STAT1.LOG, STAT2.LOG, etc. in the network directory for historical reporting of jobs that have been performed (the number used is the same as the line number that the station appears on in the DDNET program). This can also be written to a directory on the local (C:) hard drive if no network is being used.

Note: DiskDupe uses the file MSDNET.DAT to track the real time status of all jobs running on the network.

 "Workstation Name" is a name of up to 20 characters that will be used to identify your workstation when it is monitored remotely using DDNet.

 "Network Directory" is the directory where you would like to have DiskDupe type its report file (MSD.NET) and also look for jobs sent from other workstations when running the Network Server.


About Network Server

OVERVIEW OF FEATURES

DiskDupe's Network Server option is used to make one or more duplication machines available to any workstation on a network.  When the Network Server is active, DiskDupe searches in a common network directory for jobs sent by other workstations.  If a job is present for it, DiskDupe "grabs" it and produces the disks as requested.

A requirement for Network Server to work properly when active is that at least one job window be open, and that "Job|Disk" be set to the type of network batch file DiskDupe is searching for.

Information related to Network Server, such as Network Directory, Reporting Features, and Workstation Name, can be found under "Setup|Network".

A MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION

If you have multiple workstations, i.e. more that one computer running DiskDupe on a network, the computers acting as Network Servers are able to identify jobs available for them via the Disk field as explained in Network Batch Files.  If the job also contains a workstation identification field, the job will only be executed by the Network Server with that workstation name.

Once a Network Server identifies a job for it, the batch file is marked as in-use by renaming it with a .RUN extension.  When the job is completed, it creates a results file called DiskDupe.RES, and deletes the .RUN if the job was completed successfully.  If an error is encountered, the .RUN does not get deleted, but gets renamed with a .ERR extension.  This is so the operator can find the jobs that were not completed.

Jobs are completed in the order that batch files arrive in the network directory, i.e. if there is more than one job present for a particular station , the batch files will be processed first-in, first-out.

See Also:

 Using the Network Server

 Network Batch Files

 Network Setup

 DDNet


Sound List

DiskDupe can produce sounds to alert the operator of various conditions during duplication.  To change the Sound Settings for a particular item, move the highlight bar over the item of interest using the arrow keys and press Edit.


Sound Settings

 Sounds:  Sounds can be chosen using the up and down arrow keys.  Press <Alt><P> to hear the sound chosen. New sounds cannot be added to this list.

 Seconds before first sound:  The number of seconds that DiskDupe waits after a condition has occurred before it produces the sound.

 Seconds between sounds:  The number of seconds DiskDupe waits between producing sounds if the machine is left unattended.

 Frequency adjust: Increases or decreases the frequency of the sound. Positive numbers increase the frequency, negative numbers decrease it. 0 is the default value.  If this number is set too high or too low then no audible sound will be produced.


Sound Play

DiskDupe plays the sound selected in the sound settings dialog box.


Select Destination

Choose the Destination where you want your Source to be copied and/or compared to.

See Also:

 Drive

 Cascade

 Image

 Set

 Rambo

 Ask Each Time


DiskDupe Trial

This is a special limited version of the DiskDupe Standard software. All the features of the Standard are included in the Trial, as well as some bother-screens, which the registered version dispenses with.

The Trial version keeps track of how many times you use it, as well as when you first started using it, so that after 60 days of use it does the following:

  Limits the features to that of DiskDupe Lite.

  Creates a forced delay of 10 seconds after the initial bother-screens.

  Limits the number of copies than can be made to 4 disks.

After 60 days of use, you should register the program or stop using it. Re-installing the software or deleting the files will not reset the counter that keeps track of the Trial's usage.

As the message on the screen indicates, you may distribute DiskDupe Trial to anyone, but let them know it is not free.  Also, when distributing it, please keep the files mentioned on the opening registration screen together.  The program will not operate without all the necessary files present.


DiskDupe Trial Registration Name

PAYMENT OPTION

Please select appropriate payment option.  When selecting credit card, please enter the card number as well as the expiration data.  We also require that you list the name on the card for verification purposes.

The information you enter is saved, except your credit card number for security reasons.

Personal and company checks in U.S. dollars are accepted, as well as CODs to the U.S.  Purchase orders require that a credit terms agreement be signed and filed with us first.

MAILING ADDRESS

Enter the mailing address where you want the product shipped to.  For P.O. Box addresses, packages will be sent U.S. mail.


DiskDupe Trial Registration Print

Select a printer port or filename you would like to copy your completed registration information to.  You may choose to copy your registration information to a file if you have a computer fax that can convert the file to a fax document.  You may specify also specify a path for the file.


DiskDupe Trial Registration

PRODUCTS

DiskDupe is available in several different versions to support a wide range of duplication needs.  To help you decide which version is right for you, see our Product Summary discussion and our Product Feature List.

SHIPPING

Orders are sent either by UPS or by US mail.

CALIFORNIA SALES TAX RATE

If you are a California resident, please include the appropriate county sales tax.  All other states are exempt.

SITE LICENSE AND SPECIAL PRICING

If you would like to purchase a site license for additional user support or if you are a licensed dealer and would like to request a purchase arrangement, please contact us.

WHERE YOU CAN CONTACT US

  Micro System Designs, Inc.

   4300 Stevens Creek Blvd, Suite 258

   San Jose, CA 95129

   TEL  (408) 260-2600

   FAX  (408) 260-2695

  Compuserve 75162,451  GO MSDESIGNS

  Internet sales@msd1.com

  WWW http://www.msd1.com


DiskDupe Trial Registration Wait

I know you've been putting this off, but it's really time to register DiskDupe or STOP using it! Just fill out the registration information form and call, mail, email or fax it to us for prompt DiskDupe delivery!


Advanced Options

Note: The options specified here require certain equipment to work.  Without the required equipment, the options will not function properly even though no error message may be displayed when such a function is attempted.

 Turbo 2.2 Rev (Requires an Allegro II controller): With the Allegro II, it is now possible to copy disks even faster.  By selecting this option, the Allegro II switches to a "turbo" mode for faster copy times. To take advantage of turbo mode during duplication, make sure Job|Format is set to "Always", since disks need to be formatted with turbo mode in order to speed up duplication.

 Write Protect Disable (Requires an Allegro I or Allegro II controller and a specially modified drive): When selected, DiskDupe can write to a normally write-protected disk.  Precautions should be taken when selecting this option, since the write-protect notch on the disk will be ignored, which removes the safeguard of protecting a disk from accidental erasure.  When using RELAY this option is automatically DEACTIVATED.

 Window Margin Settings (Requires an Allegro II with the Window Margin Upgrade): Allows the operator to define a tolerance for the timing of the bit placement of the data read from the diskettes as they are duplicated or compared.

Window margin settings for the Allegro II Revision 2.0:

 Loose      = 78%

 Medium     = 66%

 Tight      = 53%

 Very Tight = 47%

 CopyBus options (Requires a CopyBus MultiBin autoloader): First Bin and Last Bin lets you specify the bin range to be used by DiskDupe.  If the First Bin is set to 2 and the Last Bin 3, DiskDupe ignores the contents of bin 1, processes bins 2 and 3, ignores the contents of bin 4, and starts the cycle over at bin 2.

 Collator Max Stack (Requires an Ashby autoloader collator): Sets the maximum stack height for the collator before it sends a collate.

See Also:

 Allegro Write Protect Disable


Controller Advanced Options

Note: The options on this menu are exclusively for the Allegro II controller.

The settings on this menu should not be changed unless the Address jumper on the Allegro II has been moved as well, since the settings here must correspond to the address that has been selected on the board.

Usually it is best to let the software determine this setting automatically by selecting Setup|Controllers|Auto-Set.

The Allegro II address jumper in most cases will not have to be moved from its default setting of 370 unless another controller is already installed at this address, or when installing the Allegro II as the primary controller (address 3F0).

In order to select the "3F0 & 360" setting, both 3F0 and the 360 must be jumpered on the board.  This will put the Allegro at the 3E0 base address.


Alignment Limits

  (Pro/AutoPro)

The parameters for the alignment diagnostic system can be adjusted from here. The default settings for each parameter normally should not be changed, but they can be adjusted if so desired.  Each parameter is discussed below, and a table with the default settings for each parameter can also be found.

 Test: This changes the scope of the alignment testing.  The alignment testing is normally performed for both heads, but there may be an instance where an alignment problem is known to exist solely on one side of the disk and only the results from the other head are desired.  If this is the case select the appropriate head to be tested.

 Samples: Each alignment test is performed "n" number of times and the median result of the test is displayed.  The larger the sample size, the more thorough the results will be and the longer it will take to complete the analysis.  A sample size of 7 is the recommended minimum.

 Eccentricity Limit, Radial Limit, Azimuth, Index Nominal, Index Limit: The parameters shown for each item and drive are the values and limits that are used to determine whether the drive being tested for alignment should receive a pass or fail result.

 The default parameters are:

 Parameter           Default

 Test                Both Heads

 Samples             21

 Parameter           5 " 360K   5 " 1.2Mb   3 " 720K/1.4Mb

 Eccentricity Limit     500        300           300

 Radial Limit          1350        850           550

 Azimuth                 18         15            30

 Index Nominal          400        200           400

 Index Limit            600        300           600


User Access List

The DiskDupe password system allows for the administration of security, accountability and control to your duplication environment.  The system can handle up to 200 users, includes password management features, allows user names and passwords to be up to 40 characters in length, and can assign various privileges to each user.

The system can be set to prompt users for their identification either at the startup of the software or between jobs, by selecting the appropriate option under "Ask for User Name". **

If "At Startup" is selected the user is immediately prompted for their id after the software has been loaded.  This particular setting works well in an environment where only one user is accessing the software at a time or when DiskDupe is being controlled from a front-end software, where upon completing the job it exits and returns control to the front-end.

If "Before Each Job & Startup" is selected, users must enter their identification information before each job is performed and at the startup of the software. For example, if a job has been created to duplicate 10 disks, upon completing the job and before another job can be started, the user must once again enter their id.  This setting works well when multiple users are using DiskDupe during one session.

The system also offers various degrees of control.  By NOT selecting "Verify Name and Password" from the "Security Control" checkbox, users will only be required to enter their name if "Ask for User Name" has been selected. They can enter any name and gain full access to the software, since verification against the user access list has not been activated and no privileges have been assigned.

By selecting "Verify Name and Password", users will be required to enter both their name and password, which will be verified against the user access list and assigned privileges.  If the password field is empty, i.e. no password has been assigned to the user, the system will accept any password enter by the user.

A privileges key is shown on the screen to quickly help identify privileges assigned to users.  Of course if you edit a particular user, their privileges will also be displayed on the Edit User dialog.

The user list viewer at the bottom of the screen allows for the editing, adding and deleting of users from the system.  To quickly add a new user, select a user from the list with the privileges you would like to use as a template and select Add to create the new user.

** Note: If user identification is desired and activated, and you are using DiskDupe's Network Server feature in conjunction with our DDNet software , and Network Reporting is turned on, the user's name will be recorded in the log file and shown on the DDNET display.


User Edit

User attributes such as user name, password and privileges can be edited from here.  The privileges have been grouped to make the task of assigning them easy and functional, and are assigned when selected (they can be selected by using the <Space> bar or by clicking on an item with the mouse).

The "Password Menu" privilege group, can restrict access to the password system where user the information is kept.  It is a supervisory feature and should be assigned sparingly.

The "System Setup Information" group can restrict access to every item under the Setup|Menu except for Passwords.  This is good for restricting access to hardware setup information and DiskDupe system settings.

The "Delete Files" group determines whether the user has access to the <Delete> buttons that appear on certain dialogs.  For example, the options under "File|Open" have a delete button that allows users to remove unwanted files.  This is a good privilege to deactivate when inexperienced users are using the software, since they may accidentally delete images or other files.

The "Open & Close Jobs" group determines whether a user can open and close jobs other than the ones currently open on the desktop.  This can be handy when you want users to perform only the job present on the desktop, but not any others.

The "Change Job Settings" group determines whether a user can alter items related to the job.  Items that are affected include: the Disk item, Format, Verify, Track Range, Options, Serial, Labels and Protect.

The "Change Source & Destination" group controls whether the Source and Destination from the Job Menu can be changed.


User Identification

The DiskDupe password system is active.  Please enter your user identification information to continue.


Barcode Setup

The following barcode specifications can be changed from here:

  The check digit can be turned ON or OFF

  The readable text portion of the barcode can be placed at

   the top or bottom of the barcode, or be not displayed at all

  Several bar element sizes, measured in inches, can be selected

  The narrow bar and narrow space ratio can be adjusted, based on

   multiplying it against the element size

  The wide bar and wide space ratio can be adjusted, based on

   multiplying it against the element size

  The barcode height, in inches, can be changed

The appearance and quality of the barcode can be adjusted by changing the above options.  The default settings work well on a wide range of printers, including inkjet printers.  If the bars are too close together, while using an inkjet printer, you may have to adjust the spacing if the ink runs.  Using a higher quality paper will help as well.

The check digit option generates a check digit based on the Code-39 scheme that aids in error detection

See also:

 Barcoding


Help|Other MSD Products

Other MSD Products provides a listing of the other products, besides DiskDupe, that are available for purchase for us.


Other MSD Products

DiskDupe is not the only product we have available for purchase.  We also offer a complete line of duplication systems that come with everything you'll need to perform in-house duplication.

Besides duplication systems, we also offer the Allegro line of high speed floppy controllers, network monitoring software, copy protection software, and a special Developer's Kit for businesses that want to use DiskDupe for custom applications like virus scanning and disk customization.

HIGH SPEED DRIVE SYSTEMS

MSD offers three high speed drive packages to accommodate different volume requirements.

MSD's double speed package (MSD 2x) duplicates disks approximately 2.8 times faster than regular-speed systems. A full format/write/verify of a 1.44MB diskette takes 40 seconds. The speed is derived primarily from the drive, which spins twice as fast as a regular drive. The additional speed improvement is due to the format-with-write capability of the Allegro controller card.

MSD's quad speed drive (MSD 2xSDS) duplicates disks approximately 6.2 times faster than regular drives; format/write/verify of 1.44Mb diskettes takes 18 seconds. The 2xSDS drive spins twice as fast as regular drives, but also writes to both heads simultaneously effectively quadrupling duplication speeds. In fact, 2xSDS means literally: two times and simultaneous, double-sided. Additional speed improvement comes from the format-with-write and Turbo 2.2 revolution capablilities of the Allegro II controller card.

MSD's 1200 RPM 4xSDS system (MSD 4xSDS) duplicates disks approximately 11.2 times faster than regular drives; format/write/verify of 1.44Mb diskettes takes only 10 seconds. This package includes the new state-of-the-art 1200 RPM 4xSDS floppy drive.

HIGH SPEED DRIVE SYSTEM CONTENTS

All drive systems include a drive mounted in a sturdy external enclosure complete with a power cable and a shielded data cable with a D-type connector for direct connection to the controller card.  An HRD alignment disk is included for checking drive alignment.

MSD's 2x system includes the DiskDupe Pro 5.1 software, the Allegro Mini controller card, the double speed 3.5" floppy drive, and an Accurite HRD alignment disk.

The 2xSDS system includes the DiskDupe AutoPro 5.1 software, the Allegro II controller card, the quad speed 3.5" floppy drive, and an Accurite HRD alignment disk.

The 4xSDS system is the same as the 2xSDS except that it includes the 4xSDS 3.5" floppy drive instead of the 2xSDS drive.

FLOPPY CONTROLLERS

MSD offers three high speed floppy controllers: the Allegro Mini, Allegro I, and the Allegro II.

The Allegro Mini controller formats and writes data to a disk in one disk revolution instead of two.  This results in faster duplication speed when writing to unformatted media and also improves the copy quality by removing the write splices between the data sectors of the diskette.

The Allegro Mini supports regular speed and 2x drives.  It does not support SDS (Simultaneous Double Sided) and 2xSDS (Double Speed Simultaneous Double Sided) drives.  The Allegro Mini is supported by DiskDupe Pro, Auto and AutoPro.

The Allegro I controller has the same capabilities of the Allegro Mini, with additional support for SDS and 2xSDS drives.  The Allegro I is supported by DiskDupe Pro, Auto and AutoPro, but only the AutoPro has support for SDS and 2xSDS drives.

The Allegro II controller has the same capabilities of the Allegro I, with additional support for 720 RPM 2x and 2xSDS drives and 1200 RPM and 1440 RPM 4x and 4XSDS drives.  It also has a special window margin chipset upgrade available that offers tighter quality control during duplication.  The Allegro II is supported by DiskDupe Pro, Auto and AutoPro, but only the AutoPro has support for SDS, 2xSDS, 4xSDS drives.

OTHER SOFTWARE

MSD offers several other software packages that are intended to be used in conjuction with DiskDupe.

DDNet is used to monitor and send duplication jobs on one or more duplication machines that are located remotely on a local network. DDNet is supported only by DiskDupe AutoPro.

DDProtect is a copy protection software that will prevent simple copy programs, such as Dos DiskCopy, from properly copying your software.  There are two versions available: one for Dos and one for Windows 3.1.  DDProtect is only supported by DiskDupe Pro and AutoPro.

The Developer's Kit is intended for businesses that want to use DiskDupe and their autoloader for custom applications, such as scanning disks for viruses using their autoloader and downloading information from floppies in the autoloader.  The Developer's Kit not only contains the programs required for the aforementioned applications, but also contains information on how to implement them.


DiskDupe Help Contents

Getting Started with DiskDupe

 Configuring DiskDupe

 Installation

 Navigating the Menus

 Registration

 System Requirements

Basic Operations

 Compare Diskettes

 Duplicate Diskettes

 Format Diskettes

Duplication Features

 Cascade

 Copy Protection (Pro/AutoPro)

 Disk Conversions

 Image File

 Labels (Pro/AutoPro)

 RamboDisk (Pro/AutoPro)

 Relay

 Serialization (Pro/AutoPro)

 Sets (Pro/AutoPro)

 Track Range

Batch Files (Dos only)

 Batch Programming

Cleaning Your Drives

 Cleaning the Drives

New Features

 What's New in DiskDupe 5.0

Trouble Shooting

 Bad Disks

 DMA Problems and Trouble-shooting Steps

 Error Messages

 Help Index

 Software Compatibility

 Trouble Shooting Guide

 What to do Before Calling


DiskDupe Help Index

A

 Alignment (Pro/AutoPro)

 Allegro I Controller (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

 Allegro II Controller (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

 Allegro Mini Controller (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

 ALTALK

 Ask Each Time

 Autoloader (Auto/AutoPro)

 Auto-Set A & B

B

 Barcoding (Pro/AutoPro)

 Basic Operation

 Batch Files (Dos only)

 Beginning Number

 Binary Serial (Pro/AutoPro)

C

 Capabilities

 Cascade

 Cleaning

 CMOS Configuration

 Colors (Dos only)

 Command-Line

 Communication Ports (Auto/AutoPro)

 Compare

 CompatiCard (Pro/AutoPro)

 Controller (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

 Converting Disks

 Copy Protection (Pro/AutoPro)

 Copying Disks

 CRC Value

D

 Database and Information Providers (Pro/AutoPro)

 Destination Option

 Diagnostics

 Disk

 Disk Option

 DiskDupe

 DiskDupe AutoPro

 DiskDupe Pro

 DISKDUPE.DAT

 DMA Error with SmartDrive and QEMM

 DMA Problems and Trouble-shooting Steps

 Dos Driver Problem with ALTALK

 Drive

 Duplicating

 Duplicating Times

 DuraDrive Jumper Settings

E

 End Search Track (Pro/AutoPro)

 Errorlevel Command

 Error Messages

 Everlock Copy Protection Software (Pro/AutoPro)

 External Floppy Cable (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

F

 File

 Format Compatibility

 Format Operation

 Formatting

 Full Reformat

H

 Hardware DiskDupe does/doesn't work with

 How to Maximize Copy Quality

I

 Image File

 Increment By (Pro/AutoPro)

 Increment on Reject (Pro/AutoPro)

 Installation

J

 Job

K

 Keyboard Use

L

 Labels (Pro/AutoPro)

 Laptop DMA Error

 Limited Warranty

 Lock-up Problems (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

M

 Memory

 Menus

 Mouse Use

N

 Network Server (AutoPro)

 Network Jobs (batch files)

 Networks Image File

 Networks Install

 Notchless Disk

O

 Optimized Master Disks

 OS/2

 Our Products

 Overview

P

 Password System (Pro/AutoPro)

 PS/2 Model 35SX

Q

 Qemm

 Quality Versus Speed

R

 RamboDisk (Pro/AutoPro)

 Registration

 Reject Rates

 Relay

 Relay and Cascade

 Replaceable Parameters

 Replacement String

 Reporting

 Results File

 Running DiskDupe from Clipper

 Running DiskDupe on a RamDisk

S

 Saving Changes

 SDS drives (AutoPro)

 Search String (Pro/AutoPro)

 Serialization (Pro/AutoPro)

 Set Editor (Pro/AutoPro)

 Set Order (Pro/AutoPro)

 Sets (Pro/AutoPro)

 Setup

 Shareware Distributors

 Slow Copy Time Problems

 Software Compatibility

 Software Developers

 Speed Versus Quality

 Speed Table

 Start Search Track (Pro/AutoPro)

 StopCopy Copy Protection Software (Pro/AutoPro)

 Switches

 System Requirements

T

 Technical Support

 Temp File

 Track Range

 Trouble Shooting

 TSR's That Causes Problems

 Turbo Mode (Pro/AutoPro)

U

 Unreadable Disks

 User Interrupts (Pro/AutoPro)

V

 Verify

 Viruses

W

 Window Margin

 Windows

 Write Protect Disable

Y

 Y-E Data and Alf SDS Interfaces (Pro/AutoPro)

 Y-E Data Jumper Settings (Pro/AutoPro)


Help on Help

 Navigating the Menus

 (press <Enter> for this topic)

DiskDupe provides a context sensitive help system that can be accessed by pressing the <F1> key at any time.  When <F1> is pressed, a help screen like this one appears.

Key words (in yellow) can be selected to access other help screens by clicking on them with the mouse or by pressing the <Tab> key until the key word has a blue background and then pressing <Enter>.  Press the <Esc> (Dos only) key to leave Help.

Items marked by (Pro/Auto/AutoPro) only apply to users of DiskDupe Pro, DiskDupe Auto or DiskDupe AutoPro.

When a topic says (Dos only) or (Win only) the information pertains to only the Dos version or Windows version of DiskDupe, otherwise the information applies for both versions.


Get Disk

Here DiskDupe prompts the user to insert a disk in the drive for the operation that has been selected (duplicate, compare, or format).

If the disk that you want to use is already in the drive then you can press <Enter> to accept the disk.  Press <Esc> to cancel the operation.


Text Editor (Sets)

This is where you list the image files that you want to include in your set.

See Also:

 Creating/Editing a Set File


Text Editor (Labels)

This is where you enter the ASCII text that you want to include in your label.

Use <F2> (Dos only) to save the label file and <Alt><F3> (Dos only) to close it.


Additional Setup Information

For most installations the user will only need to configure the "Controllers", "Autoloaders" and "Drives" items in the DiskDupe Setup menu. Additional topics are covered below.

 Disk Setup

 Network

 Sound

 Global

 Colors (Dos only)

 RamboDisk

 Temp File

 Auto-set A & B

 EMS/XMS Limit (Dos only)

 Color (Dos only)

 Test


Write Protect Disable

The Allegro I and II controllers have a built-in feature to ignore a drive's write protect sensor.  With this ability, the drive's write-protect function can now be deactivated/activated from within DiskDupe.  For example, if the Write Protect Disable function were selected, you would be able write to an otherwise write-protected disk.

In order to use this feature you must have:

  Allegro I SDS controller serial number ALG1-0196 or greater, or an

 Allegro II controller

  Specially modified drive

If you own an Allegro I SDS controller with a serial number prior to the one above and wish to take advantage of this feature, an upgrade chip is available.

If you would like to get more information on obtaining a modified drive, contact your dealer or follow the diagram below.

To zoom the screen press F5.

Instructions for modifying Y-E Data drives for software control of write protect:

1) Remove drive cover and disconnect all connectors that go to main circuit board.  This includes connectors for both drive heads, the track 0 sensor and the stepper motor.

2) Turn over drive and remove the two screws that hold on the main circuit board.  Lift up the main circuit board.  A ribbon cable still connects the motor board to the main board at J7.

3) The write protect sensor connects to the J7 connector at pin 3 (on the main board).  J7 pin 3 connects to an input to an ASIC chip and the write protect output comes out another pin on the ASIC and goes to pin 28 of the floppy connector J1.  To allow software control of the write protect the input and output pins of the ASIC need to be disconnected by cutting these two traces on the circuit board as shown in the diagram below.

4) Connect the input pin of the ASIC to +5V.  For the 2XSDS drive connect a wire from pin 7 of IC4 (+5V) to pin 36 of IC3 (write protect input).  For the 2X drive connect a wire from pin 7 if IC3 (+5V) to pin 31 of IC2 (write protect input).

5) Reassemble the drive and then on the outside (solder side) of the main circuit board connect a wire from pin 3 of J7 to pin 28 of J1.

           J7

  (2) * * * * * * (12)

 (1) * * * * * * * (13)

       |

        \_________________

                          |

   ______                 |

 -|     *|-               |

 -|  U4  |-               X <- Cut

 -|      |-  (connect)

 -|    7 |----------------|

 -|      |-             --|-------------------

 -|      |-             | 36                 |

 -|      |-             |                    |

 -|      |-             |                    |

 -|      |-             |       IC 3         |

 -|      |-             |                    |

   ------               |                    |

                        |                  3 |--\

                        |                    |  |

                        |                    |  X <- Cut

                         --------------------

                                                |

Modification of underside (component side) of board for Y-E Data 2XSDS drive Model number 701B-6130S.

                                              J7

                                     (12) * * * * * * (2)

                                    (13) * * * * * * * (1)

                                                   |

                       (connect)                   | (pin 3)

            /--------------------------------------/

            |

            |

            |

            |(pin 28)

            |         J1

 (34) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (2)

 (33) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * (1)

Modification of outside (solderside) of board for Y-E Data 2X and 2XSDS drives.

           J7

  (2) * * * * * * (12)

 (1) * * * * * * * (13)

       |

        \_________________

                          |

   ______                 |

 -|     *|-               |

 -|  U3  |-               X <- Cut

 -|      |-  (connect)

 -|    7 |------------\

 -|      |-            \     --------------------

 -|      |-             \----32                  |

 -|      |-                 |                    |

 -|      |-                 |                    |

 -|      |-                 |       IC 2         |

 -|      |-                 |                    |

   ------                   |                    |

                            |                  3 |--X-/

                            |                    |  ^Cut

                            |                    |

                             --------------------

Modification of underside (component side) of board for Y-E Data 2X drive Model number 701B-6131H.


Alignment

 (Pro/AutoPro)

A misaligned drive will produce disks that are perfectly readable by it, but not on a properly aligned drive.  Misaligned drives are one of the major causes of poor copy quality, which is why we recommend checking a drive's alignment frequently.

A drive may be misaligned for a number of reasons.  Misalignment may simply be due to mechanical wear and normal use.  Severely misaligned drives are usually the result of improper handling, abuse or shoddy drive construction.

See also:

 How Often to Align

 Aligning the Drive

 Alignment Report


Aligning the Drive

  (Pro/AutoPro)

DiskDupe includes an alignment diagnostic system that lets you check a drive's alignment.  However, in order to perform the alignment analysis an Accurite High Resolution Diagnostics (HRD) disk is required. For information on how to obtain an HRD disk contact your dealer.

To perform the alignment test go to Setup|Drives, highlight the drive to be analyzed, insert the HRD disk, and select Align.  After the analysis is completed a report will be generated indicating whether an alignment problem exists.  If there is a problem, the drive can often be repaired or readjusted by your dealer.


Alignment Report

  (Pro/AutoPro)

An alignment report is generated after completing a drive alignment analysis. The report indicates what tests were performed, which cylinder and head the they were performed on, what data was obtained, and whether or not the drive passed or failed a particular test.  Note, the pass/fail results are determined by the parameters that can be found under the Alignment Limits.

Results from the alignment test can vary slightly from test to test depending on temperature and humidity.  If the results during any one setting indicate the drive as failing and during another setting as passing, the drive should be serviced since the alignment is marginal at best.

The alignment report focuses on four criteria:

 Eccentricity measures how far off from the center a disk is when it is clamped down on the drive spindle and rotated.  This test is performed only on Side 0 (Head 0) and the measurement is expressed in micro inches (uI). If the drive fails this test it's an indication that the clamping mechanism and/or spindle is damaged.  We recommend replacing the drive if it fails this test.

 Radial tests measure the position of the read/write heads relative to the disk for both heads.  The test results indicate the alignment of the read/write head on Track 0 (the beginning of the disk), Track 40 (the middle of the disk) and Track 79 (the end of the disk).  The radial alignment test is the most critical factor in determining whether a drive is misaligned, and can often be adjusted by your dealer.

 Azimuth head alignment figures indicate the amount of twist or rotation the read/write heads have from the vertical axis.  The measurement is expressed in minutes (1 minute = 1/60 of a degree), with a + (plus) or - (minus) indicating either clockwise or counterclockwise rotation from 0 minutes.  If a drive exhibits an azimuth head alignment problem, it can either be adjusted with the proper equipment or the heads can be replaced.

 Index to data time indicates the position of either the drive's optical index sensor or magnetic index sensor.  Results are shown for both heads on Track 0 (the outside portion of the disk) and Track 79 (the inner portion of the disk) and are expressed in microseconds (uS).  The index to data time like the radial head alignment can be easily adjusted by a skilled technician.


How Often to Align

Drive alignment problems are often, unfortunately, detected in-the-field.  A misaligned drive will be able to read back disks it copied just fine, but when read on another drive (often the customer's drive) read errors may occur.  Because of this we recommend that you check your drive's alignment every 2,000 disks or at least once a year.

If the alignment counter hasn't been changed (the alignment counter can be found under Setup|Global) an alignment button will appear on the main menu screen after 2,000 disks have been copied.  Selecting the alignment button will automatically enter you into the alignment diagnostic system, where your drive's alignment will be analyzed.


Allegro I Controller

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

The Allegro I controller from Micro System Designs, Inc., formats and writes to the diskette at the same time.  This results in a faster duplication speed when writing to unformatted media and also improves the copy quality by removing the write splices between the data sectors of the diskette.

When using the Allegro I controller, make sure that "Format" is set to "Always" to enable the format-with-write feature.

The Allegro I SDS controller card comes pre-set with the recommended default jumper settings.

For the single cable Y-E Data SDS interface:

 No jumpers need to be set (make sure that the "C1 SDS CONFIG" jumper is set to YE DA).

For SDS drives using the ALF single cable interface:

 Set the "C1 SDS CONFIG." jumper to 'ALF'.

For a two cable SDS interface:

 Set the "C1 SDS CONFIG." jumper to 'NORM'.  Attach the "Head 1 Adapter" cable (included with Allegro 1) to "C2" on the Allegro I board (See Figure 1).

The Allegro I can also be used with non-SDS drives with the "C1 SDS CONFIG" jumper set to 'NORM'.

 Default Jumper Settings for the Allegro I:

 ADDRESS:        370

 INDEX:          SDS

 C1 SDS CONFIG:  NORM or YE DA or ALF

 FDC1:           IRQ 6, DMA 2

 FDC2:           no IRQ, DMA 3

Note:

 There are always three DMA jumpers per controller. For SDS drives, FDC1 should not be jumpered to use the same DMA channel as FDC2.

 For SDS drives, the interrupt for FDC2 is left unjumpered. The only case where FDC2 would have an interrupt is when a non-SDS drive is connected to the C2 connector. FDC1 should be jumpered to use interrupt 6.

See also:

 Y-E Data jumper settings

 DuraDrive jumper settings

 Allegro Mini

 Allegro II


Allegro II Controller

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

1200 RPM 4XSDS drive support:

The Allegro II supports 1200 RPM 4XSDS 1.44MB drives.  Currently a 486 CPU is required to achieve full speed duplication with these drives. Make sure the drive is jumpered for 1200 RPM operation rather than 1440. Window margin checking is not supported for 1200 RPM drives.

 Y-E Data jumper settings

 DuraDrive jumper settings

720 RPM 2XSDS drive support:

The Allegro II can support 2XSDS 1.44MB drives jumpered for 720 RPM operation. Window margin checking is supported for these drives if the Allegro has the window margin upgrade (described below).

Turbo Mode:

The Allegro II controller was designed with the purpose of decreasing copy times.  Since the Allegro I already explored the idea of formatting and writing to a disk track in one revolution as opposed to two, the Allegro II had to do something else.  That something else was to decrease the amount of idle time spent waiting to begin writing the next track after stepping the drive's head from one cylinder to the next.

By writing the next track immediately after stepping, the first sector on each successive cylinder is skewed a certain number of sectors relative to the previous cylinder.  By skewing the sectors on the disk the physical layout of the disk will be different than that of a normal Dos format, but the data on the disk will be unaltered.  Since the physical layout of the disk is has be optimized for data retrieval, disk access times of the copies produced are reduced substantially.

The Turbo 2.2 Rev switch gets its name from the fact that disks copied with a 2XSDS drive and an Allegro II require only 2.2 disk revolutions per track to format, write, verify, and step the drive head.  As a comparison, the Allegro I performs the same task in 3 revolutions, while a normal controller requires 4.

Additional Turbo Mode Information:

  The Turbo 2.2 rev option is controlled from the Job|Options|Advanced dialog.

  To copy disks using turbo mode, make sure Format (Job|Format)

   is set to "Always"

  Turbo mode is NOT active when reading a disk

SOFTWARE CONFIGURABLE

The Allegro II controller card comes with only one jumper.  This jumper should be left at the default address (370) unless another controller is already using the address in the computer, or if you are installing the Allegro II as the primary controller.

There are no jumpers on the Allegro II for the interrupt (IRQ), DMA (Direct Memory Access) channel and drive interface as these are configured in software.  While the base address of the Allegro II is fixed by a jumper the base addresses used by its two floppy controllers are software configurable.

The controller settings can be set manually under Setup|Controllers, but it is usually best to let the software configure this for you automatically by selecting Setup|Controllers|Auto-Set.

The drive interface, i.e. whether the drive has a Y-E Data, Alf or Normal interface, can be chosen from the Advanced Drive Setup menu (Setup|Drives|Edit|Advanced) or it can be automatically done by selecting the Auto-Set feature (Setup|Drives|Auto-Set). Make sure that you run Auto-Set for controllers and also configure Setup|Autoloaders before running drive Auto-Set.

WINDOW MARGIN UPGRADE

The optional Window Margin Upgrade allows the Allegro II to check the bit placement of the data written to the diskettes.  The window margin checking occurs as the diskette is duplicated without affecting the duplication speed.

The operator can specify one of four window settings under Job|Options|Advanced, depending on the degree of quality desired.

See also:

 Controller Auto-Set

 Y-E Data jumper settings

 DuraDrive jumper settings

 Allegro Mini

 Allegro I


Allegro Mini Controller

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

The Allegro Mini controller, like the Allegro from Micro System Designs, Inc. , formats and writes data to a disk in one disk revolution instead of two. This results in faster duplication speed when writing to unformatted media and also improves the copy quality by removing the write splices between the data sectors of the diskette.

Unlike the Allegro, the Allegro Mini does not support SDS (Simultaneous Double Sided) and 2XSDS (Double Speed Simultaneous Double Sided) drives. It does support regular speed and 2X drives.

When using the Allegro Mini controller, make sure that "Format" is set to "Always" to enable the format-with-write feature.

The Allegro Mini controller card comes pre-set with the recommended default jumper settings.

 Default Jumper Settings for the Allegro Mini:

 ADDRESS:        370

 IRQ:            6

 DMA:            2

Note:

 When changing the DMA channel, be sure to move all three jumpers to the corresponding channel at the same time.

See also:

 Y-E Data jumper settings

 DuraDrive jumper settings

 Allegro I

 Allegro II


ALTALK

ALTALK is a program that lets you automatically change disks in the autoloader from the Dos command-line or in a batch file. It is especially useful for automating tasks like scanning disks for viruses or copying files from a stack of floppy disks to the hard disk.

See also:

 ALTALK Setup

 Testing ALTALK


ALTALK Setup

To set up ALTALK with your autoloader, go to the Dos prompt and type ALTALK <Enter>, <S> to go into Setup, and then type the COM port number that you will be using.


Testing Altalk

To test ALTALK first type ALTALK C <Enter>. If everything is working, you will be able to hear your autoloader calibrate itself. If not, make sure that the autoloader is on, all your cables are connected tightly, and ALTALK is correctly set up.

For the next test, type ALTALK L <Enter>. This should insert a disk into the autoloader. Then type ALTALK U <Enter> which should eject the disk. If these two tests work then ALTALK is working correctly.

In order to use ALTALK, you will need to access the disk drive in the autoloader. Most drives can be accessed as drive B:. However, if you are using a secondary controller such as the CompatiCard IV, your autoloader drive could be drive D: or any other drive number you specified. Double speed drives usually work properly when attached to a CompatiCard IV with the CC4DRV.SYS driver.


Beep

The beep option allows you to choose how frequent you want the autoloader to beep after the completion of duplicating.


Autoloader Drive

 (Auto/AutoPro)

The drive in the autoloader corresponds to a drive letter. Which letter it is depends on the controllers in your system and how you connect the drive. If you have a secondary controller like the CompatiCard IV, the autoloader drive will be D:, if connected to a cable with a twist, or E:, if connected to a straight cable. Otherwise it will probably be the B: drive.

If you have an autoloader attached to the B: drive, you would normally set CMOS for A:&B: to No. This allows you to change drives in the autoloader without having to reset the CMOS configuration each time.

Enter the drive that the autoloader is in at the Drive Setup, which is found under Setup|Drive. Press Add to get to the Drive Setup window.

Whenever you use this drive as the Source or Destination, DiskDupe will recognize it as an autoloader drive and know to duplicate automatically.

Notes:

 You will get an error if you try to copy to or from a drive that is not attached to an autoloader. Select None for the Autoloader Drive if you want to use a drive without the autoloader.

 When using A: or B: as the Autoloader Drive, and the autoloader is off at the time the computer is booted up, your system may give you an error message that the drive is not connected properly. This will not cause any problems using the drive with DiskDupe.


Autoloader

 (Auto/AutoPro)

An Autoloader is an automatic disk duplicating machine. DiskDupe AutoPro controls the Autoloader and the drive inside through a PC to automatically load diskettes from the input hopper into the drive, copy to them, and sort the finished diskettes into the "good" and "bad" output bins of the autoloader.

See also:

 Autoloader List/Setup

 Command Line

 Drive

 Port

 Testing

 Using


Autoloader Setup

 (Auto/AutoPro)

DiskDupe AutoPro supports the Trace, Champion, MissionSix, Rimage, ADC, Ashby, MediaForm, Costas and compatible autoloaders.

DiskDupe controls the autoloader and the drive inside it through two connections between the computer and the autoloader. A serial cable allows the loader itself to communicate with the computer and a drive cable connects the autoloader disk drive to the controller card inside the computer, transmitting the actual data. In addition, a power cord connects the autoloader to a wall outlet and an internal power cable from the autoloader's power supply plugs into the drive.


Ask Each Time

The Ask Each Time feature, which can be found under Job|Source, Job|Destination, Job|Serial, Job|Label, and Job|Protect asks for the selection of the specified item before each duplication or compare job.

It is ideally suited for duplication activities that involve the constant selection and reselection of images, sets, drives, Rambodisks, cascaded drives, serial files, label files and DiskDupe protection files during one setting.

A good example of its use might be with a job involving the duplication of multiple images, since you can minimize the chances of duplicating from the wrong image.  This is done by placing the user directly in the select image dialog box prior to duplication, which forces the user to double check the images being copied.

Another benefit of using "Ask Each Time" is that it decreases the number of keystrokes required to perform the reselection of a particular file, since the appropriate dialog will automatically appear before each job can be performed.


Autoloader Testing

 (Auto/AutoPro)

To test your autoloader setup, press Test from the Autoloader List dialog box and DiskDupe will begin testing the autoloader. If any errors occur, press <F1> when the error message is displayed for help on that error.

Notes:

 Be sure the cables are attached securely and correctly and that the autoloader is turned on. If necessary, try different connectors or connections.

See also:

 Error 402, Autoloader Not Responding


Using Your Autoloader

 (Auto/AutoPro)

DiskDupe AutoPro functions with any supported drive, whether it is in your autoloader or your computer. When copying just a few disks you can use DiskDupe AutoPro without an autoloader; use the autoloader when you require larger quantities of disks. Either way, disks are copied in a single pass, and with the autoloader DiskDupe loads, ejects and sorts the disks automatically.

The big advantage of using an autoloader is that you can start the duplication process, walk away and later return to a completed job. DiskDupe will alert you with an alarm if you need to load more disks, remove a jammed disk or when the job is done.

A stack of disks is placed in the input hopper, typically found on top of the autoloader. DiskDupe instructs the autoloader to take a disk from the input hopper and insert it into the floppy drive. Then DiskDupe duplicates, formats, or compares the disk. Finally, DiskDupe tells the autoloader to remove the disk and load the next one.

DiskDupe sends all good disks to an output hopper and puts any bad disks in a reject hopper. Hopper locations vary depending on the manufacturer and their function can often be controlled with switches located inside the autoloader.


Unreadable copies

If DiskDupe produces disks without reporting errors but some of the disks are unreadable there are several possible causes.

DiskDupe has several CRC checks built into it.  Every track of the image file has a CRC, and there is a CRC for all of the tracks in the image, so you will find that if one bit of the image is changed in the data area then it will be rejected by our software ("Error 908, Image file corrupted"),  so if there were a bad spot on your hard drive we would catch this.

DiskDupe also does a CRC check of its own code loaded in memory ("Error 906, Code Memory Corrupted") and a CRC check of the buffers used to store the image while transferring it to the diskette ("Error 907, Buffer Memory Corrupted").

When DiskDupe is run with "Verify" set to "Always" then every bit written to the disk is read back and compared to the original image and because of the above mentioned CRC checks it is not possible for the data to be written to the floppy with a different bit content from the image file.

Despite all of this checking it is possible for data to get corrupted when read from the floppy controller if there is a DMA problem causing a master to be read incorrectly.  Running Drive Test ("Diagnostics") in DiskDupe will catch this and report either Error 205, Bad DMA, or Error 301, Bad Compare.  Try running Drive Test to see if errors are reported on this machine.

 If Drive Test passes then take some of the unreadable diskettes and compare them to their corresponding master disks or images using DiskDupe with the drive that the copies were made in and on other drives as well.  Typical error messages that will come up are Error 202(Bad Address Mark), Error 204(Record not Found), and Error 207(Bad CRC).  (If DiskDupe were to report an error 301(Bad Compare) reading one of these copies then this would indicate a hardware problem (most likely a DMA conflict) and also that the diskettes were copied with the compare option turned off in DiskDupe.)

IF THE BAD DISKS ARE READABLE IN THE DRIVE THAT PRODUCED THEM BUT NOT READABLE IN OTHER DRIVES:

 Poor drive alignment.  This is probably the most common cause.  If the diskettes are consistently unreadable in most drives except the drive that they were written on then the alignment of the drive used to make the copy is questionable.  Usually such a diskette will be unreadable starting with the first track (i.e. cannot read the directory) on other machines.  Check the alignment using DiskDupe Pro or AutoPro.

 Poorly positioned track zero sensor.  If the track zero sensor is positioned incorrectly then the drive might be able to produce diskettes that have the tracks in the wrong place on the diskette. Usually such a diskette will be unreadable starting with the first track (i.e. cannot read the directory) on other machines.

 Copy drive is passing marginal diskettes.  This problem is most common with double speed drives, especially Y-E Data 2X and 2XSDS drives. Diskettes that spin at double speed produce a stronger read signal than at regular speed so it is often possible to read a marginal diskette at 2X but not at 1X.   Diskettes with these defects will often be readable on the first tracks because their errors (usually due to drop-outs in the media) occur randomly on the diskette.  This problem is most obvious when poor quality media is used.  Try reducing the number of retries that DiskDupe allows when comparing the disk to zero by using the /retries# command line switch (i.e. call up DiskDupe by typing: DISKDUPE /RETRIES0 from the Dos prompt.  This setting gets saved in the DISKDUPE.DAT file so it does not need to be set every time.  The default number of retries is two.  This command line switch is only supported in version 4.09 and above and only in the Pro and AutoPro versions.

 Disk type is set incorrectly in DiskDupe.  This problem can be avoided by leaving the disk type set to "Auto" in DiskDupe.  For example if you are making disk-to-disk copies of 1.44Mb disks with the disk type set to 1.2Mb then DiskDupe will read the master disks as it were a 1.2Mb diskette (ignoring the last three sectors of each track). The disks produced will be completely unreadable (fail on the first track with a "Record not found" error).

IF THE DISKETTES ARE NOT EVEN READABLE ON THE DRIVE THAT WROTE THEM:

 Dirty Drive heads: Before checking anything else make sure that the heads on the drive are clean because dirty heads are unpredictable.

 Poor media quality: In this case the bad disks will show errors on various tracks. If the diskette quality is poor then the diskette will not hold its signal well over time.  Use only certified diskettes with a clipping rate of at least 60%.  For best results use blank media and format them as you copy to them using DiskDupe with "Format" set to "Always" in the Setup menu.

 Drive cable is loose: If the drive cable connector is loose and pins 32, 33, and 34 are not connected and the rest are, then DiskDupe will format, write and verify disks with compare on, but the disks will be bad.  It will also format the disks even if they are preformatted.

Pin 32 is the pin that selects which side of the disk gets written to. If it is not connected then all of the data will be written to and read from only one side of the disk.  When copying the disk DiskDupe reads back the information that it writes for each track immediately after writing it and thus reports no errors despite the fact that all the data is being written to and read from only one side of the disk. For each track the data for the first side gets written to and read from the first head and then the data for the second side gets written to and read from the first head again.

If these disks are compared in a separate pass after duplication then DiskDupe will report and Error 204(Record not Found) on the first track since all of the side 1 data has been overwritten by the side 2 data.  Drive Test will report the same error.

 Diskette has not been removed from drive after copy. DiskDupe gets its speed by bypassing Dos and the BIOS of the computer. In doing so Dos is left in the dark with regards to the changes that occur to the diskette while the DiskDupe software is running.  This often leads to strange results when a directory command is tried immediately after exiting from DiskDupe.   If the diskette is removed from the drive and a <Ctrl><C> is typed before reinserting the diskette then Dos should then recognize that the disk in the drive has been changed and give an accurate response to a DIR command.


Barcoding

Code-39 barcodes can be printed on a label.  To print a barcode, use the label command {{BarCode} or {{Bar} to indicate where you want the barcode to start followed by the fixed text, {{Serial} label command, or any other label keyword.  Here is what an example label might look like that also displays a barcode:

             {{Bold}Product X

             S/N {{BoldOff}{{Italic}{{Serial}{{ItalicOff}

             {{Barcode}ITEM 123456

The barcode can take up one line, can be adjusted for height, size, print quality, and the text location.

See also:

 Barcode Setup

 Labels


Basic Operation

DiskDupe has two basic operations - Duplicating and Comparing. You can also format disks, which is a variation of duplicating.

Duplicate makes a copy of a disk and Compare checks that two or more disks are identical. The Copies setting controls the number of copies that are made. Enter 0 to copy continuously.

Whether you are duplicating or comparing, DiskDupe always works from the Source to the Destination. It copies from the source, sometimes called master disk, to the destination, or target, disk.

Regardless of the options chosen, DiskDupe makes an exact copy of a disk, including system and hidden files, subdirectories and volume labels. However, DiskDupe cannot make duplicates of copy protected disks.

Duplicating

 Cascade

 Creating a Set File

 Drive to Drive

 Images

 Relay

 Relay and Cascade

Comparing

 Stand-alone Compare

 Verify Option


Batch Files (Dos only)

DiskDupe's settings, normally controlled through the menus, can be entered as command-line switches at the Dos prompt.  This allows DiskDupe to be controlled by Dos batch files or by another program.

See also:

 Command-line Examples

 Command-line Switches

 Detecting Errors

 Replaceable Parameters


Beginning Number

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This is the beginning serial number that you want to use. You can use beginning numbers as high as 2,000,000,000. If you use this as your beginning number, DiskDupe will keep incrementing it until it reaches 2,147,483,647.


Binary Serial

 (Pro/AutoPro)

A 32-bit binary number can also be embedded in the disk. To do this put four ^^^^ symbols in the Stamp Mask where you want the number to go. Usually, you would put an identification string in front of this number in your executable code. For instance, you might put "Serial",0000 in your code. The Search String would be "Serial" and the Stamp Mask would be "Serial^^^^". This would place the binary serial number right after the string "Serial".


DiskDupe Capabilities

 DiskDupe Can: |

 DiskDupe will copy IBM, Mac High Density, MIDI, QNX, Zenix, and Unix disks.

 DiskDupe makes an exact track by track copy of the master.

 DiskDupe will copy hidden files, system files, volume labels, directories & sub-directories.

 Will copy the volume label.

 (Pro/AutoPro) Will let you copy the files to the RAM drive and then make a disk copy from the RAM drive using DiskDupe.

 Will copy a file that has been deleted on the master disk, but could be restored on the master. If it can be restored on the master, it can be restored on the copy.

 DiskDupe Cannot: |

 DiskDupe will not copy a copy protected disk.  Our disks are not copy protected. A software developer can copy protect his disks. Would first use DD and then another program such as StopCopy or Everlock.

 Will not copy from a directory to a disk, although with the Pro versions of DiskDupe a RAM disk driver is included ("Rambodisk") that copy from a RamboDisk to a Disk.

 Will not write to disks that have no write protect notch(5") or tab(3").  To copy data onto diskettes without write protect notches(tabs) the drive has to be modified to ignore its write protect sensor.  The software cannot override this.

 Will not write to more than one drive at a time, even when using the OS/2 and Windows operating systems, because the floppy drives share the same interrupt and DMA channel (Direct Memory Access).


Cascade

If you have more than one floppy drive of the same type and are making multiple copies, you can use Cascade to "daisy chain" the drives so that they copy in sequence. Once the last diskette of the last drive in the chain has been copied to, DiskDupe sits and waits for the diskette in the first drive to change. Once this has changed, DiskDupe assumes that the rest of the drives in the chain also have new diskettes and continues making copies.

1. Select Source and choose the image file or drive that you will be reading from.

2. Select Destination, choose Cascade and enter the drives in the order you wish DiskDupe to cycle through them.

   Drive Letter

 | ABE:                   |

3. Put a write-protected master disk into the first drive.

4. Select Duplicate and press Go.

DiskDupe will read the first disk and then wait for you to remove the disk and insert new ones in all the drives. DiskDupe will sense the disk change, make a copy in the first drive, and then switch to the next drive to make a copy. It will make copies until it reaches the end of the cycle and then waits for you to change the disks in all the drives.

DiskDupe will sense when you insert a new disk in the first drive and resume copying immediately.

DiskDupe will continue copying until the desired number of copies has been made or until you hit <Esc> to break the cycle. If a bad disk is encountered, you will have to remove it and insert a new disk in that same drive before DiskDupe resumes duplicating.


Cleaning

One of the most common undiagnosed causes of bad disks is dirty drive heads. Since dirty heads prevent data from being properly written, good disks are often needlessly rejected while bad disks pass through error detection mechanisms unnoticed.

See also:

 How Drives Get Dirty

 How Often to Clean

 Cleaning the Drive


Command-Line Examples

Running DiskDupe from the command-line and batch files (Dos only) has a number of useful applications, some of which are given here.

These examples fit the form

 DISKDUPE [source][destination][disk][copies][options][go]

where the bracketed words correspond to the settings found under a particular menu.

The easiest way to set up a batch file (Dos only) is to first set up a job. This way, the parameters are already set, which leaves fewer commands for you to type at the Dos prompt. For example, to make 5 copies of a job called Task 1 from the Dos prompt, you would type:

 DISKDUPE /JOB="Task 1" /DUP /C5.

By typing /C5 you override the number of copies specified in the job.

If you don't specify the job or image file that you want to duplicate in a batch file (Dos only), DiskDupe creates a job called Command Line.

 Source and Destination:

Source can be a drive, an image file, a set filename with an @ symbol in front of it, or the word RELAY, or RAMBO, or Dos format. You can specify the drive letter of a floppy drive or a rambodisk as your source.

Destination can be a drive letter (floppy or Rambo), a filename, or a Set filename with an @ symbol in front of it. To Cascade drives put a colon after the last drive letter of the cascade. For example: DISKDUPE IMAGE1 ABD: /DUP

 Image Files. If you have a master disk that you need to duplicate periodically, create a disk image-file of the disk to keep from using it repeatedly. Set Source to B: and Destination to File.

 DISKDUPE B: DISK1 /DUP

Then to make three duplicates, set Source to Image(DISK1) and Destination to B:

 DISKDUPE DISK1 B: /C3 /DUP

 Backup disks with Relay. If you received a software program and the instructions tell you to back up the program disks before using it or if you have been keeping all of your letters on floppy disks and want to have a back- up copy in case something happens to them, put write-protect tabs on every master disk. Place a blank (or preformatted) disk behind each master. Set Source to Relay and Destination to B:.

 DISKDUPE RELAY B: /DUP

Each master disk will be copied to each blank disk behind it. CAUTION: Any non write-protected disk will be overwritten.

 Blank Dos Disks. If you are responsible for formatting and distributing all the blank floppy disks that your business receives and wants to reformat old disks to remove potentially sensitive information from them before they are redistributed, Set Copies to 0 for continuous operation. Then set Format to Always, and select Format. From the command line, use:

 DISKDUPE FORMAT B: /C0 /FA /DUP

 RamboDisk. The Rambodisk is assigned a drive letter by Dos.  Make sure that you do not use the same drive letter for any of your floppy drives in DiskDupe under Setup|Drives.  To make one copy from a RamboDisk with drive letter E: to the B: drive without pausing use:

 DISKDUPE E: B: /C1 /DUP /NOWAIT

See also:

 Command-line switches


Collate Option With CopyBus

 CopyBus with MultiBin option:

If you have a CopyBus autoloader setup as a CopyBus MultiBin, whenever you use sets it will copy each image to a different bin.  For example, if you specified that you needed 2 copies of a set, and this was your set:

 C:\IMAGES\DiskA

 C:\IMAGES\DiskB

 C:\IMAGES\DiskC

the sequence and bin location of the copies would depend on whether collation was selected or not.

 With collation ON:

 DiskA, in bin1

 DiskB, in bin2

 DiskC, in bin3

 DiskA, in bin1

 DiskB, in bin2

 DiskC, in bin3

 With collation OFF:

 DiskA, in bin1

 DiskA, in bin1

 DiskB, in bin2

 DiskB, in bin2

 DiskC, in bin3

 DiskC, in bin3

 CopyBus without MultiBin option:

If you setup the loader as a CopyBus, the multiple bins of the CopyBus autoloader will act as one extended bin and automatically go to the next bin when the current one is empty.


Collation and Sets

When Collate Sets is selected, copies made from the images in the set will remain in the same order specified by the set.  For example, if your set looked like this:

 C:\IMAGES\DiskA

 C:\IMAGES\DiskB

 C:\IMAGES\DiskC

and you wanted to make 2 copies of the set, the sequence of the copies would be DiskA, DiskB, DiskC, DiskA, DiskB, DiskC.

Using the same example as above, if Collate Sets were deactivated the sequence of the copies would be DiskA, DiskA, DiskB, DiskB, DiskC, DiskC.

Images in a set can contain a quantity specified after the image to inform DiskDupe that more than one copy of that image is desired.  Whenever DiskDupe sees a set with a quantity after any image, it goes into mixed quantity mode. In this mode it will deactivate collation and set the number of copies to one. For more information on this see Creating/Editing a Set.

If you are using a CopyBus autoloader collate operates a little differently. See CopyBus Autoloader for more additional information.


Colors

The Color option is found in the Setup menu. DiskDupe offers choices of colors for everything.

If you have a color monitor, but DiskDupe only shows up in black and white, type MODE CO80 from the Dos prompt. If you are working on a laptop or color system where DiskDupe doesn't show up well in color, type MODE BW80 from the Dos prompt.


Verify

The verify function performs a byte-by-byte comparison of copied disks to the original disk or an image file as it is copied to ensure that they are exactly the same for all of the tracks that have data on the master.  Disks can be compared either while they are copied, by setting Verify to Always under the Job Window, or in a separate compare pass.

If there are any errors on the disk, DiskDupe will show a message on the screen indicating that the disk is bad.

See also:

 Serial String and Track Range


Comparing Serial Numbers with Track Range

 (Pro/AutoPro)

If you compare a disk with Track Range set to Serial and Serialization turned on, DiskDupe will just compare the tracks that contain the serial string. It will also read the serial string off the disk and display it on the screen.

See Also:

 Serial String and Track Range


Compaticard Setup

 (Pro/AutoPro)

There are three CompatiCard floppy controllers available from Micro Solutions, Inc.; the CompatiCard I, II and IV.

The CompatiCard IV is the most popular because it allows the connection of up to four floppy drives and it supports 2.88M drives and double speed 1.44MB drives.

Compaticard IV Settings for DiskDupe:

  DIP Switches and Jumpers:

  ------------------------

 All switches down (off) on SW1 and SW2.

 Make sure that the jumpers on J2 are on Interrupt 6 and on both DMA2 positions.

 Put J1 on B for the 370 address, or C for the 360 address.

 Do not jumper J1 to A (the primary address) unless the original primary controller (for A: and B:) has been disabled.

 Configure the new controller and drives in the Setup menu, starting with the Controller List.

The P2 (internal connector) of the card is for drive positions 0 (twisted cable) and 1 (straight cable).  The P3/P4 external connector is for drive positions 2 (twisted cable) and 3 (straight cable).

IF DISKDUPE REPORTS A DMA ERROR:  If a DMA problem arises then use DMA1 by moving the DMA jumpers on J2 to DMA1 and also changing DIP switch 6 on SW1 to the on (up) position.  For DMA 3 put both switch 5 and 6 up on SW1. DiskDupe will automatically detect these changes.

 TO ACCESS THE DRIVE FROM Dos:

(Please note:  The Dos drivers do not need to be installed to access the drives from the DiskDupe software).

If you want to access the drive connected to the CompatiCard IV from Dos as a drive letter then you can load the CompatiCard drivers into memory as explained on page 6-1 of the CompatiCard IV manual.  It is best to configure 3" double speed as if they were 2.8Mb drives (type 8) for the CompatiCard drivers so that the high data rates for these drives are supported. In this case the CONFIG.SYS might include the lines:

DEVICE=C:\CCIV\CC4BIOS.SYS /B DEVICE=C:\CCIV\CC4DRV.SYS /B3,8,4,Y

We do not recommend that the on-board BIOS of the CompatiCard IV be enabled because this often creates conflicts during the POST test (when booting the computer), so make sure that you are using the DIP switch settings listed above (all DIP switches off).

The CompatiCard Dos drivers will not work with SDS drives.


Communication Ports

A computer controls an autoloader with a cable that connects the serial or communication ports on the backs of the two machines. Attach one end of a serial(RS-232) cable to the port on the back of the autoloader, referred to as the autoloader port, and the other end to one of the computer's ports. Computers typically have at least two serial ports, each of which is denoted by a different Com Port(COM) number.

DiskDupe will support your autoloader on COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4. Even though you have a limited number of ports, different devices may need to use those ports at various times. In a system with two serial ports, COM1 and COM3 refer to one and COM2 and COM4 to the other. Since Dos supports only two ports at once and the ports themselves are not shareable, if you have a mouse configured as COM1 or COM3, you should connect the autoloader to COM2 or COM4. There is no problem configuring the autoloader to COM2 while a modem is configured to COM4 as long as you don't use both at the same time.

The COM port number used in DiskDupe should match the COM port number set on the serial card. If you need to change the COM port on the serial card, it can usually be done by changing the position of a jumper, a tiny plastic sleeve that fits over a metal pin on the card, or sometimes through software. Check your serial card (or "Super I/O card") documentation for this information.

If DiskDupe is able to calibrate the autoloader, but then pauses and reports a COM Timeout error, it's possible that the mouse is using the same COM port or that there is another conflict, such as a network card using the same interrupt.


Auto-set A: & B:

When Auto-set A: & B: is selected, DiskDupe will read the CMOS memory of the computer to determine what type of A: and B: drives are connected. This option is helpful when you run DiskDupe on more than one computer because whenever you start DiskDupe, it will read the drive settings in the CMOS of whatever computer you are on and configure itself automatically. To select Auto-set A: & B:, go into the Setup menu and choose Global.


Setting Up your Computer

The Setup menu is where you specify your computer configuration (ie: controllers, drives, disks, etc.). In most cases, you will be able to use DiskDupe right away without changing anything in the Setup menu. If you do change something, your changes will be automatically saved in the configuration file  DISKDUPE.DAT, and will affect all jobs that have been created.

The easiest way to set up your computer is to go down each item in the Setup menu. For the basic setup, you would need to access Controllers, Autoloaders and Drives. Below lists a summary of the basic steps to set up your computer with DiskDupe:

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro) Go into the Setup menu and select Controllers. Press Auto-Set and DiskDupe will automatically set up your controllers for you.

 (Auto/AutoPro) Once you have finished setting up your controllers, select Autoloaders from the Setup menu and edit or add the specifications of the autoloader that you will be using.

 When you have finished setting up your autoloader, select Drives from the Setup menu and press Auto-Set, which will automatically set up your drives for you.

 Before closing the Drive List dialog box, click on Test to check your computer setup. If no error messages appear, you are ready to begin duplicating.

See also:

 Controller Setup

 Drive Setup

 Additional Setup information

 Autoloader Drive

 Communication Ports

 Autoloader Testing

 ALTALK Setup

 Testing ALTALK


Controller

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

The controller card connects the floppy disk drives to the computer.

If your computer only has two floppy drives (A: and B:) then it probably only has one controller (called the "Primary" controller).  Additional drives can sometimes be connected to the Primary controller but they are usually connected to another controller.  DiskDupe enters in the Primary controller to the Controller List automatically.  Additional controllers need to be defined in the Controller List.

See also:

 Controller List

 Controller Types


Controller Types

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

If the controller that you are using is not listed in the DiskDupe menus then it should be set as one of these types.

 Standard: supports high and low density regular speed drives and low density double speed drives.  Most primary controllers (for A: and B:) and inexpensive secondary controllers are of this type.

 Enhanced 82077: provides additional support for 2.88MB drives and double speed high density drives.  These controllers normally use either the NEC/Intel 82077 or the NS 8477 controller chips.  The CompatiCard IV from Micro Solutions, Inc., is an example of this type of controller.

SDS (simultaneous double sided) floppy drives require either two single controller cards (like two CompatiCard IV's) or else a dual controller card (like the Allegro I SDS controller) because data is written to and read from both heads of the drive at the same time.

Typical controller configuration for SDS drives:

1st controller (for head 0 of the SDS drive):

  Address:     370

  DMA Channel:   2

  Interrupt:     6

2nd controller (for head 1 of the SDS drive):

  Address:     320

  DMA Channel:   3

  Interrupt:  None (leave unjumpered)

See Also:

 SDS drives

 Drives

 Allegro

 CompatiCard IV


Disk Conversion

DiskDupe allows you to convert certain type of disks to disks of another physical size, such as from a 5 ", 1.2Mb to a 3 ", 1.4Mb. You can, for example, copy a program's 5 " program disks to 3 " disks for installation on a laptop which only has a 3 " drive.

Converting disks is just a special application of the Duplicate command. The table below indicates which disks, drives, and menu settings to use for a conversion. The conversions listed are the only ones presently supported.

Settings for Disk Conversions

 | Conversion | Disk Type | Drive type  | Disk Menu |

 360K to 3 "    720k disk   720k or       360k

                            1.4Mb drive

 720k to 5 "    360k        1.2Mb drive   720k

                1.2Mb disk

 1.2Mb to 3 "   1.4Mb disk  1.4Mb drive   1.2 Mb

DiskDupe transfers the information track-by-track, including hidden and system files, volume labels, and subdirectories. During a conversion, the destination disk will be formatted to the same capacity as the source disk. So if you are copying from a 5 ", 360k disk to a 3 ", 720k disk will have a capacity of 360k.

Track-by-track disk conversion won't copy from a higher density disk to a lower density disk, even if the higher density disk has just a few files on it. So you can't use disk conversions to convert a 1.4Mb disk to a 1.2Mb disk. In this case, it's better to use the Dos Copy command to transfer the files. If this situation comes up frequently, see the RamboDisk chapter for possibilities on automating this process.

720k to 5 " Conversion

When converting a 3 " 720k disk to a 5 " size disk, you will need to copy to either a 360k disk or a 1.2Mb disk, depending on your computer. In both cases, you must use a 1.2Mb drive to make the conversion. Try using a 360k first and only switch to a 1.2Mb disk if you get an error on several disks. The disk will be formatted to 720k capacity by using the area between the tracks.


Hidden Copies


Copying Disks

Whether you're duplicating, formatting, or comparing, many variations are possible in DiskDupe. Copying from one disk to another is the simplest way to make new disks. Variations of this include Relay and Cascade, discussed in detail later in this chapter.

Regardless of the options chosen, DiskDupe makes an exact copy of a disk, including hidden and system files, subdirectories, and volume labels. However, DiskDupe cannot make duplicates of copy protected disks.

See also:

 Disk to Disk

 Images

 Relay

 Cascade

 Relay and Cascade


Images

If you frequently make copies of one disk, making an image of the disk on your hard drive saves time and avoids unnecessary wear on the disk. The only drawback is the hard disk space that Images take up.


Copy Protection

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Serialization is a relatively painless way for both developers and users to combat software pirating. Copy protection is a more rigid method of combating illegal copying. Copy protection can be achieved in a number of ways. The methods described here involve encoding disks with special characters that copy programs cannot recognize.

Although, DiskDupe will not duplicate copy protected disks, you can use it together with other software to make copy protected disks of your own. Diskettes can be duplicated first and protected in a second pass, or the process can be done concurrently using an autoloader.  DiskDupe AutoPro interfaces with Az-Tech's Everlock and BBI's StopCopy to automate copy protection with floppy duplication.

Another method is to purchase a disk containing a copy protection signature- a set of special characters- and use it to make your master disks. (Be sure to set Format under the Job Window to Never when duplicating these masters so the signature does not accidentally get overwritten.)

 User Interrupts


Slow Copy Time Problems (Dos only)

If DiskDupe is not meeting the copy times listed in this help file:

 Make sure there is XMS (or EMS) memory available for DiskDupe to use for buffering.  Type MEM at the Dos prompt to see how much is available.   Make sure that the EMS/XMS Limit in the DiskDupe menu is set at No Limit.  If there is not enough memory for DiskDupe to buffer the image then DiskDupe will use the hard drive as a buffer and this can slow down the copy speed.  When making multiple copies the hard drive should not be accessed after the first copy if the EMS or XMS memory is available.

 A 386 processor or above is required to meet the times listed in the manual. For maximum copying speed we recommend that the software be run from Dos with at least 2Mb of XMS or EMS memory available.

 Some memory managers can slow down the copying processes. If your duplication speed is higher when the computer is booted off of a floppy disk instead of the hard disk then for duplication purposes it would be best to load a simple memory manager such as HIMEM.SYS, found in the Dos directory. If the computer is to be dedicated to floppy duplication then we recommend that the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files be as simple as possible.  An example CONFIG.SYS might contain only four lines:

 FILES=30

 BUFFERS=30

 DEVICE=C:\Dos\HIMEM.SYS

 Dos=HIGH

 Run Drive Test (under Setup|Drives) with a high density diskette and see if an error is reported.  Such errors can slow down the copy process since DiskDupe has to rewrite all tracks that show errors.  In this case the disk will not copy at an even pace.

 Try booting from a floppy diskette and running DiskDupe without the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT.  Sometimes memory resident programs (TSRs) can slow down the copy speed.

 The copy times listed in the manual for low density pre-formatted 720Kb and 1.2MB diskettes are often not attainable with certain drives.  Sometimes it is possible to speed up the copy time by reducing the stepping rate of the drive under Setup|Drives.


CRC Check Digits

 (Pro/AutoPro)

CRC check digits are special numbers that are generated at the time of serialization to ensure that each serial number follows a certain pattern. When diskettes are serialized with a unique serial that includes check digits, the software developer can modify his or her program to run the CRC check before execution of the program on the diskette. This makes it difficult for dishonest users to change the serial number.


CRC Value

When data is copied to a disk, a CRC(Cyclical Redundancy Check) value is written following the data in each sector of the disk so that when the diskette data is read back it can be checked for corruption.

DiskDupe also generates a hexadecimal disk CRC that gets attached to the image file that is calculated when the source is read in.  When a particular diskette is read in it will always produce the same CRC value.  If any data is changed on the diskette then the CRC value will change.  When an image is created the CRC gets attached to it so that the next time that the image is used by DiskDupe it can be checked for corruption.  The disk CRC is shown on the status screen after the master has been read in.


Creating Image Files

Image files can be created directly from a RamboDisk, a process significantly faster than copying the files to a floppy and then using it to create the image file. After copying files to the RamboDisk, load DiskDupe, set File under Destination to an image filename, and select Duplicate.


Creating/Editing a Set File

 (Pro/AutoPro)

DiskDupe's text editor allows you to list the image files that you want to include in your set. In addition to the image files, you can list the number of copies you want to make of each image. However, if you do not specify any number, the value in Copies is used.

Either go into File|New to create a new set or File|Open to edit an existing set. Enter the name of a .DDS file to create or edit, or type *.DDS to display a list of existing .DDS files in the current directory.

If the image files that you want to include in your set have already been created, you can select them by pressing <F7> (Dos only).  If they do not already exist, you will need to type in their names manually, pressing <Return> after each image file name.  When entering in the image file names manually, if the image files that you are using are not in the same directory as DiskDupe then also include their path.  A typical set file might look like this:

 ;Product AcmeSoft 5.0

 C:\IMAGES\DiskA.DDI

 C:\IMAGES\DiskB.DDI

 C:\IMAGES\DiskC.DDI

Use <F2> (Dos only) to save a set file and <Alt><F3> (Dos only) to close it.

The semicolon on the first line of the set is a user-comment and will be displayed, just like a description for an image file, when the set file is selected.

If a number appears after an image file name in a set, that image will be repeated by that number when the set is copied. If no number is listed after the image file name, then only one copy of that image will be made per set. As an example, the following set will make one copy of image DiskA, two copies of image DiskB, and three copies of image DiskC.

 C:\IMAGES\DiskA.DDI

 C:\IMAGES\DiskB.DDI,2

 C:\IMAGES\DiskC.DDI,3

A use for the above set might be for replenishing shareware disks, or any time another program is generating set files and passing them to DiskDupe.

Note: if DiskDupe sees a set with a quantity after any image, it will deactivate collation and set the number of copies to one.  Using the above example, the sequence and number of copies would be DiskA, DiskB, DiskB, DiskC, DiskC, DiskC.  See Collation and Sets for information regarding collation.


Cleaning the Drive

To clean the drive, use a good wet-dry style cleaning kit (you will need different kits for 3" and 5" drives). These kits consist of a bottle of cleaning fluid and a disk with a cloth-like material inside it. Through the cut-out portion of the disk, apply five drops of the fluid to the material inside, and insert the cleaning disk into the drive.

Under DiskDupe's Setup|Drive highlight the drive you want to clean, and then choose Clean list and press <Enter> or click on the mouse. The drive will be cleaned for 15 seconds.

While cleaning, DiskDupe moves the head back and forth across the disk. This provides the best possible cleaning and ensures that the cleaning disk is evenly used. Be sure to discard the cleaning disk if you notice any discoloration or if it has been used past the recommended number of cleanings.

If you clean your drives regularly, a 15 second cleaning should be sufficient. However, if your drives are especially dirty, several repetitions of the cleaning process may be required. In extreme cases, it is necessary to clean the drive head by hand with a Q-tip and isopropyl alcohol.

Cleaning the drive does not wear it out. A dirty drive will actually wear out faster because of the abrasive action of the dirt.


Database and Information providers

Database and Information providers often need to transfer frequently changing files from CD-ROMs and mainframe computers to floppy disks in various combinations. DiskDupe comes with a special RAM Disk, called RamboDisk, to which you can download information. DiskDupe can then copy that data to diskettes, You can automate the process by writing batch routines (Dos only) that incorporate DiskDupe's command-line switches with a database that downloads the corresponding files for each type of disk.


DISKDUPE FEATURES

  Feature

  Comparisons               Lite  Standard  Auto Pro  AutoPro

  Duplicates                 x       x       x    x      x

  Compares                   x       x       x    x      x

  Formats                    x       x       x    x      x

  No Disk Swapping           x       x       x    x      x

  Auto Formatting            x       x       x    x      x

  Stores Disk Images         x       x       x    x      x

  Image Descriptions         x       x       x    x      x

  Senses Disk Changes        x       x       x    x      x

  Relay                      x       x       x    x      x

  Cascade                    x       x       x    x      x

  Data Sensing               x       x       x    x      x

  Disk Type Sensing          x       x       x    x      x

  Detects Bad Disks          x       x       x    x      x

  Auto Drive Configuration   x       x       x    x      x

  Byte by Byte Comparisons   x       x       x    x      x

  Max. Capacity Formatting   x       x       x    x      x

  Pull Down Menus            x       x       x    x      x

  5" to 3" Conversions       x       x       x    x      x

  User Definable Jobs        x       x       x    x      x

  Disk Drive Cleaning        x       x       x    x      x

  1.68MB Format Support      x       x       x    x      x

  1.84MB Format Support      x       x       x    x      x

  Windows icon and .pif      x       x       x    x      x

  UNLIMITED COPIES           NA*     x       x    x      x

  Utilizes EMS/XMS Memory            x       x    x      x

  Track Range Data                   x       x    x      x

  Command Line Support               x       x    x      x

  Adjustable Screen Colors(Dos Only) x       x    x      x

  Adjustable Sound                   x       x    x      x

  Drive Step Rate Adjustment         x       x    x      x

  2.8Mb Drives                       x       x    x      x

  Hardcopy User Manual               x       x    x      x

  Ask Each Time Feature              x       x    x      x

  Custom Disks                                    x      x

  Labels                                          x      x

  Additional Drives                          x    x      x

  Copy Protection Interface                       x      x

  Secondary Controller                       x    x      x

  Allegro Controllers                        x    x      x

  Double Speed Drives                             x      x

  Disk Sets                                       x      x

  RamboDisk                                       x      x

  Serialization                                   x      x

  User Set Disk Retries                           x      x

  Drive Alignment Diagnostics                     x      x

  Password Management System                      x      x

  Barcode Labels                                  x      x

  Autoloader Support                         x           x

  Network Server Support                                 x

  Log Files                                              x

  In-Line Printer Support                                x

  Floppy to Hard Disk Utility                            x

  2XSDS Drives                                           x

  4XSDS Drives                                           x

  * The number of copies that can be made of a particular

    disk is limited to 4 copies at a time with DiskDupe Lite

DiskDupe Lite is only available to shareware customers.


Running DiskDupe From Clipper

 Clipper doesn't leave enough memory for DiskDupe when using ! or RUN command. DD needs 350k.

 In CONFIG.SYS put SET CLIPPER=R350. Also put Command.Com and DiskDupe in default sub or on path.


DDNet

DDNet is a program (sold separately from DiskDupe) that is used to send jobs to one or more duplication machines that are located remotely on a local network.  This can be used in one of two scenarios:

1) DDNet is used by many workstations on the network to send jobs to a relatively small number of disk machines.

2) DDNet is used with one controlling workstation to control the production of multiple autoloaders connected to a common network.

DDnet can submit jobs for the duplication machines and it also has a network monitoring function for observing the progress of current jobs and history of past jobs that have been sent to the disk machines.

DDnet sends the jobs to a subdirectory on the network that is scanned by the Network Server in DiskDupe.


Running DiskDupe on Ram Disk

 Needs 1MB of XMS.

 Configure bootup disk as follows:

 DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS, DEVICE=RAMBODSK.EXE /F=720 added to CONFIG.SYS. If they don't have DDPro, use VDISK.SYS instead.

 Copy Rambodisk.exe and DISKDUPE.* from DD disk to boot up disk.

 Modified AUTOEXEC.BAT to copy DISKDUPE.* and COMMAND.COM to C:, SET COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND.COM then change to C:.

 Then run DiskDupe from C:, set it up the way they like it and then copy DISKDUPE.DAT back to the floppy.


Detecting Errors

In a batch file (Dos only) you can test for problems using the ERRORLEVEL command. ERRORLEVEL returns only the first number of the error. Since errors involving similar parts of the computer start with the same number, this should be enough to narrow the problem down.

In the example below if the ERRORLEVEL command detects an error it will displays a message based on the error code.  ?? Does not display error code.

 @ECHO OFF

 DISKDUPE

 IF ERRORLEVEL=3 GOTO THREE

 IF ERRORLEVEL=2 GOTO TWO

 IF ERRORLEVEL=1 GOTO ONE

 GOTO NOERROR

 :ONE

 Echo Error code 3: Setup error.

 GOTO END

 :TWO

 Echo Error code 2: Disk read error.

 GOTO END

 :ONE

 Echo Error code 1: User escape

 GOTO END

 :NOERROR

 ECHO Error code 0: No errors.

 :END

The errorlevel can also be read from the DISKDUPE.RES file that is created when DiskDupe exits.


Drive Test

After completing the setup procedures run the Drive Test, located under Setup|Drives, to test the various components in your computer for any problems. You should test every floppy drive in your system.  Also for high density 5 " 1.2Mb or 3 " 1.4Mb drives, you should test both the low and high density disks.

You should test your setup in the Drives Setup menu. There is also a test option in the Autoloaders Setup menu, however, it does a test on your autoloader setup only.

Important! This test will write over any data on the disk so be sure to use a scratch disk.

1. Select Drives from the Setup menu.

2. From the Drive List dialog box, select the drive that you want to test and press Test.

3. Select the type of disk you will be using and press Ok.

4. Insert a test disk in the drive you are testing. DiskDupe will automatically sense the disk and begin testing the drive. When done, DiskDupe will prompt you with any errors that your setup might have.


Disk

In almost all cases the disk type should be set to Auto.  For more information, choose one of the following topics:

 Converting

 Ensuring quality of

 Erasing quickly

 Formats, Layout, Types

 Special Formats

 Formatting

 Preformatted

 Reject Rates


Custom Disk Gap Guidelines

 (Pro/AutoPro)

 For 5.25" disks:

 Sector size | Gap  |   Format Gap  |

 ----------------------------------------

 128           0A          0C

 256           20          32

 512           2A          50

 1024          80          F0

 2048          C8          FF

 For 3.5" disks:

 Sector size | Gap  |   Format Gap  |

 ----------------------------------------

 256           0E          36

 512           1B          54

 1024          35          74

"Gap" is how many bytes are ignored after reading the last byte of a sector (the CRC bytes) before looking for the sync bytes (0's) of the next sector.  "Format Gap" is the actual number of "4E" bytes between each sector put down when formatting.  The gap size is also influenced by how many sectors are on the disk.


Drive to Drive

The most straightforward way to duplicate is to copy from one drive to another. This is useful for making a specific number of copies of disks of different types and sizes. For example, if you want 50 copies of disks, you would select Duplicate with Copies set to 50.

To Copy from Drive to Drive:

1. Go to the Job Window and choose the disk option. Use the <Up> and <Down> arrow keys to highlight the type of disk you want to copy, or select Auto, and press <Enter>.

2. From the Destination option, select the drive to which you want to copy.

3. Under Source, indicate the drive from which you want to copy. Source and Destination can be the same drive or two similar drives.

4. In the Job Window, move to the Copies and set the number of copies that you want to make. If you want DiskDupe to copy continuously until you press <Esc>, enter 0 for the number of copies.

5. Highlight Duplicate and press <Enter>.

DiskDupe will prompt you to put the master disk in the source drive and the drive light will turn on. As soon as you close the drive door, DiskDupe will start reading the disk into your computer's RAM, or memory, using your hard disk as virtual memory if necessary. This allows DiskDupe to make as many copies as you want without having to reread the master disk.

When you use DiskDupe with your autoloader, all you need to do is insert a stack of disks in the input hopper and DiskDupe will control the duplication.

Notes:

 Although you can duplicate 360k disks in a 5 ", 1.2Mb drive, it is not recommended, particularly if the disks might need to be read in a 360k drive. A 1.2Mb drive writes a narrower track than a 360k drive, so it does not make a very good 360k duplicate.

 Disks of different types are easily distinguishable. 5 " 360k disks have a protective ring in the middle, while 5 " 1.2Mb disks do not. 3 " 720k disks have a single write-protect notch in the upper right-hand corner; 3 " 1.4Mb disks have notches in both corners. The 360k and 720k disks are also referred to as low-density, while the 1.2Mb and 1.4Mb disks are known as high-density.

 DiskDupe will not successfully copy disks that are copy protected. However, it will allow you to make copy of protected disks of your own.

 Copy Protection

 Although DiskDupe is Dos-based, it will allow you to duplicate disks of other formats, including Mac high-density, Xenix, Unix, and Midi disks. DiskDupe can copy Unix disks that have an interleave of 3, but the copies it makes will have an interleave of 1.

 Some developers distribute software on notchless disks so that they cannot be overwritten. To write data to such a disk, you will need to obtain a drive modified for this purpose.


DiskDupe

DiskDupe Standard is designed for people that routinely perform disk duplication and want all the features of the Lite, as well as full utilization of their computers EMS/XMS memory for quicker copying, command line support, user adjustable colors (Dos only) and sound, and track range data.

 Feature Comparison


DiskDupe AutoPro

DiskDupe AutoPro is designed to be used in conjunction with all the major manufacturer auto-loaders.  It includes all the features of the Professional, with the addition of being able to generate log files of duplication activities, use in-line printers, act as a duplication server, and supports 2XSDS and 4XSDS drives.

See also:

 DiskDupe Pro

 Feature Comparison


DiskDupe Pro

DiskDupe Professional is designed for software developers that want to do in-house duplication, and anticipate medium volume diskette duplication. The Pro contains all the great features of the Standard, as well as support for additional floppy drives, double speed drives, RAM drives, disk serialization, custom disks, disk sets, a password management system, floppy drive alignment diagnostics system, and barcode label support.

See also:

 Feature Comparison


Disk Option

In almost all cases this should be set at "Auto".  DiskDupe will automatically determine what the disk type is, unless the source is set to Dos Format, in which case the user is prompted for the disk type before formatting begins.

The only time that the disk type would be set to something other than "Auto" is if the user does not want DiskDupe to consider other disk types, such as when the Network Server option is used.


1.4Mb OK, 720k problem

 If a drive is able to copy 1.4Mb disks fine but gives errors reading or writing 720k, the drive could be jumpered wrong. Need to jumper the drive to set the density from the disk, not the software.


DMA Trouble-shooting Steps

If you are getting a "205 Bad DMA" go to step 1.

If you are getting a "212 SDS Head 1 Bad DMA" go to step 4.

Trouble-shooting Steps:

1. Perform a drive test (see NOTES) with a low density (720K) disk. If a DMA error still occurs, skip to step 3.

2. Change the bus speed (see NOTES) in the CMOS setup of the computer and perform a drive test with a high density (1.44MB) disk. Continue this process until the DMA problem is gone or there are no more options to change. Skip to step 6 if this doesn't fix it.

3. Change the DMA channel (see NOTES) that your floppy drive controller is using for drive head 0. Repeat this process until there are no other DMA channels to choose.

4. Change the DMA channel (see NOTES) that your floppy drive controller is using for drive head 1. Repeat this process until there are no other DMA channels to choose.

5. Remove all non-essential adapter cards from your PC, especially network and sound cards, perform a clean boot (see NOTES) and go to step 3.

6. Disable the computer's cache from the computer's CMOS Advanced Chipset Setup Options.

7. Try using another computer, preferably a different brand. The DMA chipset, that is on the computer's motherboard, is probably not compatible with DiskDupe's high-speed data transfer (see NOTES).

** NOTES **

How to Perform a Drive Test:

The DiskDupe drive test feature is an excellent method for diagnosing a setup problem.

1. Run DiskDupe and go to Setup|Drives menu, highlight the drive with the DMA problem, and type "T" for test.

How to Change the Bus Speed:

Sometimes the bus speed of the computer may be too slow for the fast DMA rates that DiskDupe uses. Most people do not realize that the bus speed of the computer does not depend on the processor speed. A 166Mhz Pentium can still have a slow bus speed.

1. Reset or turn off/on your computer. While the computer is booting look for instructions on entering your computer's CMOS (for most computer's pressing the <DEL> key will take you to a CMOS menu, on others it is the <F1> key).

2. From the CMOS menu, select either Advanced Chipset Setup or Chipset Setup (the terms will vary depending on the BIOS manufacturer).

3. From the Advanced Chipset Setup or Chipset Setup menu, look for options like: Bus Speed, Bus Wait States, DMA speed or I/O Recovery Time that can be changed. Change one option at a time trying all the possible combinations available, even values that might slow the bus speed down. Depending on the item being changed, its value may be expressed as a "CLCK/X" (Clock divided by X) expression. The higher the "X" value the slower the speed, and the lower the "X" value the higher the speed. Continue this process until you have exhausted all methods for altering the bus speed.

How to Change the DMA Channel:

A DMA conflict can occur when there is a conflict between the floppy controller and some other device in the computer that is using DMA. One solution is to try changing the DMA channel that your floppy drive controller is using

1. If you have an Allegro I SDS controller card you can jumper the card to use DMA channel 1, 2, or 3. If you have an Allegro II card, the DMA channels can be chosen from within DiskDupe under the Setup|Controllers menu and can be changed to 0, 1, 2, or 3. Remember if you have an SDS drive, you will have to select two different DMA channels.

How to Perform a Clean Boot:

A clean boot is an excellent method for determining whether a device driver or TSR is causing a problem, since the computer is booting without them loading.

To perform a clean boot with Dos 6.0 or later:

1. Reset or turn off/on your computer. While the computer is booting, press the <F5> key when the computer says "Starting MS-Dos".

To perform a clean boot with Dos 5.0 or earlier:

1. Make a bootable floppy disk first by formatting a disk with the "FORMAT A: /S" from the Dos prompt.

2. Insert the bootable floppy into your drive a: and reset or restart your computer. Your computer will now boot from the floppy disk instead of your hard disk.

DMA Chipset Incompatibility

We have observed that with certain computers that the DMA controller, which handles DMA transfers and DMA requests, will sometimes send an additional byte of data during a block transfer. This additional byte means that the data in memory will not compare to the original data, which produces an error.

If you have tried everything, and you are still experiencing DMA problems, then the DMA chipset that is on the computer's motherboard may not be compatible with the high-speed data transfer that DiskDupe performs. Our recommendation is to try using another computer, preferably a different brand.


Download Utility

 (AutoPro)

DiskDupe AutoPro includes a download utility that is used to copy files from 3.5" floppy disks in an autoloader to the sequentially numbered directories on the hard drive.

Download prompts the user for a directory name and then creates numbered sub-directories for each floppy disk whether or not it is readable.

Download uses two Rambodisks, a (720KB and a 1.44MB) to receive the data from the floppy disks and then the files are copied from the Rambodisk to the hard drive using the FILECOPY.BAT batch file included with DiskDupe.

As an example if the autoloader drive in DiskDupe is D:, the 1.44MB Rambodisk is drive E: and the 720KB Rambodisk is drive F: then edit DOWNLOAD.BAT to read:

 dl d e f

To run the utility type "download".

To install the Rambodisks the CONFIG.SYS should include the lines:

 DEVICE=C:\DISKDUPE\RAMBODSK.EXE /F=1.4

 DEVICE=C:\DISKDUPE\RAMBODSK.EXE /F=720

This should be loaded after loading your XMS driver (HIMEM.SYS, QEMM, 386MAX, ect).  Type RAMBODSK /? for help on the Rambodisk.


Drive

Select one of the following topics:

 Drive Types

 Drive Setup

 Auto-set A & B


Drive Auto-Set

The auto-set feature will automatically determine what type of drive(s) your computer has attached to it, i.e. density, speed, SDS (Simultaneous Double Sided), etc.  To do this it requires each drive to contain a formatted disk that is the highest capacity the drive can accept.  For example, if the drive's capacity is 1.44Mb and a 720K Low-Density disk was being used instead of a High-Density 1.44Mb, auto-set would incorrectly set the drive up as a 720K.

Auto-set will systematically check every drive position your computer has available, so if you have a diskette in a drive that you don't want set-up, remove it!

 If you have an Allegro SDS controller and auto-set assigns a drive as "Unknown", check the "C1 SDS CONFIG" jumper on the Allegro to make sure that it corresponds to the type of interface your drive uses.


Dos Driver Problem w/ALTALK

 Regular speed drives can be accessed from Dos if they are connected to the primary controller at the A: or B: location.  High speed drives cannot be accessed from Dos, with the exception of 2X (non-SDS) drives connected to the CompatiCard IV controller.  The Allegro controllers do not support Dos drive access.

Most applications that require Dos access are better handled by copying the diskette to or from the Rambodisk using DiskDupe and then doing Dos file manipulation on the Rambodisk.

If Dos does not sense the disk change:

 If you are running a batch file using ALTALK that requires access to the drive from Dos but Dos is not recognizing the disk change line (i.e. a directory of the current disk always reports the same directory that was reported for the first disk) then you need to use a driver that does not use change line detection.  If you  are using the A: or B: drive then if you are running Dos 5.0 or above then you can re-specify the driver parameters using the DRIVPARM command.  For example you could load the following line to CONFIG.SYS to redefine drive B: (drive position 1) as a 1.44Mb drive (type 7) with no change line detection (/C not specified): DRIVPARM= /D:1 /F:7

Sony 1.44Mb works with DiskDupe but not with the Dos drivers:

 The Sony 73W 1.44Mb drive that is often used in autoloaders has a jumper (SL5) that has to be soldered in the B position to work with the Dos drivers.  It is found on the circuit board on the underside of the drive near IC5.


Drive Setup

DiskDupe will automatically sense what type of drives are installed in A: and B: by checking your computer's CMOS configuration. If you want to change these settings, select Setup|Drives and pick the drive that you want to edit. You don't need to change your computer's CMOS configuration or reboot your computer to change drive types in DiskDupe.

Since DiskDupe talks directly to your floppy controller and bypasses Dos and the BIOS for maximum speed, it doesn't require any drivers in your CONFIG.SYS file. It will ignore any drive mappings you have set up using the ASSIGN command and it will not work with floppies that connect to the parallel port, such as MicroSolutions' Backpack drives or certain external laptop drives.

 Selecting Drive Type


Drive Type

DiskDupe automatically adds your A: and B: drives to the Drive List but other drives need to be specified in the Setup|Drive menu.  DiskDupe supports all floppy drive types, although some drives need special controllers to operate.

Notes:

 Simultaneous Double Sided (SDS) drives read to and write from both drive heads at the same time as opposed to regular drives which can only operate one head at a time. This can increase throughput by up to 50%.

 The 2X notation denotes a Double Speed drive, a special drive that spins twice as fast as a normal drive and copies disks twice as fast.  2XSDS denotes a Double Speed SDS drive.  Some double speed (600RPM) 1.44MB drives can also be jumpered to run at 720 RPM.  1.44MB 720 RPM drives are only supported with the Allegro II.

 The 4X notation denotes a 1200 RPM 1.44MB drive.  DiskDupe supports these drives using the Allegro II controller with a 486 or better CPU.

 Some older Sony double speed drives can copy 720k disks at double speed and 1.4Mb disks at regular speed. When using this kind of drive, you must set it up in DiskDupe as two separate drives. For 720k disks on such drives, set your drive as a 3 " 720k 2X and for 1.4Mb disks use 3 " 1.4Mb.

See also:

 Drives

 SDS drives

 Y-E Data jumper settings

 DuraDrive jumper settings

 Allegro II

 Allegro I

 Allegro Mini


Replacing the Dos Serial Number

Disks formatted with Dos 4.0, 5.0 and 6.0 contain a disk serial number located on the boot sector of the disk.  The serial number appears when you do a directory of the disk, making it a convenient way to display your product's serial instead.

To replace the serial number with your own you need to specify the disk address location of the Dos serial number.  The serial number occurs at the location right before the volume label of the disk (cylinder 0, head 0, sector 1, offset 39, beginning from 0).

To enter this information select Edit|Edit Table|Add from the Serial Choices menu and enter the disk address(given above).  Now go back to the Serial menu and enter "^^^^" for the Stamp Mask.  This will replace the Dos serial number with a 32-bit number of your own choosing.  For more information on Stamp Mask see Serialization File.


Destination Option

The Destination is the place where you want your Source to be copied and compared. Destination could be a drive, cascade, an image file, a set of image files, or a RamboDisk.


Duplication Speed

The following table gives you an indication of the relative speed of various copying combinations. (Use <F5> to zoom the help window).

Note: These speeds does not include the disk change time.

             Duplication Speed for Unformatted Disks

             (With a full byte-per-byte compare)

 Drive   Disk    Disks/Hour    Disks/Hour    Disks/Hour

 Type   Format   Regular       Allegro I     Allegro II

                Controller     Controller    Controller

 ------------------------------------------------------

 Regular Speed Drive, 1X:

 1X     1.44Mb       32            45            54

 1X     1.2Mb        38            54            65

 1X     720K         32            45            54

 1X     360K         64            90           108

 Double Speed Drive, 2X:

 2X     1.44Mb       64            90           105

 2X     1.2Mb        76           108           124

 2X     720K         64            90           105

 2X     360K        128           180           210

 Quad Speed Drive, 2XSDS 600 RPM:

 2XSDS  1.44Mb      112           150           200

 2XSDS  1.2Mb       135           180           240

 2XSDS  720K        112           150           200

 2XSDS  360K        225           300           400

 Quad Speed Drive 2XSDS 720 RPM:

 2XSDS  1.44Mb      N/A           N/A           230

 1200 RPM Drive (4XSDS) using a 486 CPU:

 4XSDS  1.44Mb      N/A           N/A           360

Notes:

 The times listed assume a 386 processor is used, except for 1200 RPM drives, which require a 486 or better.

 In order to achieve maximum duplication speed on some computers DiskDupe should be run from Dos (rather than Windows) and the HIMEM.SYS memory manager should be used instead of EMM386 or QEMM. A sample CONFIG.SYS would look like this:

 FILES=30

 BUFFERS=30

 DEVICE=C:\Dos\HIMEM.SYS

 Dos=HIGH

 The Allegro controllers from Micro System Designs, Inc., format and write concurrently, so for full diskettes there is no time penalty for using unformatted disks.  The copy quality is better than with regular controllers because the data is written over fresh media rather than on top of format data.

 If your disks are not completely full, duplicating times will be faster than this with normal controllers.  With the Allegro controllers there is no speed difference between copying a full disk and an empty disk since the data and the format are written in the same pass.

 Some 1.4Mb drives steps, or move from track-to-track, fairly slowly and are not able to match these times.

Slow Copy Times (Dos only)


Duplicating

Duplicate makes a copy of a disk, the Copies setting controls the number of copies that are made. Enter 0 to copy continuously.

DiskDupe works from the Source drive to the Destination drive when you are duplicating.


Dura Drive Jumper Settings

Below are shown the default jumper settings for the CTC DuraDrives.

Jumper Settings for DuraDrives:

 DDSX (2XSDS):

                  DS1       I/0 DCR SFC EGT

 Side Jumpers:   *---*   *   *   *   *   *

                                 |   |

                 *   *   *   *   *   *   *

                  WP2 WP1

 Jumpers by      DSSC  *   *

 Power           LED2  *   *

 Connector:      LED1  *   *

                 MS3   *   *

                 MS2   *   *

                 MS1   *---*

 Note: For 720 RPM operation the MS2 jumper should be added and the

 drive should have two 300 ohm pull-up resistors added on pins 14 and

 22 of the floppy connector CN4.  These resistors should connect to pin

 1 of RA1 (+5V).

 DDX (2X):

                  DS1               I/0 DCR

 Side Jumpers:   *---*   *   *   *   *   *

                                         |

                 *   *   *   *   *   *   *

 Jumpers by      SFC   *   *

 Power           LED2  *   *

 Connector:      LED1  *   *

                 MS3   *   *

                 MS2   *   *

                 MS1   *---*


Ensuring quality of disk

These are several steps you can take to ensure the quality of your copies. If you still get a significant amount of bad disks after following these suggestions, you might consider changing to a different brand of disks.

 Make sure your computer operates properly with DiskDupe. DiskDupe bypasses Dos and the BIOS and uses dual DMA techniques to achieve maximum speed. A small number of computers might have problems with these advanced techniques. To check your computer, run Test under Setup|Drives and choose the Test As an additional test, copy several different 5 " and 3 " master disks with and use DiskDupe to compare each master disk to its copy. If DiskDupe does not report any errors, your computer will work well with DiskDupe.

 Avoid using a 5 " 1.2Mb drive to copy 360k disks, if at all possible. Since the 1.2Mb drive writes a smaller track than a 360k drive, some 360k drives will have problems reading 360k disks written in that drive. This is getting to be less of a problem since most computers have 1.2mb drives that can read these 360k disks with no problems but, to be on the safe side, copy 360k disks in a 360k drive.

 Clean your disk drives frequently. This is the easiest and single most important step in producing good disks. Dirty heads produce disks that work erratically and make diagnosis of the problem a trying and difficult task. It is better to clean your drives too much than too little. Drives need to be cleaned about every 500 disks or at least once a month. Select the drive to be cleaned from the Setup|Drives menu. Insert the special cleaning disk and the drive will be cleaned for 15 seconds.

 Make sure your drives are properly aligned. If a drive's read/write head is out of alignment, it will be able to duplicate and read the disks it copies with no problem, but other drives may not be able to read these disks. DiskDupe Pro and AutoPro allow you to check your drive alignment. Drives can be re-aligned but sometimes this can cost more than buying a new one. The alignment should be checked after every 2,000 disks copied or at least once a year.

 Use only blank high clip (OEM Grade) media.  Copies made on pre-formatted diskettes are inherently less readable than diskettes that are formatted by the same drive that writes the data.  Most floppy controllers will take longer to write to a blank diskette than a pre-formatted diskette, but the newer controllers (such as the Allegro controllers from MSD) can format an write concurrently so there is no time penalty for writing to blank media.  With these controllers the copy quality is further improved because the data is written onto fresh media rather than over the fill bytes that were left by the drive that formatted the diskette.

 After you duplicate disks on one drive, compare them on another. Sometimes you will want to compare 100% of the disks, but usually comparing 5% to 10% of the disks is enough to alert you to any problems.

Even if your disks are duplicated perfectly, after you mail them to someone else, you can expect about 1% of them to develop problems. A lot of the damage is done to disks during mailing, mainly due to magnetic fields produced by the motors used in conveyer belts and sorting equipment. Also many people have dirty or misaligned drives that will have problems reading any disks besides their own.

See Also:

 Speed vs. Quality


Quick Erase

To do a quick erase, set Format under the Job Window to Only if neccesary and verify to never.

Reformatting a disk that has been previously formatted takes only about 2 seconds per disk. This effectively wipes out the data on a disk by writing over the disk's FAT(File Allocation Table) and directory table. DiskDupe will format the first couple of tracks, where the file and directory information is located, realize that the disk doesn't need to be formatted, and prompt you for another disk. If you run a DIR or CHKDSK on the disk, you will see that the disk directory is indeed empty.

If you also want to recheck the disk to make sure there are no damage areas, set the Verify option to Always. This is quicker than a full reformat, but will check the entire disk for defects.


Everlock Copy Protection

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Everlock copy protection from Az-Tech Software, Inc., can be interfaced with DiskDupe AutoPro to protect floppy diskettes as they are duplicated.

 The 2.14 version of Everlock's Master Maker software is required.  The 2.14c version adds support for floppy controllers at addresses other than 3F0.

 Protection counts are supplied in a hardware key that attaches to the parallel port of the computer.  All floppy controllers and disk drives that are supported by AutoPro are supported by Everlock.

 The EVDD.COM driver supplied by Everlock uses the "Enhanced style" user interrupts (found under Job|Options).  EVDD has to be loaded before DiskDupe is run.  See the Master Maker manual (pages 1-1 to 1-6) for details.

 Everlock requires that the drive controller being used for copy protection be jumpered to use DMA channel 2.  If the controller in use is the primary, it is probably already jumpered to use DMA 2.  Look at your controller manual , and see Controller for more information.

Az-Tech Software, Inc. 201 E. Franklin, Suite 11 Richmond, MO 64085 Voice: (800)227-0644

       (816)776-2700

Fax:   (816)776-8398


Error List

 101 Disks are Done

 102 User Esc

 201 Bad NEC CMD

 202 Bad Address Mark

 203 Write Protect

 204 Record not Found

 205 Bad DMA

 206 DMA Boundary

 207 Bad CRC

 208 Bad NEC

 209 Bad Seek

 210 Timeout

 211 Bad Window Margin

 212 SDS Head 1 bad DMA

 213 Bad SDS NEC

 214 Bad Address Mark on SDS Head 1

 215 SDS Head 1 Record Not Found

 216 Bad CRC on SDS

 301 Bad Compare

 302 Bad CRC only verify

 303 Bad sectors were skipped

 401 Unknown COM Error

 402 Autoloader is not Responding

 403 Bad Autoloader Command

 404 Com Port not Responding

 407 Input Lost

 408 Parity Error

 409 Com Framing Error

 501 Unknown Autoloader Error

 502 Hopper is Empty

 503 Disk Jam

 504 Output Bin is Open

 505 Labeler is empty

 506 Input hopper is empty

 507 Output hopper is full

 508 Loader is paused

 509 No Disk in Printer

 510 Auto-loader move failed

 511 Bad disk in good bin

 512 The reject bin is full

 602 File not Found

 603 Path not Found

 604 Too Many Open Files

 605 File Access Denied

 606 Invalid file handle

 612 Invalid File Access Code

 615 Invalid Drive Number

 616 Cannot Remove Current Directory

 617 Cannot Rename Across Drives

 700 File Error. Disk read error

 701 Disk is Full

 702 File not Assigned

 703 File not Open

 704 File not Open for Input

 705 File not Open for Output

 706 Invalid Numeric Format

 750 Disk is Write Protected

 751 Unknown Unit

 752 Drive not Ready

 753 Unknown Command

 754 CRC Data Error

 755 Bad Drive Request

 756 Disk Seek Error

 757 Unknown Media Type

 758 Sector not Found

 759 Printer out of Paper

 760 Write Device Fault

 761 Device Read Fault

 762 Hardware Failure

 780 A Virus was found

 801 Configuration File not Found

 802 Controller is not Responding

 803 Drive is not Responding

 804 Not a RamboDisk

 805 Not a Valid Image File

 806 Unknown Image Version

 807 Can't Determine Disk Type

 808 Wrong Disk Type

 809 Set Destination to a Drive

 810 Controller not a Compaticard IV

 811 Controller not an Enhanced 82077

 812 Not Enough EMS Memory

 813 Not Enough XMS Memory

 814 Bad set File

 815 User Interrupt TSR not Installed

 816 SDS Controller not Responding

 817 Dos driver not installed for this drive

 818 File is Bad

 819 Went Past the end of the external serial text file

 820 Printer is not responding

 821 Bottom Stacker is not responding

 822 Setup Error (command line)

 823 First disk needs to be write-protected

 824 SDS Head 1 not Responding

 825 Unknown auto-loader type

 826 No controller setup

 827 Cable Bad or Upsidedown

 828 Set source to an Image or Set

 829 SDS cable is bad or upside down

 830 No SDS Controller Setup

 831 SDS drive cables are reversed

 833 Side 0 has side 1 data, bad cable or setup

 834 Unknown file version

 835 Controller not an Allegro

 842 Serial file is not current

 843 The DCI driver was not found

 844 Drive alignment is bad

 845 Controller doesn't support this data rate

 846 This printer needs an LPT port

 847 The PC Line controller doesn't support this drive

 848 The PC Line controller doesn't support this disk

 849 This is not supported on the PC Line controller

 850 Line label not found

 901 Unknown Error

 902 Out of RAM Memory

 903 EMS Error

 904 XMS Error

 905 User Interrupt Error

 906 Buffer Memory has been Corrupted

 907 Code Memory has been Corrupted

 908 Image File has been corrupted

 909 DMA Setup Error

 910 Not allowed in protected mode

 XXXX Internal Error, Unknown Error


External Floppy Cable

How to make a floppy cable for an external drive:

1) Cut a Six foot length of 34 conductor ribbon cable.

2) Connect the ribbon cable to the DB-37 male connector with pin 1 of the ribbon cable (red stripe) connecting to pin 21 of the DB-37 connector. Pins 1, 2, and 20 of the DB-37 connector will be the only pins left unconnected.

3) Connect the other end of the ribbon cable to a 34 pin IDE edge card connector (for 5.25" drives) and a 34 pin IDS socket (for 3.5" drives).  Pin one of the ribbon cable should be opposite the triangular pin one indicator on the IDS socket, which is backwards, but this is standard for most 3.5" floppy drives.  The IDE edge card connector usually has a tab between pin 4 and pin 6 so make sure that this is on the pin 1 side of the ribbon cable.


FIX720 program

Some computers will recognize the converted disk and be able to do a DIR of it, but cannot read the actual files. If you encounter this problem, use the FIX720.COM program included with DiskDupe. This is a small memory-resident program that allows such computers to read this 5 " disk.

Note: If you are copying disks to send to others, we recommend making a master for each disk size, rather than using track conversions. This allows you to use the full capacity of the disk and will alleviate any problems that other computers might have reading converted disks.


Ramdisk installation

If the computer doesn't have a hard disk and is not attached to a network, you can run DiskDupe off of a Ram drive provided that you have enough memory. DiskDupe can be run off of a hard disk or a Ram drive but it is not possible to run DISKDUPE.EXE off of a floppy drive.

If you only have extended memory you can use a RAM disk to run DiskDupe. Copy the DiskDupe files from the floppy to the RAM disk and run DiskDupe on the Ram disk to leave your floppy drives free for copying.

If you have the Pro edition of DiskDupe a special RAM disk called a RAMBODSK.EXE is included. If you have the Standard edition, you can use the RAMDRIVE.SYS utility included with Dos instead. Follow the instructions below to run DiskDupe from a RAM disk.

1. Create a boot-up disk and copy *.sys and DISKDUPE.* from the DiskDupe disk to the boot-up disk with the Dos copy command.

2. Add the line: DEVICE = RAMBODSK.EXE to the CONFIG.SYS file on the boot-up disk. The RamboDisk will be given a drive letter, such as C:.

3. Modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to contain the lines:

 COPY COMMAND.COM C:

 COPY DISKDUPE.* C:

 SET COMSPEC = C:\COMMAND.COM

4. Run DiskDupe from the RamboDisk C:, configure it as described in the Setup chapter, and exit to save the configuration file.

5. Copy DiskDupe's configuration file, DISKDUPE.DAT, from the RamboDisk in C: to bootup disk in A:. This will preserve your customized setup for future use. If you make modifications in the future, copy the file to the bootup disk once again.


Formats, Layout, and Types

Floppy disks and floppy drives are classified according to their type and format. Most drives in today's PCs can write data on both sides of a disk, although the first IBM PCs could only write on one side of a disk. Double- sided disks have magnetic material on both sides and drives have a separate read/write head for each side. the other factor determining the type of a disk is the "density" at which data can be written. The more dense, or close together, the particles on the disk, the more information it can hold. You've probably heard of disks referred to as low or double-density (DS/DD or 2S/2D) and high-density(DS/HD).

 | Floppy Disk | 5 " 360k | 5 " 1.2Mb | 3 " 720k |3 " 1.4Mb | 3 " 2.8Mb |

 | Character-  | Double   | High      | Double   |  High    |   Extra   |

 | istics      | Density  | Density   | Density  | Density  | Density   |

 Tracks              40        80        80         80          80

 Sectors per track   9         15        9          18          36

 bytes per sector    512       512       512        512         512

Before a computer can write to a disk, it must format it, a process which determines how data is written to the disk. In the table above, characteristics of the various disk formats common to IBM PCs are shown. Disks are formatted into tracks-concentric circles going around the disk- similar to the grooves on a record. A track is broken up into short arcs, called sectors, that generally hold 512 bytes, or characters, of data. Sectors resemble a wedge or pie slice.

The read/write head moves back and forth over a disk's surface, moved by a "stepping" motor so that it is positioned directly over any given track. The increments between tracks are thus called steps, and the amount the head moves is its step rate.

The size or capacity of a disk is measured in kilobytes(k) or megabytes(Mb). Disks can roughly be divided into the flexible 5 " variety and the harder 3 " type and further grouped into low and high-density varieties. The 5 " disks come in 360k and 1.2Mb sizes, while the 3 " are commonly found in 720k and 1.4Mb capacities. You can tell these apart because 360k disks have protective ring in the middle, while 1.2Mb don't; 720k's have a write-protect notch in just one corner, while 1.4Mb disks have notches in both upper corners.

In addition to the physical makeup of the disk, capacity is dependent on the process used to format the disk, which, in turn depends on the operating system. For example, an older type of disk, the CP/M 320k disk, differs from a 360k DS/DD disk in that it is formatted with eight sectors per track rather than nine.

Other operating system formats are not native to IBM PC's and compatibles, and cannot be read by Dos, but can still be copied by DiskDupe. These include Unix, Xenix, and Midi disks, as well as Mac high density disks only.


Format Compatibility

When DiskDupe formats disks, it places a Dos 3.3 boot track on the disk. This is compatible with all versions of Dos. If you want to format a disk with the boot track of another Dos version, or make a bootable disk or make formatted Unix, Midi or Mac high density disks, follow these instructions.

1. Format a disk using the normal format command for that system. With Dos this is FORMAT or FORMAT /S.

2. Use DiskDupe to make a copy of this disk. If you want you can also create an image file of this disk and use that as the Source.

If you are using a master disk formatted with Dos 4.0 or higher, DiskDupe will copy the serial number of the master disk without changing it.


Format Operation

A good, all-purpose setting for Format is Only if Necessary. DiskDupe will detect if disks have been formatted and take advantage of it for faster copies. If any part of the disk needs formatting, DiskDupe will detect it and switch into format mode. This works especially well for a combination of preformatted and new disks.

If you are formatting new disks you can set Format to Always to save the few seconds that DiskDupe normally takes to identify that a disk is blank and shift into Format mode. Also if you want to re-format old disks, set it to Always.

If you're using disks that you know have been formatted, you can set Format to Never to save time. With Format set to Never, DiskDupe will reject as "bad" any disks that haven't been formatted, so you can also use this setting to separate out unformatted disks from a mixed stack.


Format Option

For maximum speed with most floppy controllers, a good all-purpose setting for Format is Only if Necessary. DiskDupe will detect if disks have been formatted and take advantage of it for a faster copy.  If any part of the disk needs formatting, DiskDupe will detect it and switch into format mode. This works especially well for a combination of preformatted and new disks.

If your main concern is the copy quality, we recommend that unformatted diskettes be used and that Format be set to Always so that the diskette is formatted by the same drive that writes the data.  With most controllers, this results in a slower copying speed, but with the new Allegro controllers from Micro System Designs, Inc., there is no time penalty for formatting while copying to full disks.

If you are formatting new disks, you can set Format to Always to save the few seconds that DiskDupe normally takes to identify that a disk is blank and shift into Format mode. Also if you want to re-format old disks, set it to Always.

If you're using disks that you know have been formatted, you can set Format to Never to save time. With Format set to Never, DiskDupe will reject as "bad" any disks that have not been formatted, so you can also use this setting to separate out unformatted disks from a mixed stack.

  Controller Types  Quality Considerations


Formatting Disks

With DiskDupe, you can either format a disk as it is being duplicated or separately. When you copy disks with Duplicate, DiskDupe will detect whether a disk has been formatted and, if necessary, format it while copying. Use Format as a separate feature whenever you want to preformat disks ahead of time for later use with DiskDupe such as making master disks or for general Dos use.

To format a disk separately:

1. Set Source to Format.

2. Set destination to the drive you will use to format the disk and press Ok. This can be one drive or a number of drives using Cascade.

3. Go to the Format and Verify settings. Set the Format and Verify to the appropriate settings.

4. Set the number of Copies, or set it to 0 for continuous copying, and select Duplicate. When you are ready to format, press Go.

See Also:

 Format Compatibility

 Full Reformat

 Quick Erase


Full Reformat

To do a Full Reformat, set Format in the Job dialog box or menu to Always.

Use full reformat if you plan to use an old disk as a master disk or want to completely erase all the data on it.

 | Settings for Formatting |

 Variation              | Format Option            | Verify Option

                        |                          |

 New Disks(unformatted) | Always                   | Always

 New Disks(performatted)| Only if Necessary        | Always

 Old Disks-Reformat     | Only if Necessary        | Always/

 (clear directory only) |                          | Only after Format

 Old Disks-             | Always                   | Always/

  Full Reformat         |                          |  Only after Format

 Reverify               | Only if Necessary/       | Always

  (after formatting)    |  Never                   |

Note: If you are using an Allegro controller then set the Format option to Always.  This enables the format-with-write capability of the Allegro for improved copy quality without increasing the copy time for full disks.  Otherwise DiskDupe takes a couple of seconds to determine if the disk is formatted or not.


Trouble Shooting Guide

 CCIV Settings

 Custom Disk Gap Guidelines

 DiskDupe Locks-up the Computer

 DMA Error with SmartDrv and QEMM

 Dos Driver Problems w/ALTALK

 Drive Maintenance % Good Disks

 Bad Disks

 External Floppy Cable

 Hardware DiskDupe does/doesn't work with

 How to Maximize Copy Quality

 Image File Compatibility

 Laptop DMA Error

 Light Stays On

 Running DiskDupe from Clipper

 Running DiskDupe On Ram Disk

 Setup for 2.8Mb Sony 40W-15

 Slow Copy Time Problems (Dos only)

 Track Range Data

 TSR's That Causes Problems

 Windows Extra Serial Locations

 YE Data Jumper Settings

 1.4Mb OK, 720k problems


Hard Disk Installation

See also:

 Windows Installation of Dos Version

 Network Installation

 Ramdisk Installation

To install DiskDupe on your hard disk:

1. Make a subdirectory for DiskDupe on your hard disk by typing the line MD C:\DISKDUPE <Enter>.

2. Type CD C:\DISKDUPE <Enter> to change to that directory.

3. Insert the DiskDupe program disk in drive A:, or the appropriate floppy drive, and type: COPY A:\*.* <Enter> to copy the files to your hard disk.

4. Type DISKDUPE <Enter> to load the DiskDupe program.

DiskDupe searches the current directory and your path for its configuration file DISKDUPE.DAT. If you add the \DISKDUPE subdirectory to the statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, you will not need to change to the \DISKDUPE subdirectory every time you run DiskDupe.


Hardware DiskDupe does/doesn't work with

 DiskDupe works with:

 IBM Compatibles and PS/2's

 ArcNet, Novell, and Lantastic networks.

 DiskDupe AutoPro works with autoloaders from:

Mountain, Trace Mountain, MissionSix, Champion Duplicators(Ventuno), Rimage, Ashby, Applied Data Corporation(CopyMaker), Costas, Mediaform(Genesis), and Boland Developments.

 DiskDupe AutoPro works with all floppy disk drives and all controllers. This includes regular, double speed(2X), simultaneous double sided(SDS) and double speed simultaneous double sided(2XSDS) drives.

 DiskDupe doesn't work with:

 Tandy 1000. Gives "initial seek" error. Runs on other Tandy machines.

 Compaq 286 Deskpro might have problems with 1.4Mb_2x drives.  Some Compaq 486 66's cause DMA conflicts with the floppy controllers that cause DiskDupe to report "Error 301, Bad Compare".  In this case if you are using a secondary controller then try moving its DMA channel from DMA 2 to DMA 1.

 Old XT's can't have secondary controllers and will only support low density drives.

 DD won't work with Adaptek SCSI controller 1542B or 1542C. Reports error 205 sporadically. Need to disable its floppy controller and install a CompatiCard IV floppy controller.

 Won't work with IBM external drives or external floppy drives that connect to the parallel port like Micro Solutions BackPak.

 Computers with the microchannel bus (some PS/2's) cannot accept secondary controllers.

 DiskDupe AutoPro does not work with autoloaders from the following manufacturers: DataPath, CopyMaster(CopyBox), Victory.  Also certain Mountain loaders that use a parallel interface instead of a serial interface.


How Drives Get Dirty

Drive heads get dirty in two ways: particles on the disk surface like dust and cigarette smoke can stick to the head and through normal use of the disk's magnetic coating which rubs off on the head. These coatings vary in quality. Disks that have been in humid environments can clog the drive heads after just 50 or 60 disks.

When the heads gets dirty, they no longer make good contact with the disk and the dirt particles diffuse the reading and writing process. This produces erratic results: some disks work fine while others are inexplicably rejected.


How Often to Clean

We recommend that you clean the drive heads every 500 disks, or at least once a month. Sometimes in humid or dirty environments, you will need to clean the heads every 100 disks. If you start experiencing a lot of rejected disks or have other problems, it is always a good idea to clean the heads.

When drives are extremely dirty, you can actually see the dirt on the head. After you remove the cover, you will be able to see reddish-brown spots on the white ceramic piece attached to the moveable head-frame.


Image File Compatibility

 DiskDupe can only use image files made with DiskDupe.

 DiskDupe image files are forward compatible.  DiskDupe versions 4.05 and above add CRC's to the image files when they are created.  When pre-4.05 DiskDupe images are read for the first time by a current version of DiskDupe the image file gets a new time stamp because DiskDupe adds CRC's to the image and marks it as "updated".

 If DiskDupe is reading in a pre-4.05 DiskDupe image file and it gets interrupted for some reason the image file should not be marked as updated, as the CRC's are added as the last step.  On rare occations an image file can be marked as updated even though the CRC's have not yet been added.  In this case if the image file is read again then DiskDupe will report an error 908, "Image file has been corrupted", because it sees that the file is marked as updated, but cannot find the CRC's.  To mark an image file as "not yet updated" one byte needs to be changed from a one to a zero.  For example to mark a file called IMAGE1.DDI using Dos DEBUG you would type the following:

 debug image1.ddi

 -e 103 0

 -w

 -q


Images

If there are disks that you copy frequently, it may be worthwhile to store an image of these master disks on your hard disk. Not only is reading an image file from your hard disk much faster than reading a floppy disk, using the image prevents undue wear and tear on the disk. The drawback to image files is the space they take up on your hard disk. Image files contain the data on the disk plus a header for identification purposes which, for a half full 360k disk, amounts to about 200k.

Working with disk images is just like working with two disks, except that you copy either to or from the image file on your hard disk. the first step is creating the image file from the master disk. This is done by setting Destination to File. Once created, an image file can be used to duplicate or compare disks, and will remain on your hard disk until you delete it. To make copies or compare disks using the image file, select File from the Source menu. When copying from an image file, be sure to set the copy type to the type of the image file.

Selecting an Image:

When you pick Image from either the Destination or Source, you will see *.DDI, which stands for DiskDupe Image, the default extension for image files. You can use this extension or type in a new one.

Press <Enter> to display a directory tree listing all files with this extension or type in the name of a new or existing image file. You can use any extension for your images (some users use .DD5 for 5 " images and .DD3 for 3 " images in order to view 5 " and 3 " images separately).

Creating Image Files:

1. Under the File menu, select New|Image. Type the name of the image file you want to create, such as DISK1.DDI (you do not have to type the extension unless you use an extension other than the ".DDI" default). When you have finished, press Open. The image file will be created in the current subdirectory. To store it in a different subdirectory, include a drive letter and path before the file name. Type C:\DISKDUPE\*.DDI <Enter> to select from a list of existing image files and subdirectories.

2. Select the drive that the master disk will be read from (A: or B:) and press Ok. DiskDupe will prompt you to insert the master disk into the drive and the image file will be created in the current subdirectory.

You can also create image files the same way that you copy from drive to drive, except that you would choose Drive as your Source and Image as your Destination. When creating the image file, the Copies setting has no effect.

Copying From Image to Disk:

1. Select Source|Image. Select the image file, then press Open. The copy type will be automatically set to that of the image file.

2. Select Destination, and the drive you want to copy to.

3. Set the number of Copies, use "0" for continuous copying, and select Duplicate. When you are ready to duplicate, press Go.

To compare a disk with a previously created image file, set Source to the name of the file and select Compare from the Job Window. DiskDupe will do a byte-by-byte comparison of the copies. For more information, see the Compare section.

See also:

 Networks and

 Read-Only

 Updating


Increment By

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Usually after every disk, you will want the serial number to increase by 1. However, sometimes you might want it to increase by 10, 100, or 1000.

To provide extra security with your serial number, choose an increment like 13 or 97 and start your serial numbers at 0. Then if someone calls and tells you a serial number, you can easily tell if it is valid. To check the serial number for authenticity, subtract your beginning serial number or any known valid serial number from the questionable serial number and see if the difference can be divided evenly by the number you set up as your increment. If the quotient is an even number, the serial number you are questioning is valid.


Increment on Reject

 (Pro/AutoPro)

This option tells DiskDupe what to do if it encounters a bad disk. If you are going to be applying the serial labels to the disks after you copy them, set this option to No.

If you are serializing disks that already have labels applied with the serial number on them, set this to Yes. Then if a bad disk is encountered, the remaining disks will still get the correct serial number.


Install

These are the three types of installation that you can do.

 Hard Disk

 Networks

 Ramdisk

- Please Note:  It is not possible to run DISKDUPE.EXE from a floppy drive.


Label File

 (Pro/AutoPro)

A label file is a file that is to be printed on the diskette label after the diskette is copied.


Labels

 (Pro/AutoPro)

DiskDupe allows you to print labels for your disks. This feature can be used for ordinary disk labels, to record disk serial numbers, or to pull information from the disk, such as the serial number, volume label and other contents of a disk file.

If you are a shareware distributor, you can use the Relay feature and have the disk volume name printed on the label. To include a longer description of the disk on each label, you can put a file on each disk with the description and use the SRCFILE,README.TXT command in your label file to print the description on the label.

Note: DiskDupe's label feature is designed for sheets of labels that have only one label horizontally on a sheet.

Creating a Label file:

1) Select File|New|Label. Enter the name of the file you want to create and press New. This will bring up the editor from which you enter the contents of your label.

2) When you have finished entering the contents of your label, select Save from the File menu, or press <F2> (Dos only).

Note: To edit a label file, select File|Open|Label and follow the instructions above.

Printing a Label file:

1) Select Label from the Job menu.

2) Choose Select One or Follow Image and then type the name of the label file you want to use.

3) Make sure that Printer and Print To is correctly set. When you are ready to print your labels, press Print.

Label file Commands (keywords):

The following table lists the Label commands, which you can embed in the label file. Any line that starts with a semicolon is a comment and does not print out; anything else prints out on the label. Bracketed text indicates a command. Two commands on the same line will print out side-by-side on the same line.

 Command       |   Function                       |      Example

               |                                  |

 {{Code,code#1, |  Sends printer control codes.    |  {{Code,27,78,$1B,$6B}

 code#2}       |  Put a "$" in front of hex codes.|

               |                                  |

 {{Serial}      |  Prints the serial number.       |  Serial #{{Serial}

               |                                  |

 {IncFile,     |  Prints an entire file on the    |  {{IncFile,C

 filename}     |  hard disk. This can be used for |

               |  graphical logos.                |

               |                                  |

 {{SrcFile,     |  Prints the first line of a file |  {{SrcFile,README.TXT}

 filename}     |  on the disk being copied.       |

               |                                  |

 {{VolLabel}    |  Prints the volume label on the  |  {{VolLabel}

               |  source disk.                    |

               |                                  |

 Normal Line   |  Print as is                     |  (c) 1994, XYZ corp.

               |                                  |

 {{Date}        |  Prints the current date.        |

               |                                  |

 {{ImageNum}    |Prints disk # in set.             | Disk {{ImageNum} of

 {{Images}      |Prints total # of images in set.  | {{Images}

               |                                  |

 {{SetNum}      |Prints set # in job.              | Set {{SetNum} of

 {{Sets}        |Prints total # of sets in job.    | {{Sets}

               |                                  |

 {{CopyNum}     |Prints disk # in job              | Disk {{CopyNum} of

 {{Copies}      |Prints total # of disks in job    | {{Copies}

               |                                  |

 {{CPI10}       |  Changes the pitch.              |

 {{CPI12}       |                                  |

 and {{CPI17}   |                                  |

 {{Prop}        |  Changes to a proportional font. |

               |                                  |

 {{Italic} and  |  Italics                         |

 {{ItalicOfF}   |                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{Cond}        |  Condensed                       |

 and {{CondOff} |                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{Wide}        |  Wide                            |

 and {{WideOff} |                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{Bold}        |  Bold                            |

 and {{BoldOff} |                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{Under}       |  Underlined                      |

 and {{UnderOff}|                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{Sup}         |  Superscript                     |

 and {{SupOff}  |                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{Sub}         |  Subscript                       |

 and {{SubOff}  |                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{LS1/8}       |  Change the line spacing.        |

 {{LS7/72}      |                                  |

 and {{LS1/6}   |                                  |

               |                                  |

 {{LS216,x}     |  To set line spacing to x/216 inches.

               |                                  |

 {{LF216,x}     |  To do a line feed of x/216 inches.

               |                                  |

 {{RM,x}        |  To set right margin to x spaces.|

               |                                  |

 {{LM,x}        |  To set left margin to x spaces. |

               |                                  |

 {{UD}          |  To print text upside-down on the LLP Printer.

               |                                  |

 {{Barcode} or  |  To print a barcode.             |

 {{Bar},        |                                  |

 and {{BarOff}  |                                  |

Note: Not all of these commands are supported on all printers.

The Code command allows you to use printer-specific codes, which can be found in your printer's manual. They would, for example, let you use printer-resident fonts.

Files created with the label editor are normal ASCII, or text, files and have the extension .DDL for DiskDupe Label. If you want to use special fonts or graphics, you can use a word processing or desktop publishing program to create the label layout and then print it to a file. The label file will be sent directly to the printer except for any special label commands in it, such as {{Serial}, which will be sent from DiskDupe.

If you use the IncFile command in a label file, but the file cannot be found when the labels are being printed, DiskDupe will give you an error. However, the SrcFile command will simply print out a blank line if it cannot locate the file, as will the VolLabel and Serial commands if there is no volume label or serial number.

You could also print labels in two runs: one to print a graphic image with a desktop publishing program and another to print disk-specific information with DiskDupe. Another alternative is to buy labels with your logo and company information already printed on them and then have DiskDupe customize them with volume and serial number information.


Laptop DMA Error

 Some laptops will give error 205, Bad DMA when DiskDupe is running. Goes away when battery saving feature is off.

 It is caused by the battery saving feature turning off the DMA chip.


Light Stays On

 When you are duplicating disks with DiskDupe the drive light stays on until all the copies are made, even as DiskDupe prompts the user to change the diskettes.

 While the drive light is on the drive motor is spinning.  The total time that the drive motor is on to copy a diskette with DiskDupe is significantly less that the time required to copy disks with the Dos Diskcopy command.  Since the drive spindle motors are brushless they do not wear out.

 It does not damage the drive to remove a diskette from the drive when the drive light is on.  When a diskette is removed from the drive the heads mechanically retract from the diskette to prevent such damage.

 As long as DiskDupe prompts you to remove the disk from the drive there will be no damage to the data on the diskette.  Diskettes should not be removed when copying or formatting are in progress.


DiskDupe Locks up the Computer

 (Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

If DiskDupe locks up the computer there is probably a conflict with a TSR (software) or with one of the adapter cards in the computer (hardware).

 CHECK FOR SOFTWARE CONFLICTS:

 ----------------------------

First try booting off of a floppy disk so that the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS are "clean".  If DiskDupe does not lock up under these conditions then you need to eliminate the source of the trouble by "remarking" lines in the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT one at a time.

 CHECK FOR HARDWARE CONFLICTS:

 ----------------------------

If the lock up problem persists after a clean boot there is probably a conflict with one of the cards in the computer.  If this is the case then the conflicting card can be identified by removing the cards one at a time and trying the software.  Once a card is isolated as the source of the conflict then the card can be jumpered to use another address, interrupt, or DMA channel to prevent the conflict.

 To find the conflicting card:

 ----------------------------

Start by removing the network card (if there is one).  If the program still locks then try removing other cards one at a time, rebooting and testing DiskDupe to see if it locks.

Try DiskDupe with just the Primary controller. If that fixes the problem then move the floppy card or the network card to another address and reenter the controllers.

 When conflicting card has been isolated:

 ----------------------------------------

 ADDRESSES:

When DiskDupe starts it writes to the floppy controller addresses. The main floppy controller addresses are 3F0(Primary), 370(Secondary), and 360.  If the conflicting card is using one of these addresses it will have to be moved to another address.

 INTERRUPTS:

Interrupt 6 is reserved for the floppy controllers and should not be used by other cards.

 DMA CHANNELS:

DMA 2 is reserved for the floppy controller and should not be used by other cards.

 Several times we have seen a lockup problem when a network card was jumpered to use one of the addresses for the secondary controller. This setting the "Secondary Controller" to "None" in DiskDupe.  If this fixes the problem then the network card will need.

 To reassure yourself that the DiskDupe software is not corrupted you can check it on another computer.


Drive Maintenance % Good Disks

 Head Cleaning:

 Every 500 disks under normal conditions.

 Every 100 disks under humid conditions, or when using diskettes of poor quality.

 Alignment:

 Check every 10,000 disks.

 Normal drive life:

 About 100,000 disks, if cleaned regularly.

Normal reject rate for diskettes with DD with verify on: About 1% with good quality diskettes, about 2% with bad quality diskettes.

Normal percentage of diskettes that go bad during shipping: from 0.1 to 0.5%.  This does not depend much on the quality of the diskettes.


How to Maximize Copy Quality

 Check drive alignment periodically (at least once for every 10,000 diskettes).

 Use unformatted high clip (at least 60%) certified media.

 Set "format" to "always" in DiskDupe.

 Clean drive heads every 500 diskettes.  Clean more frequently in humid or smoky environments.

 Spot check 1% of diskettes produced using the DiskDupe Compare feature using a different floppy drive from the one that produced the diskettes.


EMS/XMS Limit (Dos only)

DiskDupe will use all available memory to store the disk image before using the hard disk as virtual memory. If you are running DiskDupe under a multitasker such as DESQview, Windows, or OS/2, you may want to limit the amount of memory it uses to reserve it for other programs.

DiskDupe first uses all available conventional RAM memory. If more memory is required, it uses expanded(EMS) memory and extended(XMS) memory, in that order.

The default settings is "-1", for no limit. To change this, select Global from the Setup menu and enter the appropriate settings. Use 0 for none at all and any number 1 or above to specify the amount of memory to use. Memory is specified in thousands of bytes or "k". To limit memory use to 1Mb (1024k), enter 1024.


DiskDupe Menus

 File Menu

 Edit Menu

 Job Menu

 Setup Menu

 Help Menu


PS/2 Model 35SX and 55SX

PS/2 Model 35SX and 55SX have chip flaw that interferes with DiskDupe's concurrent DMA techniques when using the hard disk as virtual memory. If you are using either of these computers with a network, you can still use DiskDupe as long as you store image and temporary files on the network drive.


Mouse

When you first start DiskDupe, you'll see a menu bar across the top of the screen, from which you can select the pull-down menus that control its operation.  In the center of the screen there is normally a job dialog box for the current task to be performed.  Use the mouse cursor to select menu items by clicking on them.  You can also make changes in the job by clicking directly on the item that you want to change.

DiskDupe supports both mouse and keyboard use, so you can select menus either by clicking on each option with the mouse or moving the highlight bar with the <Tab> and pressing <Enter>.  To get to the menus with your keyboard just hit F10.


Networks

See also:  Windows Installation of Dos Version

If you are running DiskDupe on a network, image files are an easy way to duplicate disks at a number of workstations. Instead of distributing master disks to each workstation, create image files on the network. More than one user can then run DiskDupe to make copies as needed. And, it is a simple process to update an image file on the network if its data changes.

Image files stored on the network can be shared by several workstations. For example, one workstation can duplicate disks from the images file while another compares them to the same image.

Note: If more than one workstations used at the same time to copy disks, ask about a site license. Our license agreement states: "DiskDupe may only be used on a single computer. However, after the program has been register, it can be installed on additional computers if there is no possibility of it being used on more than one computer at the same time and there is no possibility of it being used by anyone other than the registered owner."


Network Batch files

DiskDupe AutoPro 5.0 has the ability to execute Network batch files automatically when the Network Server function has been activated from "File|Network Server".  The batch files can be created by a text editor, an in-house application, or by DDNet.

A sample batch file produced by DDNet is shown below:

 ECHO OFF

 REM MSD Network Batch, Version 1

 REM Image=ALGUTIL.DDI

 REM Description=

 REM Disk=720k

 DISKDUPE H:\DATA\DD\ALGUTIL.DDI /c2 /DUP /NOWAIT

When the Network Server is active, DiskDupe will scan the network directory for batch files to run that begin with a remark line that specifies the same disk type, i.e. if the Disk Type in DiskDupe was set to 720K, then DiskDupe will look for batch files that include the line: REM DISK=720k.

The naming scheme of a Network batch file can be of the users choosing, but must have a .BAT extension.

Additional commands that can be issued in a Network batch file include:

Copy, Del, Ren, CD, MD, RD, Label, Rambodsk, D: (logical drive letters)

A batch file might look like this:

 ECHO OFF

 REM MSD Network Batch, Version 1

 REM Image=409.ddi

 REM Description=Anything you want

 REM Disk=144Mb

 REM Station=DiskDupe Pro 5.0

 rambodsk format

 copy c:\DiskDupe\AutoPro\*.* d:

 del d:DiskDupe.tmp

 md d:\help

 copy c:\DISKDUPE\HELP\*.txt d:sub

 label d:DDAP

 DISKDUPE d: F: /C1 /DUP /NOWAIT

These commands require no REM statement for execution.  DiskDupe command line parameters require no REM statements as well.  D: assumes a Rambodisk is present.

The sample batch file above essentially does this (excluding the Network Server header information): It formats an already present RamboDisk. It then copies all the files from the C:\DISKDUPE\AUTOPRO subdirectory to the Rambodisk.  Next, it deletes DISKDUPE.TMP from the Rambodisk file subdirectory.  It then makes a HELP subdirectory in Rambodisk.  Next, it copies all the .TXT files from the C:\DISKDUPE\HELP subdirectory to the Rambodisk.  It then labels the Rambodisk with "DDAP".  Lastly, it runs DiskDupe and copies all the files from the Rambodisk to the loader drive f:.

The Station command identifies which Network Server the job is for.  It does not need to be present, unless you want the job to go to a specific Network Server.

As mentioned before, a requirement for the Network batch file to work properly is for the Disk to be set to the type of job DiskDupe is seeking, i.e. if the Disk is set to 720K, then DiskDupe will look for a batch files that include the line: REM DISK=720k.  This requires the job window of the users choice to be open.

See Also:

 DDNet


Network Installation

See Also: Windows Installation of Dos Version

Running DiskDupe on a network allows you to take full advantage of the multi-user environment and allows you to share image files with others on the network. As long as only one computer is using DiskDupe at a time, you can install DiskDupe on the network under terms of this license agreement. If more than one person will be using DiskDupe at once, contact us for information on site license.

If you are the only one using DiskDupe on your network, you can install it as described in the hard disk installation section. However, if you would like multiple workstations to be able to access DiskDupe, the network administrator should install it according to the following instructions.

1. Copy all the files from the DiskDupe disk into a shared subdirectory on the network.  Run DiskDupe once from that directory to create a DISKDUPE.DAT file.

2. Copy the file DISKDUPE.DAT from the shared subdirectory to a local subdirectory that DiskDupe will be started from.

3. DiskDupe searches the current directory and the path for its configuration file DISKDUPE.DAT, which is updated with DiskDupe's current settings each time you exit. if DiskDupe cannot locate a DISKDUPE.DAT file, it creates a new one in the directory from which it was started. There are several ways to ensure that a user's configuration will be saved:

 Add the local subdirectory to the user's PATH statement.

 Keep Auto-set A: & B: on in the shared subdirectory. If started with the shared DISKDUPE.DAT, DiskDupe will start up with the A: and B; drives tailored to the specific workstation's configuration at the time it was turned on or rebooted. This alleviated the need for some users to have a local DISKDUPE.DAT file.

 Start DiskDupe from the local subdirectory or create a batch file to do so.


Optimized Master Disks

If files have been erased from a disk, DiskDupe may be fooled into thinking that there is more data on the disk than there really is. To help DiskDupe work most efficiently, it is best to use a newly formatted disk as your master disk.

DiskDupe is able to sense which part of the disk has valid data on it and only duplicate that part of the disk. If you have a master disk which has had many different files copied to it and then erased, DiskDupe will have to duplicate the entire disk even though all of the disk may not contain real data. The copies will still be good, but the duplication will take longer than necessary.

To make a blank master disk, first format a disk using the DiskDupe Format command with Format set to Always under the Job Window. Then use the Dos Copy command to copy the necessary files onto this newly formatted disk. This master disk is now clear of extraneous data.

Note: If you format your master disks with the Dos 5.0 format command, use the FORMAT/U option to erase the entire disk. This will enable DiskDupe to make fast copies of this disk.


OS/2 (Dos only)

To get maximum speed, open the Dos settings box for the DISKDUPE.EXE object. You'll need to set HW_TIMER to Off and IDLE_SENSITIVITY to 100 for the Dos session.  DiskDupe works better with the Warp version of OS/2, and it is sometimes necessary to call DiskDupe with the /DMAWINOFF command line switch to avoid getting a 206 or 909 "DMA Boundary" error.  To do this go to the Dos prompt in OS/2 and from the DiskDupe directory call up DiskDupe with:

 DISKDUPE /DMAWINOFF

This setting gets saved in the DISKDUPE.DAT file when you exit from the program so it only needs to be set once.

If /DMAWINOFF doesn't work try /VDMA=NONE or /VDMA=MEM.  The default is /VDMA=BUF, which normally works the best.


Overview

This section provides an introduction on how to use DiskDupe and a quick description of each of its menus.

DiskDupe's opening screen, shown below, is displayed until you start copying disks, when duplicating screen comes up.

 | File | Edit | Job | Setup | Window | Help |                |

 |

 |                                                            |

 |                        Main                                |

 |   | Source                                    |            |

 |   | Destination |          |   copies|    |   |            |

 |   |                                           |            |

 |   |                             Operation     |            |

 |   | Disk     |           |    |( ) Duplicate| |            |

 |   | Format   |           |    |( ) Format   | |            |

 |   | Verify   |           |    |( ) Compare  | |            |

 |   | Range    |           |                    |            |

 |   | Serial   |           |       Option       |            |

 |   | Label    |           |    |[ ] Relay    | |            |

 |   |                                           |            |

 |   |                  | Go |                   |            |

 |                                                            |                                                            |

 |                                                            |

 |F1 Help                                           F10 Menu  |

DiskDupe supports both mouse and Keyboard. With a mouse you can move through the DiskDupe's menu with just a click of your mouse. If you don't have a mouse, you can hit F10 at the main screen to get to the menus. To move around the Job Window, just press the <Tab> key.

See also:

 Navigating the Menu


Password System

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The password system allows for the administration of security, accountability and control to your duplication environment.  The system can handle up to 200 users, includes password management features, allows user names and passwords to be up to 40 characters in length, and can assign various privileges to each user.

The system offers various degrees of control, and can be set to prompt users for identification either at the startup of the software or between jobs.

It can be set to verify the user's id, or it can be set to accept any user into the system.  Users can be assigned individual privileges, allowing for the restriction of access to certain parts of the software or they can be granted unlimited access.


Preformatted Disks

If you buy preformatted disks, be sure that Verify is set to always. The quality of preformatted disks varies greatly. Some vendors sell preformatted disks that are in fact rejected disks formatted with special drives that alter the formatting of the disk in order to bypass the defects. If you simply write to the disk without formatting, it may seem okay, but if the disk is formatted again in a normal drive, chances are that it will fail.


Our Products

The list below are our products. If you are interested in any products we have listed here, please give us a call and we will send you more information about it.

 DiskDupe

 DiskDupe Pro

 DiskDupe AutoPro

 Feature Comparison


QEMM and SmartDrive 3.1

If QEMM reports an error with its DMA buffer, use the line "QEMM386.SYS DB=3 DMA=15" to load QEMM. The DB=3 parameter allocates 3k for the disk buffer and DMA=15 allocates 15k for the DMA buffer. This sometimes occurs with SCSI hard disks.


Quality vs Speed

This section provides advice on how to make perfect copies and how to speed up DiskDupe. There is always a tradeoff between speed and quality but with DiskDupe you can achieve a good balance.

The main way to control quality and speed is with the Format and Verify options in the Job Window or under the Job Menu.

Balancing Quality and Speed:

Here at Micro System Designs, we create separate image files for each edition of the DiskDupe software that we sell. Five inch and three inch images are distinguished by a "5" or a "3" at the end of the file name, and the images are identified as such by the extension .DDI.  We purchase OEM grade (high clip) blank floppy diskettes and format them as they are copied.

The diskettes are copied in an autoloader with 2XSDS drives using the Allegro II controller with window margin checking.  Format is set to Always and Verify to Always.  Next, we check 100% of the disks by running a Compare of the disk against the image files using a different drive ("second spindle compare") from the drive that copied the disk, to detect possible alignment problems.  Finally, we clean our drives and check their alignment regularly- the step most often overlooked.

Not everyone can afford to do a second spindle compare on 100% of their copies, but even if you check a small percentage of them you are likely to catch most problems before they leave the duplication room.

See also:

 Speeds

 Quality Considerations


RamboDisk

 (Pro/AutoPro)

RamboDisk, a special RAM disk created to work with specific disk formats, lets you make disks containing files that are frequently updated. You copy files to this disk from the Dos prompt almost instantly and then use DiskDupe to duplicate, track-by-track, from the RamboDisk to a floppy at the speed of the hard disk. The RamboDisk, automated using Dos batch files, becomes a powerful way to make customized disks at high speed.

First, install the RAMBODSK in the CONFIG.SYS by adding the line:

DEVICE=C:\DISKDUPE\RAMBODSK.EXE

Then from Dos set the disk type with: RAMBODSK /F=720

  where:  /F=360  - 360k

          /F=720  - 720k

          /F=1.2  - 1.2Mb

          /F=1.4  - 1.4Mb

          /F=2.8  - 2.8Mb

          /F=NONE - to release all memory

(This can also be done in the CONFIG.SYS.)

Whenever the disk type is specified, the RamboDisk will be formatted and all information erased. To reformat an existing RamboDisk use: RAMBODSK FORMAT

If more than one RamboDisk is being used, use the drive letter to indicate which one like this: RAMBODSK E: /F=1.4

See also:

 Creating Image Files

 Setup


Making Duplicates

 (Pro/AutoPro)

When the computer boots up, the RamboDisk driver displays the logical drive letter that it has been assigned in your system. Start DiskDupe and choose Rambo under Source. Type in the drive letter displayed when the RamboDisk was loaded. DiskDupe will not test to see if there is a RamboDisk and that it is of the correct type until you start to duplicate disks.

Each RamboDisk works with one type of disk only. For example, you need separate RamboDisks for copying files to 360k disks and to 720k disks, no matter how much space the files will take up.


Read-Only Images

To prevent accidental erasures, DiskDupe allows you to mark image files as read-only. This is done by typing ATTRIB +R DISK1.DDI at the Dos prompt. ATTRIB -R DISK1.DDI will remove the read-only designation.


Registration

Before you install DiskDupe, please take a moment to fill out your registration card and send or fax it to us. This will entitle you to technical support for your current version of DiskDupe and discounts on future upgrades and other products. If you have misplaced the registration card enclosed in your DiskDupe package, it is reproduced on page 4 of the manual.


Reject Rates

In most batches of disks, depending on the quality, you can expect about 1% to 2% to be bad on the first pass. If you want to use only the highest quality disks, you can throw these away. You can put the disks through again and usually about half of them will pass the second time. These disks will be tend to be of lower quality than the disks that passed the first time. Once a disk is rejected twice, it is best to throw it away.

If you are experiencing a high reject rate then make sure that the drives are clean and in good alignment.


Relay

Relay is an extremely efficient method of backing up program disks or making copies of a shareware library.

To use it, first make sure all your master disks have write-protect tabs on them. Relay senses the write-protect tabs and automatically reads and copies the master disks to all the non write-protected disks after each master disk. This allows you to make copies of different master disks without using the keyboard.

1) Set the Destination to a drive, and select Relay as your Source. Put in the first master disk and let DiskDupe read it. Then put in as many non write-protected disks as you want to copy. When you want to start copying from a new master, make sure that it is write-protected and DiskDupe will sense it automatically.

2) When you are finished duplicating, press <Esc>.


Relay and Cascade

You can also combine Cascade with Relay. In such a setup, the first write-protected master disk is read from the first drive in the cycle and will be copied to every non write-protected disk inserted in the following drives. It will continue, through the cycle, to make copies of the first disk until the second write-protected master disk is read, and so on.

See also:

 Relay


Replaceable Parameters

When you write batch files (Dos only) to automate DiskDupe, it's often useful to change certain options while retaining the format of the batch file (Dos only). By using replaceable parameters you can type the name of the batch file (Dos only) followed by a value for a particular feature, such as a drive letter or the number of copies. In Dos, a replaceable parameter is indicated by a percent sign followed by a number, such as %1. A second replaceable parameter would be %2, and so on. The actual values for these are given in order on the command-line, following the name of the batch file (Dos only).

The following batch file (Dos only) makes an image file from a disk in the drive letter you type to replace %1 and, in the same drive, makes however many copies are specified by the value that replaces %2.

 DISKDUPE %1 IMAGE1.DDI /DUP /NOWAIT

 DISKDUPE IMAGE1.DDI %1 C%2 /DUP /NOWAIT

If the batch file (Dos only) was called DDCOPY.BAT you could make 50 copies in the B: drive with the command DDCOPY B: 50.  %1 in the batch file (Dos only) will be replaced with "B:" and %2 with "50."


Replacement String

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The replacement string is what you want DiskDupe to actually put on the disk. Use the symbol "@" wherever you want a serial number to be.

For example, if the Beginning Number is 10001, the Replacement string is "@@@@@", and the Increment By is "1", DiskDupe will put "10001" on the first disk, "10002" on the second, "10003" on the third, etc.

If there are more @'s than there are numbers, DiskDupe will put 0's in front of the number. For instance, if the Beginning Number is 201 and the Replacement String is "@@@@@", DiskDupe will put "00201" on the disk.

You can break up the number with other characters if you like. For instance, if your Beginning Number is 123456 and your Replacement String is "@@@-@@@", DiskDupe will put "123-456" on the disk.

You can also put in other information in the Replacement String like the release date or version. Let's say that you want to put the release date on every disk. Your Search String could be "00/00/00" and your Replacement String would be the date like "10/15/93". In this case, no serial number is wanted so you wouldn't use the "@" symbol.

You can also combine the two and have a Search String of "00/00/00 00000" and a Replacement String of "10/15/93 @@@@@". With a Beginning Number of 10001, DiskDupe will put "10/15/93 10001" on the disk.


Results File

The DISKDUPE.RES file is produced every time that DiskDupe exits.  It contains information about the last operation performed by DiskDupe.


SDS Drives

SDS stands for "Simultaneous Double Sided".  SDS floppy drives can read from and write to both sides of the diskette at the same time to speed up the duplication process.

SDS drives require either two single controller cards (like two CompatiCard IV's) or else a dual controller card (like the Allegro I or the Allegro II).

See also:

 Controller Types

 Drive Types


Search String

 (Pro/AutoPro)

The Search String is the string of characters you enter into your program to hold a place for the real serial number. This might be a string of 0's like "00000" or a special word like "SERIAL."

DiskDupe can find up to 10 locations of this Search String on the disk and will serialize them all. For instance, you can put the word "SERIAL" in your program and also in the volume label on the disk. Then DiskDupe will replace both of these with the actual serial string.

You should pick a Search String that is not too common, otherwise DiskDupe might find some "phantom" serial locations and embed the serial string where you don't want it.

You can check for phantom serial locations by looking at the "# of serials" line displayed in the statistics box while the master disk is read. If this reports more serial locations than you intended, use the Start Search Track and End Search Track options to locate the correct ones.

Note: When using a disk's volume label as the search string, a duplicate volume label may be present.  For example, disks formatted with Dos 6.0 have two volume labels kept in the disk's boot record.  We recommend using master disks formatted with Dos 3.3, since this problem will not occur and it is compatible with all versions of Dos.  DiskDupe's format option, found in Job|Source, uses Dos 3.3.

See also:

 Serialization


Serialization

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Serialization is used by software developers and others who track the disks they distribute. A serial number serves as an identification tag for a disk and can be used to track the software, keep customer records, and discourage software pirating.

A serial number can be inserted into a number of places, including labels, executable files and data files. It can be as high as 2,000,000,000, up to 40 characters long, text or binary, can be incremented by any number, and can be combine with other information, such as a date or version number.

The serial number can also be protected from snooping or debugging by encrypting it or adding check digits.

With ASCII serialization, up to 11 characters in the Stamp Mask can be incrementable numbers.  With binary serialization, up to four bytes can be incremented.

All of the serialization information for a particular master disk is stored in the serialization file.

The first step in serialization is embedding a string of ASCII characters, such as "00000," in a program on the disk. When DiskDupe copies the disk, it replaces those characters with a unique serial number that serves as an identification tag for the disk.

To serialize disks starting with the number "00001" you would search for "00000" and replace it with the Stamp Mask "@@@@@," a special code that tells DiskDupe to look for every occurrence of the Search String "00000" and embed in its place "00001" on the first disk, "00002" on the second disk, "00003" on the third, etc.

To add, for instance, a date to the serial number, put the string "00/00/00 00000" in the program code and have DiskDupe search for it. Then tell DiskDupe to replace it with "08/01/94 @@@@@". When the disk is serialized, DiskDupe will replace the @'s with the actual serial number for that disk.

To look at the serial number on a disk, run Compare with Track Range set to Data and DiskDupe will display the disk's serial number on the screen when the destination diskette is read.

See also:

 Binary Serial

 Comparing Serial Numbers with Track Range

 Track Range and Serial numbers

 Serialization Choices

 Replacing the Dos Serial Number


Set Order

 (Pro/AutoPro)

DiskDupe defaults to copy sets of disks in set order.  For example, take a set file and assume that 10 copies are needed. The "set order" option would make ten sets, copying the disks in the order they are listed in the Set file: 1,2,3,4., 1,2,3,4., etc. When duplicating in set order, Copies refers to the number of complete sets of disks that are to be made.

To copy a set in disk order, you must include quantities in the Set file after the image file names to indicate the number of copies. For example, you would type the following to make the specified number of copies:

 DISK1.DDI,2

 DISK2.DDI,3

 DISK3.DDI,1

 DISK4.DDI,5

Usually in this case, you would set Copies to 1. If you set it to 2, for example, it will repeat the set twice.


Sets

 (Pro/AutoPro)

A DiskDupe set file allows you to create and duplicate a group of image files.  A set does not contain the actual image files, it's just a list of image file names specified in the order in which you want the copies to be made.

You might use a set if you produce software that is distributed on several disks.  Another use might be to create image files of your master disks and later copy those images to floppy disks. You could of course use the File setting to create or copy from the image files one-by-one, but using a set simplifies the process of working with multiple images.

When a set is specified as the source, it is to make copies from a set of image files.  When a set is the destination, it is to create a set of image files from master disks to the hard drive.

See also:

 Creating/Editing A Set

 Collating Sets

 Serializing Sets


Serializing a set of disk

 (Pro/AutoPro)

When serializing a set of disks with Set Order On, DiskDupe now increments the serial number only after the last disk in the set. This allows you to put the same serial number on every disk in the set.


Setup

DiskDupe talks directly to your floppy controller through its own special drivers. This allows it to work at your computer's top speed and support drives and configurations that Dos cannot. In most cases, you will be able to use DiskDupe right away without changing anything on the Setup Menu. If you do change something, your changes will be automatically saved in the configuration file DISKDUPE.DAT.

See also:

 Autoloader

 Drive

 Controller


Setup for 2.8Mb Sony 40W-15

 To setup the Sony 40W-15 to copy 720, 1.4 or 2.8 Mb disk, move the left jumper to the leftmost position as in the picture below.

 40W-12 and 40W-11 can only copy 2.8Mb disks.

 IE210

 |::|:

 ^  ^

 |  |

 |  Drive select 1

 |

 Internal density select

The CompatiCard IV comes with drivers that have to be included in the CONFIG.SYS in order to access the drive from Dos.  For a 2.88M drive the additional lines in the CONFIG.SYS file might read:

 device=c:\cciv\cc4bios.sys /b

 device=c:\cciv\cc4drv.sys /b1,8,3,y

This is clarified in the CompatiCard IV Manual. DiskDupe has its own drivers which are independent of the Dos drivers.


Shareware Distributors

Shareware distributors in particular can use Relay, which copies variable quantities of disks, to duplicate their software libraries. Suppose you want to keep ten copies of each master disk on hand at any given time. Simply go through your master disks and the number of disks you need behind each. Either insert the disks one at a time or place the stack of disks in your autoloader. DiskDupe will differentiate between the write-protect tabs on the master and the non-write protected blank disks. Without pressing a key, you can use Relay to make as many copies as you need to maintain your inventory.

You can even use Relay with a cycle of two or more drives, called a Cascade. After DiskDupe reads the first master, it cycles through all the drives, making copies until it detects another write-protected master.


DMA Error w/ SmartDrv and QEMM

 If DiskDupe sometimes reports a DMA error when it is buffering to the hard disk with SmartDrv (the one that came with Windows 3.1) and QEMM 6.01, put DB=3 and DMA=15 on the QEMM386.SYS line to reserve 3k for disk buffering and 15k for DMA buffering.

 This will usually happen only on computers with SCSI drives.


Software Compatibility

This section provides remedies to difficulties that some computers experience when running DiskDupe. If you have a problem running DiskDupe that matches one or more of the descriptions below, you may want to try the suggestion given to see if it improves performance or eliminates the problem. Try these only if you experience problems.

See also:

 Windows 3.1

 QEMM and SmartDrive 3.1

 OS/2


Software Developers

Software developers can use DiskDupe's Serialization and Label printing features to protect their disks from unauthorized copying. While it copies and serializes the disks, DiskDupe can print out labels for them, including the serial number, volume label, and the first line of a file on the disk, for example.

Sets can automate your duplication. Suppose you sell a program that comes on four disks. You can create image files for each disk and list those image files in a DiskDupe Set file. Then, you can tell DiskDupe to make copies of the Set.


Sound

Whether you're duplicating disks from your computer or a network of autoloaders, DiskDupe gives you the option of customizing each warning sound. This is especially helpful when you are duplicating on a network of autoloaders, since you can vary the sounds for each one and distinguish which autoloader is giving you the warning.

To customize the Sounds, select Setup|Sound and edit the Sound Settings from the Sound List.


Source

The source is the location of the master diskette to be copied or compared to the destination chosen for the job to be performed.  The source could be a drive that contains a master diskette, an image file, a set of image files, or a Rambodisk.


Special Formats

Four new disk types have been added to the Disk list: 400K, 800K, 1.36Mb, and 1.68Mb.  This allows for the formatting and reading of disks with these unique formats.

The new types are meant to be used in conjunction with disks that normally are formatted to 360K, 720K, 1.2Mb and 1.44Mb respectively.  The extra capacity is derived by increasing the disk's sectors per track and decreasing the gap width between sectors.  Formatting disks with these new types is not recommended if the disk will be written over on drives other than the one it was formatted on, since drive speeds vary from drive to drive which , which can cause the data on the disk to be written incorrectly.  If the formatted disk will only be read by other drives, then this will not be a problem.


Serial String and Track Range

 (Pro/AutoPro)

DiskDupe's Track Range feature allows disks to be serialized in a second pass. Since bad disks are detected early, breaks in the sequence of serial numbers are minimized. Use the following steps to duplicate with Track Range.

1) Duplicate the disks with Serial set to Off and Range set to All or Data.

2) Apply labels indicating each disk's serial number.

3) Set Range to Serial and Serial to Select One or Follow Image. Select the file with your serial parameters or create a new one.

4) Make sure that Duplicate is selected and press Go when you are ready to serialize your disks. DiskDupe will only copy the tracks containing the serial numbers.

DiskDupe automatically determines where the serial locations are. The Start Search Track and End Search Track settings don't have any effect when writing or comparing a disk.

With serial turned Off, Track Range's Serial setting has no effect; it works just like Track Range All.

See Also:

 Comparing Serial Numbers with Track Range


Stand-alone Compare

The Compare operation under the Job Window works nearly the same as Duplicate, whether you're comparing from a disk, an image file, or using Relay. When doing a Relay Compare, be sure to write-protect your master disks.

When comparing a master disk to a copy, be sure to put the master disk in first, otherwise DiskDupe might report an error in the unused portion of the copied disk.  For more information on this topic, read about Detect Data Area under Job|Options.

One minor difference between Compare and Duplicate is that if you specify 10 copies, DiskDupe will compare just 10 disks whether they are good or bad. With Compare, for example, if the last disk is bad DiskDupe will not ask for another disk. Duplicate, on the other hand, will make 10 good disks. Thus, if DiskDupe found three bad disks while duplicating, you would have ended up putting in thirteen copies to get the 10 good disks.


Start Search Track; End Search Track

 (Pro/AutoPro)

Sometimes the Search String appears on the disk in several places even when you only intended to have one real serial number. In this case you can use the Search Tracks to limit where DiskDupe looks for the search string. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to tell which is the right serial number. The best thing to do is to limit the track range(see below) to find just one and then serialize a disk and try it out to see if it is the right one.

The only function of the Start Search Track and End Search Track settings is to limit the scope of the serial string. The purpose here is to save time and limit the possibility of unwanted serial numbers.


StopCopy Copy Protection

 (Pro/AutoPro)

StopCopy copy protection from BBI Computer Systems, Inc., can be interfaced with DiskDupe Pro and AutoPro to protect floppy diskettes as they are duplicated.

 Protection counts are supplied via a count floppy that is accessed in the A: drive of the computer, or from counts on the hard drive. Hard drive counts are installed from the floppy disk to the hard drive.

 StopCopy version 1.10 and above supports all controllers and floppy drives that are supported by DiskDupe, including 4XSDS 1200 RPM drives.

 "Enhanced" style interrupts are used.  The older SCPDUP driver supplied by BBI uses the "Multi-Dupe style" user interrupts (found under Job|Options) but the 1.10 version gives the user the option to use a "Program using DiskDupe enhanced style user interrupts (no BIOS)".  Choose this option (option #4 from first menu screen in SCPDUP program) and then choose "Enhanced" style interrupts in DiskDupe under Job|Options.

Note: SCPDUP has to be loaded before DiskDupe is run.

 SCPDUP can be used to add copy protection to diskettes during or after duplication.  To add protection as a second pass choose the "Track Range None" option from the Job menu under "Format/Verify".  To copy and protect the disks in the same pass set Track Range to "All" or "Data".

BBI Computer Systems, Inc. 14105 Heritage Lane Silver Spring, MD 20906 Voice: (301)871-1094 Fax:   (301)460-7545


Switches

Each switch can be thought of as part of a control panel that governs some aspect of DiskDupe's operation. Some have just two positions: On/Off. Others can have several.  If a switch works with the On/Off command, you can turn it on with TRUE or YES as well, and turn if off with a FALSE or NO.

You can designate a switch from either the menus or the command-line, and if a switch isn't specified when you start DiskDupe, it will remain in the same position as the last time you exited.

Please note that the availability of certain switches is dependent on which DiskDupe software you are using, i.e. Standard, Pro or AutoPro, and that some switches may not be available for the Windows version of DiskDupe.

 (press F5 to zoom the screen)

 Go Switches

 (Standard/Pro/Auto/AutoPro) **

 | Topic |   | Switch |    | Explanation |

 Duplicate     /DUP         Duplicate (also for format if source is FORMAT)

 Compare       /COM         Stand-Alone Compare

 Test          /TES         Drive Test (diagnostics)

 Label         /LAB         Print test for labels

 Network       /SERVER      Starts the DiskDupe Network Server option

 No pause      /NOWAIT      No pause at menus before or after copy

 Overwrite     /OVERWRITE   Same as NOWAIT, but will overwrite the disk

                            currently in the drive

 No screen     /NOSCREEN    Suppresses the normal screen display and

                            displays text instead.  If no screen output

                            is desired, redirect the output to NULL.  For

                            example DISKDUPE /NOSCREEN>NULL

 Exit on error /EXIT        Exits on a bad disk.  Normally if DiskDupe rejects

                            a disk while copying, it will continuing copying

                            until a good copy is made.  However, if you want

                            it to cease copying instead use this command line

Theses switches get DiskDupe to start immediately and exit automatically upon completion. If you don't specify one of these switches then DiskDupe will change the settings you specify and pause at the menus for you to make a selection.

To format diskettes /DUP is used with the Source set to FORMAT.

The /NOWAIT switch is used to keep DiskDupe from stopping at the menus when errors are encountered.

Unlike the other switches, these active switches are not saved and must be specified each time DiskDupe is called up.

** /NOWAIT, /OVERWRITE, /EXIT, and /NOSCREEN are not available in DiskDupe

   Standard and Auto.

 Basic Switches

 (Standard/Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

 | Topic |   | Switch |    | Explanation |

 Copies       /C            Specifies number of copies(/C0 for continuous)

                            Example: DISKDUPE /C50

 Job name     /JOB=filename Pulls up settings previously saved in a job

                            in DiskDupe.  If job name has spaces in it then

                            surround with quotes.

                            Example: DISKDUPE /JOB="Make product disks"

 Data file    /DAT=filename Use alternate .DAT file for different duplicating

                            jobs. Must follow "DISKDUPE" command.

                            Example: DISKDUPE /DAT=datafil1.dat

                            This setting is not saved

 Format       /F            Use /FA for Always, /FO for Only if Necessary,

 Options                    or /FN for Never

 Verify       /V            Use /VA for Always, /VO for Only if Necessary,

 Options                    or /VN for Never

 Drive Setup  /CMOS=YES     "YES" uses CMOS bootup configuration for A:

              /CMOS=NO      and B: drives; "NO" does not

 Memory       /EMS          Specify an amount of memory, "0" not to use, or

 (Dos only)   /XMS          "-1" for no limit. Example: /XMS=1024

 Autoloader Switches

 (Auto/AutoPro)

 | Topic |   | Switch |    | Explanation |

 Keep Disk    /KEEPFIRST    Keeps the first or last disk in the autoloader

              /KEEPLAST     drive. This option is not saved

 Serial

 Pause        /SERCOMPPAUSE Pauses between serial numbers while comparing

               =ON          disks that have serial numbers.  Useful when

                            doing serial quality assurance, so the operator

                            can verify the serial number with the disk

                            label

Note: The /KEEP switches will be disregarded when used in conjunction with the Cleaning or Drive Test functions. DiskDupe will always insert a new disk.

 Disk Type Switches

 (Standard/Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

 | Switch |        | Explanation |

 /TAU               Disk set to Auto

 /T320              320k Disks

 /T360              360k Disks

 /T400              400k Disks

 /T720              720k Disks

 /T800              800k Disks

 /T12               1.2Mb Disks

 /T136              1.36Mb Disks

 /T14               1.44Mb Disks

 /T168              1.68Mb Disks

 /T28               2.8Mb Disks

 These are the default disk type switches supported.  Custom disk types are

 also supported via the disk type name.  The exact name of the disk type

 must be entered including the character case and any spaces between characters.

 To select a disk type with a name that has spaces in it, enclose the name

 in quotation marks.  For example the disk type 1.84Mb copy, would be

 selected with /T"1.84Mb copy".  A name that does not have any spaces in it

 can be selected normally, i.e. disk type "Unix" can be selected using

 /TUnix.

 Advanced Switches

 (Standard/Pro/Auto/AutoPro) **

 | Topic |   | Switch |    | Explanation |

 Track Range  /TRALL        Track Range: All

              /TRDATA       Track Range: Data

              /TRSER        Track Range: Serial

              /TRNONE       Track Range: None

 Detect data  /DETECTDATA   Enable detect the data area

 area             or

              /EXACT

 Serial       /SZON         Serial: On

              /SZOFF        Serial: Off

              /SZF=file.SER Select serial file with parameters for serialization.

              /SZN          Serialization Number

 User         /USER="name"  Specifying the user's name. This setting is not

                            saved

 Labels       /LBON         Turn on or off label printing while copying

              /LBOFF

              /LBF=filename Specify the label file to use

              /LBP=lpt1     Specify the port of file to print to

 Images       /DES="xxx"    Specifies image description from

                            the command line

 Count all    /COUNTALL     Causes DiskDupe to count all disks during

                 or         duplication so that pre-labeled diskettes do not

              /COUNTBAD     get out of order when bad disks are encountered

 LLP          /LLPKEEP      Prevents clearing of the CopyMaker autoloader when

                            starting a new operation

 Collate sets /COLLSETS     Collates a disk set

 Retries      /RETRIES=     The number of retries you will allow DiskDupe to

                            perform when DiskDupe is writing and reading

                            disks

                            Example:  DISKDUPE /DUP /RETRIES=2,5,5,10

Retries specifies the number of retries that DiskDupe will attempt when coping or reading disks.  Four numbers are entered, separated by commas, with no spaces.  They represent in order:

1) Retries per track for duplication and verification.

2) Retried tracks during duplication and verification.

3) Retries per track when reading a master disk.

4) Retried tracks per disk when reading a master disk.

** /TRSER, /TRNONE, any of the /SZ, /COUNTALL, /COUNTBAD, /COLLSETS and /TRETRIES are not available in DiskDupe Standard and Auto, and /LLPKEEP is not available in the Pro.

 Barcode Switches

 (Pro/AutoPro)

 | Switch |          | Explanation |

 /BarCheckDigitOn     Turns the check digit on

 /BarCheckDigitOff    Turns the check digit off

 /BarTextTop          Prints readable text at the top of the barcode

 /BarTextBot          Prints readable text at the bottom

 /BarTextNone         No readable text

 /BarElement3         Sets the bar element size to 3/360", other sizes

                      can be selected the same way

 /BarNarBar1          Set the narrow bar ratio 1 times the element size, other

                      sizes can be selected the same way

 /BarNarSpa1.5        Sets the narrow space ratio 1.5 times the element size, other

                      sizes can be selected the same way

 /BarWidBar2.5        Sets the wide bar ratio 2.5 times the element size, other

                      sizes can be selected the same way

 /BarWidSpa3          Sets the wide space ratio to 3 times the element size, other

                      sizes can be selected the same way

 /BarHeight0.125      Sets the bar height .125 inches

 Memory Switches (Dos only)

 (Standard/Pro/Auto/AutoPro)

 | Switch |        | Explanation |

 /DMAWINON         Activates VDMA buffering

 /DMAWINOFF        Deactivates VDMA buffering

These switches should not be used unless a 909 DMA Setup error is encountered.

See also:

 Command-Line Examples

 Detecting Errors

 Replaceable Parameters


Requirements

Dos version:

 IBM PC or compatible computer.

 Dos 3.1 or later.

 450k free RAM.

 Hard Disk, RAM Disk or Network.

 (Auto/AutoPro Only) Mountain compatible autoloader.

Windows version:

 IBM PC or compatible computer that will run Microsoft Windows 3.1 in Standard or Enhanced mode, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, or Windows 95'.

 An installed copy of Microsoft Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, or Windows 95'. A hard disk or network with 2 MB free.

 4 MB RAM.

The duplication speeds for diskettes copied with DiskDupe do not depend on the processor speed of the computer if the processor in the PC is a 286 or above.  Copying times on XT (8086) computers will probably be slower.


Technical Support

DiskDupe is backed by a technical support system designed to offer you fast, courteous service. To use it, please register your program immediately. If you can't find the registration card sent with the program disk, you can submit a copy of the registration card found on page 4 of the owner's manual. Then, if you need assistance beyond what the manual can provide, you are entitled to unlimited technical support for your current version of DiskDupe. The only cost to you will be the charges for calling us.

If an error message is occurring then be sure to press F1 when the error message occurs for the help screen on that error.  If this does not help to solve the problem then call us for technical support.

What to Do Before Calling:

In order for us to provide the best possible help, before calling please do the following.

 Check the Help file in DiskDupe and follow the instructions it specifies for that error. We continuously update the Help file and chances are good that the solution to your problem is in there.

 Have the serial number of your DiskDupe program ready. This can be found on the box, the disk label, and the DiskDupe Help|About dialog box which can be accessed from the main screen by pressing <F9>.

 Write down exactly what the problem is and what error messages appeared.

 Write down the types of drives and computer you are using.

 Be at your computer with DiskDupe running.

 Call the Technical Support number in the Help|About dialog box (press <F9>).


Temp File

DiskDupe uses your hard disk as virtual memory once it runs out of RAM. Normally, the current subdirectory will be used for this temporary file. If you are running on a network and want to use a local drive for temporary storage, add a temp setting to your AUTOEXEC.BAT.  If you do not have the TEMP variable in your AUTOEXEC.BAT then add the following line:

 SET TEMP=C:\TEMP

and make a directory called C:\TEMP by typing:

 CD \

 MD TEMP

at the Dos prompt.  This allows DiskDupe to create a temporary file. The temp file will be deleted when DiskDupe is done.


Track Range

Track Range controls which parts of a disk are formatted and verified.

If Track Range is set to Data then DiskDupe formats, verifies, or compares only the part of the destination disk that corresponds to a data track on the source. This can save a lot of time if the disks are not very full.

The Serial setting is useful for applying serialization to diskettes in a second pass so that DiskDupe will only write to the track(s) that have serial numbers.

With Track Range All, DiskDupe formats and verifies the entire disk, whether or not it is writing data.

If you are copying to blank diskettes with the Track Range set to Data, then the diskette produced will be perfectly readable for the files that it originally contains.  However anyone who tries to copy additional files to this disk or make a copy with Dos DiskCopy will get an error because the empty space on the disk has not been formatted. This can serve as a type of copy protection. In addition, since most disk defects occur in the last tracks, you get more "good" disks.

Serializing with Track Range:

With Serialization set On and Track Range to Serial, DiskDupe duplicates or compares only the track or range of tracks containing the serial string. This lets you copy the disks first and serialize them as a second step. With Serialization Off, this setting functions like Track Range All.

Track Range set to None can be selected if you are using StopCopy to apply copy protection in a second-pass.  This will prevent the data already present on the copies not be over-written.

See Also:

  Serialization


Track Range Data

 When an image file is made with DiskDupe the entire disk is read in and the image file contains only the information from the tracks that have data on the master (the "Track Range Data" setting has no effect when disks are read).

 It is important that the master be "clean" (formatted with format set to "Always" under "Options" in DiskDupe or formatted from Dos using the /u switch) before files are copied to it so that there is no old data on the final tracks of the disk.

 When any image is used for copying and the "Track Range" is set to "Data" only the tracks that have data on the master are copied and verified on the destination disk.  If DiskDupe has trouble reading any of the tracks that it is copying to then it will try to reformat the disk from the bad track through the last data track of the disk, so a poorly formatted disk is still usable.  By choosing "Track Range Data" DiskDupe is forced to look at only the data tracks of the destination disk (to speed up the copying process) so any errors in the part of the disk beyond this data will not be caught.  The disk will perfectly readable from Dos because all of the data tracks have been copied and verified by our software (provided that "Verify" is set to "Always" in the "Options" menu), but it may not be readable from our software if the final tracks are bad.

 To take an extreme case you can copy from an image file to an unformatted diskette with the "Track Range" set to "Data" and the disk produced will be perfectly readable from Dos and invariably unreadable as a master with DiskDupe (which will report an "Error 204, Record Not Found" as soon as it reads the last data track).  This disk can, nevertheless, be compared to the image file it was created from in DiskDupe if the "Track Range" is set to "Data".


TSR's that Causes Problems

 Keyboost by PolyTron. Older version.

 AST RamDisk, SuperSpool utilities.

 Hyperdisk ver 4.31. Causes computer to lockup with "Stack overflow" message from Dos.

 Try booting without and TSR's loaded and see if DiskDupe runs better.  Please let us know of any other TSR's that you find to be incompatible with DiskDupe.


Unreadable Disks

Master disks or images using DiskDupe using drive that the copies were made in and on other drives as well. Typical error messages that will come up are Error 202 (Bad Address Mark), Error 204 (Record not Found), and Error 207 (Bad CRC). (If DiskDupe were to report an error 301 (Bad Compare) reading one of these copies then this would indicate a hardware problem (most likely a DMA conflict) and also that the diskettes were copied with the compare option turned off in DiskDupe.)

IF THE BAD DISKS ARE READABLE IN THE DRIVE THAT PRODUCED THEM BUT NOT READABLE IN OTHER DRIVES:

 Poor drive alignment.  This is probably the most common cause.  If the diskettes are consistently unreadable in most drives except the drive that they were written on, then the alignment of the drive used to make the copy is questionable.  Usually such a diskette will be unreadable starting with the first track (i.e. cannot read the directory) on other machines.  Check the alignment using DiskDupe Pro or AutoPro.

 Poorly positioned track zero sensor.  If the track zero sensor is positioned incorrectly then the drive might be able to produce diskettes that have the tracks in the wrong place on the diskette. Usually such a diskette will be unreadable starting with the first track (i.e. cannot read the directory) on other machines.

 Copy drive is passing marginal diskettes.  This problem is most common with double speed drives, especially Y-E Data 2X drives. Diskettes that spin at double speed produce a stronger read signal than at regular speed so it is often possible to read a marginal diskette at 2X but not at 1X.   Diskettes with these defects will often be readable on the first tracks because their errors (usually due to drop-outs in the media) occur randomly on the diskette.  This problem is most obvious when poor quality media is used.  Try reducing the number of retries that DiskDupe allows when comparing the disk to zero by using the /retries# command line switch(i.e. call up DiskDupe by typing:

 DISKDUPE /RETRIES0

from the Dos prompt.  This setting gets saved in the DISKDUPE.DAT file so it does not need to be set every time.  The default number of retries is two.  This command line switch is only supported in version 4.09 and above.

 Disk type is set incorrectly in DiskDupe.  This problem can be avoided by leaving the disk type set to "Auto" in DiskDupe.  For example if you are making copies of 1.44Mb disks with the disk type set to 1.2Mb then DiskDupe will read the master disks as it were a 1.2Mb diskette (ignoring the last three sectors of each track).  The disks produced will be completely unreadable (fail on the first track with a "Record not found" error).

IF THE DISKETTES ARE NOT EVEN READABLE ON THE DRIVE THAT WROTE THEM:

 Poor media quality:

If the diskette quality is poor then the diskette will not hold its signal well over time.  Use only certified diskettes with a clipping rate of at least 60%.  For best results use blank media and format them as you copy to them using DiskDupe with "Format" set to "Always" in the Setup menu.  The bad disks will show errors on various

 Dirty Drive heads:

Before checking anything else make sure that the heads on the drive are clean because dirty heads are unpredictable.

 Drive cable is loose:

If the drive cable connector is loose and pins 32, 33, and 34 are not connected and the rest are, then DiskDupe will format, write and verify disks with compare on, but the disks will be bad.  It will also format the disks even if they are preformatted.

Pin 32 is the pin that selects which side of the disk gets written to.  If it is not connected then all of the data will be written to and read from only one side of the disk.  When copying the disk DiskDupe reads back the information that it writes for each track immediately after writing it and thus reports no errors despite the fact that all the data is being written to and read from only one side of the disk.  For each track the data for the first side gets written to and read from the first head and then the data for the second side gets written to and read from the first head again.

If these disks are compared in a separate pass after duplication then DiskDupe will report and Error 204(Record not Found) on the first track since all of the side 1 data has been overwritten by the side 2 data.  Diagnostics will report the same error.

 Diskette has not been removed from drive after copy.

DiskDupe gets its speed by bypassing Dos and the BIOS of the computer.  In doing so Dos is left in the dark with regards to the changes that occur to the diskette while the DiskDupe software is running.  This often leads to strange results when a directory command is tried immediately after exiting from DiskDupe.   If the diskette is removed from the drive and a <Ctrl><C> is typed before reinserting the diskette then Dos should then recognize that the disk in the drive has been changed and give an accurate response to a DIR command.


DiskDupe Product Summary

There are several different versions of DiskDupe currently available to support a wide range of duplication needs.  From performing routine copying, to designing a fully automated in-house duplication system, the DiskDupe product line has a version available for everyone, as well as a proven upgrade path.

If by chance there is a feature you would like that is not supported, program customization is available.

The DiskDupe product line includes:

  DiskDupe Lite

  DiskDupe Standard

  DiskDupe Professional

  DiskDupe AutoPro

DiskDupe Lite is a no-frills duplication program designed for people that simply want to make copies, but don't require all the extra features of the Standard version.  Main Features include disk images, relay copy, user definable jobs, 1.68Mb disk format and 5" to 3" disk conversion.  Note, there is a 4 copy limit per disk with the Lite version.

DiskDupe Standard is designed for people that routinely perform disk duplication and want all the features of the Lite, as well as full utilization of their computers EMS/XMS memory for quicker copying, command line support, user adjustable colors (Dos only) and sound, and track range data.

DiskDupe Professional is designed for software developers that want to do in-house duplication, and anticipate medium volume diskette duplication. The Pro contains all the great features of the Standard, as well as support for additional floppy drives, double speed drives, RAM drives, disk serialization, custom disks, disk sets, a password management system, floppy drive alignment diagnostics system, and barcode label support.

DiskDupe AutoPro is designed to be used in conjunction with all the major manufacturer auto-loaders.  It includes all the features of the Professional, with the addition of being able to generate log files of duplication activities, use in-line printers, act as a duplication server, and supports 2XSDS and 4XSDS drives.

All of our products come with a comprehensive on-line help system that is only a key stroke away.  If you need assistance beyond what the help can provide, you are entitled to FREE UNLIMITED technical support.

As mentioned briefly before, we have a proven upgrade path available.  If you decide to upgrade, almost all of your initial investment can be applied towards the upgrade.


Unlock Code

DiskDupe Trial has a special unlocking feature that allows it to convert itself into a full working version of either DiskDupe Lite or DiskDupe Standard by entering in a unique unlock code.  To obtain the code, fill out the registration form and either fax, email or phone in your order, and we will provide it to you.

The advantages of using the unlocking feature are: it provides you with a full working registered version of DiskDupe with no bother-screens right away, there are no shipping and handling fees, and there is no sales tax.

The disadvantages of using the unlocking feature are: you won't receive the original DiskDupe disk that we normally ship out, and you won't receive a cleaning disk and hardcopy manual with DiskDupe Standard (you can of course request these items, but there will be an additional charge).


Updating Images

If you simply want to update an image file with a newer version of a disk, create an image file, using the old name as the Destination. The old image will be replaced, unless you have marked the image as read-only. If you try to overwrite or delete a read-only image file, you will get an "Access denied" error.


User Interrupts

 (Pro/AutoPro)

User interrupts are usually used to apply copy protection while the disks are being copied. This gives you the advantage of running the disks through only once. When User Interrupts is turned on, DiskDupe copies the disk, then pauses while the copy protection program provides a signature. Once the copy protection program writes the signature to the disk, DiskDupe resumes copying.

User interrupts can also be used to apply specialized serialization schemes.

On the Job|Options menu, you can either choose MultiDupe user interrupts or the new style Enhanced under the User Interrupt option.


Verify

The Verify option lets you select how carefully you want DiskDupe to check the disks being copied for defects. Normally, Verify is set to Always. This will make sure that all defects are detected.  If you are using preformatted disks that you know are good, you can set Verify to Only After Format to speed up duplication, but there is no assurance that the diskettes produced will be readable.

Verify uses both CRC(Cyclical Redundancy Check) and byte-by-byte compare to detect errors.

You will definitely want to use Verify when you format new disks. If you buy preformatted disks, you should set Verify to Always, since the quality of preformatted disks varies tremendously.

Even with disks that you preformat yourself you may run Verify to catch any damage that occurred to the disks after you formatted them. For instance, someone may have accidentally touched the floppy disk surface. Duplicating times for preformatted disks with Verify check are still fairly quick, and with Verify turned off, defects will most likely not be detected.

You shouldn't set Verify to Never unless you plan to Compare every disk in a separate pass.

 Format   Compare


Viruses

Viruses rank among a computer's deadliest enemies, infecting programs and depositing themselves in your hard disk's boot sector. When virus-ridden programs and disks are run on another computer, that machine is strike as well. Programs capable of spreading viruses are associated with the operation of a program and typically have the extensions EXE, COM, OVL, OVR, SYS, BIN, or PRG. These are opposed to data files, which have no means of spreading a virus.

DiskDupe is a natural deterrent to viruses. Since it works directly with your computer's hardware, DiskDupe will not spread viruses from a infected computer to the copies it makes. However, if a disk that DiskDupe is copying, or the files on it, are already infected, the copies will be as well. Since DiskDupe images are stored as data files they are not susceptible to virus infection, even if your system is later infected by a virus. However, images made from virus-ridden disks will contain the virus.

Commercial software such as Norton Anti-Virus, PC Tools and McAfee Viruscan can check for and remove viruses from your hard and floppy disks.


Limited Warranty

Micro System Designs, Inc. warrants the physical diskettes and physical documentation enclosed herein to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 60 days from the date of delivery to you.

Micro System Designs does not warrant that the functions contained in this program will meet your requirements or that the program operation will be uninterrupted or error free.

Micro System Designs entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be the replacement of the diskette or documentation not meeting the "Limited Warranty" and which is returned to Micro System Designs freight prepaid within the warranty period with a copy of your receipt or other proof of purchase.

Micro System Designs specifically disclaims all other warranties, expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of fitness for any particular purpose and of merchantability.

In no event will Micro System Designs be liable to you for any damages, including but not limited to any lost profits, lost savings, commercial damage or other incidental or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use this program, or for any claim by any other party.


What's New in DiskDupe 5.0

  Job format with opening menus.

  Auto-Setup capability for easy setup.

  New Edit Menu for editing text files.

  Support for faster Allegro floppy controllers.

  Improved Serialization capability.

  Custom disk format analysis and duplication support.

  Improved drive setup with advanced menu for fine

   tuning drive performance.


Window Margin

Window margin checking is currently only supported when using an Allegro II controller with the Window Margin Upgrade.

Why is Window Margin Important?

Most floppy controllers used for duplication pass marginally readable diskettes because the controller will only fail the disk if data reads back incorrectly, no matter how marginal the quality of the data signal. Unfortunately the diskette will read in most easily on the drive that wrote to it, so even though the diskette is readable on the duplication drive this does not guarantee that other drives will be able to read the same disk.

The most important parameter of the quality of the diskette copy is the timing placement of the bits on the disk.  The diskette surface is divided into timing "windows" where the data bits are written, and ideally the bits are located in the center of these windows.  In the real world the bits move from the center of this window ("bit shift"), and the more the bits move the more likely that they will be misinterpreted by the drive that reads the disk.  Bit shift is the most significant cause of data read errors in the field.

When a normal floppy controller reads a disk it determines the location of its timing window based on a history of the arrival times of previous bits using a Phase Locked Loop (PLL).  Until now the only window margin circuits available for P.C. based duplication have used the Time Interval Analysis (TIA) technique for positioning the window based only on the arrival time of the previous bit.  TIA circuits are inexpensive to produce, but they introduce error in the positioning of the window which reduces the accuracy of their bit timing measurements.  The Allegro II Window Margin Upgrade uses a PLL circuit to provide accurate window margin timing measurements.

Window Margin Upgrade

The Window Margin Upgrade allows the Allegro II to check the bit placement of the data written to the diskettes.  The window margin checking occurs as the diskette is duplicated without affecting the duplication speed.

The operator can specify one of four window settings under Job|Options|Advanced, depending on the degree of quality desired.

Window margin settings for the Allegro II Revision 2.0:

 Window margin settings:

 Loose      = 78%

 Medium     = 66%

 Tight      = 53%

 Very Tight = 47%

Window margin is supported for all drives except 1200 RPM 4XSDS drives.

If you are using an Allegro II that supports window margin and you have enabled window margin checking in the software then the history box at the bottom of the duplication status screen will display a message indicating the window margin setting when the Job|Go|Duplicate or Job|Go|Compare is selected.

We recommend that you make sure that the number of retries allowed for the duplication job is low enough to allow the window margin to be effective. This is set under Job|Options.  We recommend setting this to 1,1,5,100 when using window margin.

If your Allegro II controller has the revision number 1.0 then if you purchase the Window Margin Upgrade your dealer will replace your Allegro II with a new controller that has this feature.  If your Allegro II has a revision number of 2.0 or higher then it can be upgraded to support window margin simply by installing four window margin upgrade chips, labeled U18, U19, U20 and U21.  These chips need to be installed in the four corresponding sockets on the Allegro II controller.  The duplication software will automatically sense the new chips.


Windows 3.1

If you get an error message indicating a DMA problem, add the line DMABufferSize=018 to the Windows SYSTEM.INI file under the [386Enh] heading in the file.

When running in 386 Enhanced Mode and Windows reports a "Program Violates System Integrity" message when you click on the DiskDupe icon, create a PIF file for DiskDupe (Dos only) with EMS KB Limit set to 0. this occurs when EMM386 is used with the /NOEMS parameter.

It is sometimes necessary to call DiskDupe with the /DMAWINOFF command line (Dos only) switch to avoid getting a 206 or 909 "DMA Boundary" error.  To do this go to the Dos prompt and from the DiskDupe directory call up DiskDupe with:

 DISKDUPE /DMAWINOFF

This setting gets saved in the DISKDUPE.DAT file when you exit from the program so it only needs to be set once.

 If /DMAWINOFF doesn't work try /VDMA=NONE or /VDMA=MEM (Dos only).  The default is /VDMA=BUF, which normally works the best.

 When running from Windows, try increasing the DMA buffer size by adding the line "DMABufferSize=100" under the [386Enh] section of the Windows SYSTEM.INI file.

See also:

 Windows Installation of Dos Version


Windows Installation of Dos Version

1) From the Dos prompt Follow the instructions for hard disk installation or network installation.

2) From the Windows File Program Manager select "File|New".

3) Select "OK" for new program item.

4) For Description enter "DiskDupe".  For Command Line enter "DISKDUPE.PIF". For working directory enter your DiskDupe directory, i.e. "C:\DISKDUPE" or whatever directory that you have installed DiskDupe into.

5) Select "Change ICON".  Windows will report that no icon is available. Enter in your path and the DiskDupe.ICO file, i.e. type:

 "C:\DISKDUPE\DISKDUPE.ICO"

(If you have installed DiskDupe on a network rather than you C: drive then be sure to include the drive letter and directory in this statement.)

6) Select OK twice.  This should add the DiskDupe icon to your windows program manager.

Please note: Duplication speeds will be somewhat slower when DiskDupe is run from Windows.  Once you have followed the above procedure the DiskDupe.PIF file will allow DiskDupe to run in the background copying disks as you work on other applications.


Windows Extra Serial locations

 When using the Windows File Manager to copy files to a floppy disk sometimes parts of files will show up in two locations on the disk. This can be disconcerting if you are using DiskDupe with serialization and DiskDupe is finding more serial locations than you would expect to find on that master disk.  To avoid this problem it is best to copy the files to the master disk using Dos copy commands to be sure that all of the data exists only in one location on the disk.


YE Data Jumper Settings

(Press F5 to zoom the help window)

 ===========================

 Y-E Data 6431S, 1.4Mb 4xSDS

 ===========================

 1200 RPM (Normal) *  1440 RPM **

 -------------------  -------------

 ET ''                ET ''

 PC ''                PC ''

 IT ''                IT ''

 MD ''                MD ==

 DI ''  '' RY         DI ''  '' RY

 M2 ''  == DC         M2 ==  == DC

 M1 ==  '' Aux        M1 ==  '' Aux

 P2 ''  == DS1        P2 ''  == DS1

 P1 ==  '' DS0        P1 ==  '' DS0

 ('' is open, == is jumpered)

 * 1200 RPM is only supported with the Allegro II controller.

 ** 1440 RPM is not yet supported.

 ===========================

 Y-E Data 6130S, 1.4Mb 2xSDS (also 6331S)

 ===========================

 600 RPM (Normal)     720 RPM *

 -------------------  -------------

 ET ''                ET ''

 PC ''                PC ''

 IT ''                IT ''

 MD ''                MD ==

 DI ''  '' RY         DI ''  '' RY

 M2 ''  == DC         M2 ==  == DC

 M1 ==  '' Aux        M1 ==  '' Aux

 P2 ''  == DS1        P2 ''  == DS1

 P1 ''  '' DS0        P1 ''  '' DS0

 ('' is open, == is jumpered)

 * 720 RPM is only supported with the Allegro II controller.

 - Most controllers will also support the use of DS0 with this drive.

 =========================

 Y-E Data 6031H, 1.4Mb 2X

 =========================

 Stock 2X drive:      MediaForm drive:

 -------------        ---------------

        '' RY                '' RY

 IF ''  == DC         IF ''  == DC

 HD ''  '' DS3        HD ''  '' DS3

 M2 ''  '' DS2        M2 ''  '' DS2

 M1 ==  == DS1        M1 ==  == DS1

 P1 ''  '' DS0        P1 ==  '' DS0

 ('' is open, == is jumpered)

 =====================

 Y-E Data 6131B, 1.4Mb

 =====================

 Drive Jumpers

 -------------

        '' RY

 IF ''  == DC

 HD ''  '' DS3

 M2 ''  '' DS2

 M1 ==  == DS1

 P1 ''  '' DS0

 ('' is open, == is jumpered)

 ==========================

 Y-E Data 380B, 1.2Mb 2XSDS

 ==========================

 Drive Jumpers

 -------------

 M1 ''  == MD

 P2 ''  '' DI

 P1 ''  == M2

 DS1 '' == DS0

 DC  ==

 RY  ''

 AUX ''


Y-E Data and Alf SDS Interfaces

The ALF and Y-E Data SDS interfaces allow you to hook up an SDS drive using a single 34 pin ribbon cable.

Below is a list of pins that differ from the normal floppy pin assignments for these interfaces:

     Interface:  Normal      Y-E Data        Alf

     -------------------------------------------

     Pin

     3            GND          DS1           GND

     4             NC           NC        WE HD1

     6             NC       RD HD1            NC

     10           ME0          DS0           DS0

     12           DS1       WE HD1           DS1

     14           DS0       WD HD1        WD HD1

     34       DSK CHG.     DSK CHG.       RD HD1

(RD = read data, WD = write data, HD = head, DS = drive select, NC = no connect)


101 Disks are Done.

 This is a normal message indicating that all the disks are done.


102 User Esc.

 This is a normal message that occurs when the user presses the <Esc> key to stop duplicating disks.


201 Bad NEC CMD.

 This usually indicates a hardware problem with your computer.


202 Bad Address Mark.

 This normally occurs when reading a master disk that is bad, but can also indicate that the drive or disk type is set incorrectly.   If your drive has been used for several months, it might need cleaning.

 If are using the Pro or AutoPro version and the number of Retries is set too low, disks that would normally pass with the default settings of "2, 10, 5, 100" might be rejected.  For example if "2" were selected for each setting, and three retries occurred the disk would be rejected.  NOTE: A number must be selected for each category.  If just one number is entered, for example "1", DiskDupe does not assume the other settings are "1" as well.  The settings may be initialized with zeros, causing this error as well.

 It can also occur if the drive or disk type is set incorrectly. If you are using a double speed drive set up as a regular speed drive (or vice versa) in the Drive List (under Setup|Drives) then you might see this message.

 With two-cable SDS drives this message can occur if the head 0 cable is connected correctly but the head 1 cable is not or if the cables are reversed.

 With single cable SDS drives on the Allegro controller this error message sometimes occurs when the "C1 SDS CONFIG" jumper is set incorrectly.  If it is set to YE DA then try setting it to ALF or vice-versa.


203 Write Protect.

 If the disk that you are trying to write to has a write protect tab on it, you will get this error, unless you are using Relay mode.

 It can also occur with an autoloader if the diskette is not being fully inserted in the drive.  Remove the cover of the autoloader and visually inspect the insertion of the diskettes using the ALTALK program if you have it.

 This can also occur when more than one drive are connected to the same cable on a controller.  Never connect two drives to the same drive select (position) on the drive cable.

 With two-cable SDS drives this error can occur if the head 1 cable is on upsidedown.


204 Record not Found.

 This usually occurs when reading a master disk that is bad but can also occur if the wrong disk type is selected.  See error 202.

 If the drive you are using has a Y-E Data interface and the P1 jumper is on the wrong jumper block, this error can also occur.


205 Bad DMA.

 Usually this indicates that there is a conflict between the floppy controller and some other device in the computer that is using DMA.

 Common sources of DMA conflicts:

 - SCSI hard drive cards (Adaptec 1542)

 - LAN cards configured to use DMA

 - Soundcards

 - Power management feature on laptops

 In the specific case of the Adaptec 1542 SCSI controller it is necessary that the floppy controller used with DiskDupe supports FIFO buffering.  The Allegro and the CompatiCard IV are examples. The new Adaptec 1542CF controllers come with an 82077 floppy controller, which also supports FIFO buffering and works fine with DiskDupe.

 Network cards should be jumpered to use polled I/O rather than DMA.

 Soundcard conflicts can often be avoided by moving the soundcard or the floppy controller to another DMA channel.

 If you get this error message using a laptop then try turning the power management features off.

 With SDS controllers make sure that the DMA channel for the Head 0 controller (usually 2) is different from the DMA channel of the Head 1 controller.

 If you get this message using an Allegro controller try changing the jumpers on the Allegro to use another DMA channel. Avoid using DMA 2.

 If you get this error using a CompatiCard IV then try using another DMA channel on the CompatiCard. Refer to the CompatiCard manual for the corresponding DIP switch settings for SW-1.

 The DMA Burst Mode for the controller must be turned on or set to Auto for double speed high density drives. This is set in the Controller List (highlight the controller and then pick Edit).  Make sure that your controllers are configured correctly in the Controller List.

 With 2XSDS drives you can try going into the computer's CMOS setup and increasing the bus speed and/or the DMA speed. Some older computers are shipped with the bus and DMA speed set too low for 2XSDS drives.

See Also:

 DMA Trouble-shooting Steps


206 DMA Boundary.

 This usually indicates a hardware problem with your computer. It could also be caused by a software program gone astray.  Try rebooting the computer and taking out all memory resident programs.

 If you are using any version of OS/2, including WARP, try running DiskDupe with the /DMAWINOFF switch (Dos only), i.e. enter DISKDUPE /DMAWINOFF (Dos only) to run the program.


207 Bad CRC.

 This usually occurs when reading a master disk that is bad but can also occur if the wrong drive type or disk type is selected.

 If you get this message writing to the final tracks of a diskette then it is likely that the heads on the drive are dirty or misalligned or that the disks are of poor quality.  This can also happen when the disk type (density) is set incorrectly, especially with 5.25" diskettes.

 Sometimes this error occurs if the ribbon cable for the floppy drive is too long or too close to the computer monitor or if the pull-up resistors on the drive or the controller board are of the wrong value.

 Some drives tend to have problems writing to preformatted diskettes because they cannot overwrite the format information.  The older Sony drives are known for this problem.  Try using blank media and set "Format" to "Always" in the job menu.  If your media is preformatted then try degaussing it.  (To degauss small quantities of disks you can use an inexpensive Bulk Tape Eraser, which can be purchased at Radio Shack).


208 Bad NEC.

 This usually indicates a hardware problem with your computer or floppy controller.

 If you get this error on a laptop then try turning off the power management features.


209 Bad Seek.

 If you are using an Allegro I SDS controller with an SDS drive, this can occur if the Allegro is jumpered for a NORM drive interface instead of YE DATA.  See the Allegro manual for installation instructions.

 If you get this error at the beginning of a copy then it is likely that loose or misconnected drive cable or power connector is causing the problem, although sometimes you can get this error right away if the stepping rate for the drive does not suit the drive (see below).

 If this message occurs at the end of a copy then it is probably either that the stepping rate is set too fast for the drive, there is a problem with the stepping motor for the drive heads, or the track zero sensor for the drive is faulty or mispositioned.  Check and make sure that the heads of the drive are not catching on anything (such as the power cable or the diskette jacket).

 In DiskDupe 5.0 the step rate can be set for the drive by editing the drive in the Drive List (under Setup|Drives) and choosing the Advanced option from the Drive Setup.  Usually the Auto setting works best but you can also set the step delay to a particular time.  6ms is usually (but not always) a good value for 3.5" drives, 12ms for 5.25".  Try both increasing and decreasing the stepping rate and then running Drive Test from Setup|Drives.


210 Timeout.

 This error can occur for several reasons:  The drive that DiskDupe is trying to use does not exist, there is no power to the drive or the disk does not have an index hole.  It can sometimes also be cause by an address conflict (see Error 802, Controller not Responding).

 It can also occur with an autoloader if the diskette is not being fully inserted in the drive.  Remove the cover of the autoloader and visually inspect the insertion of the diskettes using the ALTALK program if you have it.

 With SDS drives this error can occur when the head 1 connector is incorrectly connected to the SDS floppy controller.  It can also occur if the SDS (head 1) controller does not have its interrupt disconnected or if the index signal from the drive (pin 8 of the floppy connector) is not getting to both controllers.  On the Allegro I controller make sure that the INDEX jumper is set to SDS for SDS drives.   See error 824.

 If you are using a secondary controller card, such as an Allegro card, this can occur if the interrupt is not being serviced quickly enough.  Try changing the interrupt from the default value of 6 to 5.

 DiskDupe cannot read disks with a sector interleave greater than 4.  If a particular diskette causes this problem then recopy its files to another diskette with normal interleave using Dos DISKCOPY and use the new diskette as the master for DiskDupe. This error can also occur when DiskDupe is run on a computer that is not completely compatible.


211 Bad Window Margin

 The diskette has failed the window margin test on the floppy controller board and has been rejected.  Window margin testing is only supported on certain controllers.

 If you are using a 4XSDS (1200 RPM), you will have to turn the Window Margin feature OFF.  Currently Window Margin is not supported with 4XSDS drives.


212 SDS Head 1 bad DMA.

 The SDS (head 1) controller DMA channel is not working correctly.  Make sure that the SDS controller (for Head 1) is on a different DMA channel from the head 0 controller and that the corresponding channel has been entered in the Controller List in DiskDupe under Setup|Controllers.  In the case of the CompatiCard IV and the Allegro controllers just leave the DMA channel set to Auto so that DiskDupe will sense the channel automatically. Please note that the SDS controller is listed immediately after the Head 0 controller in the Controller List.

 If the DMA channel is configured correctly in the software and you still get this error then try moving the jumpers on the controller card to another DMA channel.  If you are using a CompatiCard IV as the SDS controller then make sure that SW 1-5 and SW 1-6 are set correctly for the DMA channel that is being used.  With the Allegro I board just set the DMA jumpers.

See Also:

 DMA Trouble-shooting Steps


213 Bad SDS NEC

 This usually indicates a problem with the computer or the SDS (Head 1) floppy controller.


214 Bad Address Mark on SDS Head 1

 Normally this error message indicates that side 1 of the diskette is unreadable on a particular track.

 If this error occurs consistently on the first track of several disks then this is an indication that DiskDupe can read the data from the head 0 controller but cannot read the data from the head 1 controller.  Make sure that the drive is jumpered for the correct mode and drive select.

 If you are using a two cable SDS drive make sure that both cables are the same: either both cables are straight or both cables have a twist.  On the Allegro controller this message occurs if the head 1 cable of a two cable SDS drive is left unconnected.

 If you are using a Tracer 3 autoloader with a Y-E Data 2XSDS drive, the JP-2 jumper needs to be in the 2-3 position.

 Y-E Data jumper settings


215 SDS Head 1 Record Not Found

 The data on Head 0 of the SDS drive was readable but the data on head 1 was not.  See error 214.


216 Bad CRC on SDS

 The data on Head 0 of the SDS drive was readable but the data on head 1 was not.  See error 214.


Disk bad after user interrupt

 The TSR has informed DiskDupe that some problem was encountered with the diskette so we will take their word for it and reject the diskette.


301 Bad Compare.

 This is an error that normally occurs only when comparing disks. It indicates that DiskDupe rejected a disk because there were data discrepancies between it and the master.

 With certain computers and controllers this error message can occur when duplicating and this is usually indicative of a DMA problem (especially with Compaqs and machines with SCSI controllers, soundcards, or network cards that are jumpered to use DMA).  See error 205, Bad DMA.

 Sometimes this error can be caused by a floppy cable being placed too close to a noise source (such as a monitor).  In this case you will also see error 207 (bad CRC) on some disks.  Try using a shorter cable.

 This error can occur when using an Allegro controller and the Write Protect Disable feature is ON with an unmodified drive.


302 Bad CRC only verify

 When the user asks DiskDupe to perform a CRC only verify of some diskettes the DiskDupe asks for the CRC value to check for.  If the disk CRC does not match this value this error message is reported.

 This feature is not yet supported in DiskDupe.


303 Bad sectors were skipped

 Bad sectors were encountered on the master disk, and every attempt at recovering the data was made.  Normally a master with a bad sector is rejected, but with The Skip Bad Sectors option enabled DiskDupe will attempt to make a copy of the master anyway.


401 Unknown com Error.

 DiskDupe is having trouble using the com port.  If possible try another com port or check the serial card.  Also try a "clean boot" (i.e. boot the computer from a floppy disk and then try running DiskDupe).


402 Autoloader is not Responding.

 Usually because the wrong com port or autoloader type is chosen.  Try another com port in the Autoloader List under Setup. Use the test button on the autoloader list to see if the autoloader will respond.

 Can also be caused by the autoloader power switch being off, by a bad serial cable, or by com port drivers (i.e. mouse drivers) eating up the response from the autoloader (the autoloader calibrates but then DiskDupe reports the error 402).  Try booting from a floppy diskette and then running DiskDupe.  If the problem goes away then some com driver is to blame.

 If you get this error when trying to access a drive that is not in an autoloader then setup the drive to use no autoloader (under Setup|Drives).

 If using DesqView, make sure in the DV setup, "Uses Com ports" is Yes.

 If you are using Com1, make sure that the com port is jumpered as Com1. If it is jumpered as Com2 or 3, Dos will still find it and be able to send commands to it, but DiskDupe won't.

 If the autoloader is silent and you get an error 402 "Autoloader not Responding" then try USE CTS NO, found in the Autoloader List (pick Edit for the autoloader of interest).

 If you have the ALTALK program, try this:

 In ALTALK pick T for talk and then try the following sequence:

 <C>X<S>07<I>X<S>0B<A>X<S>07

 Send:

 <C> for calibrate

 <I> for insert

 <A> for accept disk

 <R> for reject disk

 Receive: One byte:

 X  for okay

 E  for error

 ? for unrecognized by autoloader

 Send:

 <S> for status

 Receive: Two bytes:

 07 for no disk in drive

 0A or 0B for disk in drive

 First Byte:

If it is not zero then an error has occurred. 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, B, D, or F indicate a disk jam

2 indicates that the input hopper is empty

4 indicates that a command is out of sequence.

 Second Byte:

0 through 7 indicate that there is no disk in the drive.

8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, or F indicate that a disk is in the drive.

0, 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, C, or D indicate that the hopper is not seated.

If there has been an error then you have to send a C for recalibrate to clear the error before the autoloader will accept further commands.

 If the autoloader does not respond to ALTALK then take the autoloader to another computer and connect it with another serial cable and try running ALTALK again.


403 Bad Autoloader Command.

 Turn the loader power off, wait five seconds, turn it back on and try again.

 If DiskDupe copies the first disk but then reports an Error 403 Bad Autoloader Command then go into the Autoloader List, highlight the autoloader on interest, choose Edit and turn off the "Use Full Status" option.   This is a common problem with older Mountain loaders.


404 Com Port not Responding.

 If you are using Desqview make sure that "Uses COM ports" is set to "yes".  Otherwise make sure that the com port that you have chosen in the Autoloader List works.


406 Printer Com Port not Responding.

 Can occur if you have the printer type set to a serial type printer, like the JP350, and it is hooked up to a parallel port instead.


407 Input Lost

 DiskDupe was unable to recover the serial communication bytes from the autoloader fast enough.  Turn of the autoloader, wait five seconds, turn it on again and then try running DiskDupe again.


408 Parity Error

 The com port has reported a parity error.  Try using another com port or a new serial card.


409 Com Framing Error

 Turn the loader power off, wait five seconds, turn it back on and try again.


501 Unknown Autoloader Error.

 An unknown error has occurred with the autoloader. Turn the loader power off, wait five seconds, turn it back on and try again. Also check the loader cabling.


502 Hopper is Empty.

 The autoloader input hopper is empty.


503 Disk Jam.

 A disk has become jammed in the autoloader. Remove it before continuing.

 If DiskDupe reports this error even though there is no disk stuck in the autoloader then it is possible that one of the disk present photo sensors is not functioning correctly.  First try turning the autoloader off and on again.  If that does not work and you have the ALTALK program, use it and choose T for "talk directly to loader" from the menu. The screen should then display "type <Ctrl><C> to exit".  Type a "D" for diagnostics and the autoloader should present a menu of diagnostics choices.  Pick "P" for "display photocells" to get a real-time display of the status of the photocells.  Check the various photocells by blocking them one at a time with a piece of paper, especially the one mounted in front of the drive and the one mounted by the exit slot. If there is no response from one of the cells then try cleaning it with compressed air.

 Also try turning off the "Use Full Status" option for that Autoloader. Go into the Autoloader List, highlight the autoloader on interest, choose Edit and turn off the "Use Full Status" option.


504 Output Bin is Open.

 Some Mountain autoloaders have a removable output bin that has to be in place for the autoloader to function.


505 Labeler Empty

 This error message applies to the ADC Copymaker Plus (LLP). The printer has been sent a label file but no disk. Press the pause key on the autoloader.


506 Input Hopper Empty

 This error message applies to the ADC Copymaker Plus (LLP). The input hopper of the printer is empty.  Refill the hopper and then press the pause key on the autoloader.


507 Output Hopper Full

 This error message applies to the ADC Copymaker Plus (LLP). The printer output hopper is full.  Empty it and then press the pause key on the autoloader.


508 Loader is paused

 This error message applies to the ADC Copymaker Plus (LLP). To resume press the pause key on the autoloader.


509 No disk in printer

DiskDupe has ejected a disk but the disk has not arrived at the inline printer.  Check to see that a jam has not occurred.


510 Auto-loader move failed


511 Bad disk in good bin

 A bad disk has been placed into the output bin.


512 The reject bin is full


602 File not Found.

 You may be trying to use an image, set label, or serial file that does not exist or that is in a different directory from where DiskDupe is looking. DiskDupe assumes that all of these files are in a common directory with the image files.

 To create a new file select the File|New menu.  To view an existing file select File|Open.  In either case the file dialog box will show at the bottom what directory the files are in.

 Can also occur while trying to create an image when Compare is chosen instead of Duplicate from Job|Go.


603 Path not Found.

 This can occur if you have erased the subdirectory that a file was in file was in.


604 Too Many Open Files.

 If you get this error, check your CONFIG.SYS file to see if there is line that says FILES=30(or greater). If not, add this line and reboot your computer before trying DiskDupe again.


605 File Access Denied.

 This can happen if you have marked a file as read-only and are trying to create a new disk image file with the same name. Use the Dos command (ATTRIB -R filename) to unmark the file. It can happen on a network if someone else is using the same image file. If two people are trying to make copies of the same disk image file, mark it as shareable. On Novell networks you can do this with the command FLAG DISK1 SRO.

 If the DISKDUPE.DAT file is marked as read only then whenever changes are made to the configuration then DiskDupe will report an "error 605 writing configuration file, changes not saved".  This is normal.


606 Invalid File Handle


612 Invalid File Access Code.


615 Invalid Drive Number.


616 Cannot Remove Current Directory.

 You cannot remove the directory that you are currently in.


617 Cannot Rename Across Drives.

 You can only rename files that are on the same physical drive or partition.


700 File Error. Disk read error.

 This usually indicates a serious problem with your hard disk, but could also indicate that the image file chosen is not intact. Try making a new image file.

 Sometimes users that are unfamiliar with the DiskDupe will get this message if they pick a non-image file as a source with the intention of copying the file directly to the destination diskette.  DiskDupe is designed for disk to disk (or image to disk) copy and does not support a direct copy of Dos files.  It is possible to copy files to a Rambodisk from Dos and then run DiskDupe to make a copy of the Rambodisk to a floppy.


701 Disk is Full.

 Your hard disk is full. Quit DiskDupe and delete some unused files before trying again.  To avoid this error make sure there is enough XMS or EMS memory available to buffer a full diskette.

 DiskDupe cannot be run off of a floppy disk.


702 File not Assigned.

 This error can occur if you have erased the Temp File name under Options. Specify C:\DISKDUPE.TMP


703 File not Open.

 Error messages 703, 704, and 705 will only occur if a software program has gone astray. Try taking out any memory resident programs and rebooting the computer.


704 File not Open for Input.

 See Error#703


705 File not Open for Output.

 See Error#703.


706 Invalid Numeric Format.

 A disk image file or the DISKDUPE.DAT file has been damaged. If you get this error message when you first start DiskDupe, copy the DISKDUPE.DAT file from the original program disks into the \DISKDUPE subdirectory on your hard disk.  If it occurs when reading from an image file, make a new image file of the disk.


750 Disk is Write Protected.

 This can occur if you are running off DiskDupe on a floppy drive when DiskDupe tries to save its data files or if DiskDupe tries to write over a disk with a write protect tab.  DiskDupe will not work properly when run off of a floppy disk; a hard disk or Ram disk is required.


751 Unknown Unit.

 Make sure that you specified a valid hard disk letter like C:. If you are hooked up to a network, make sure that you are logged in.


752 Drive not Ready.

Make sure that you specified a valid hard disk letter like C:


753 Unknown Command.

 There is a problem accessing the hard drive.


754 CRC Data Error.

 Indicates a problem reading data from the hard disk.


755 Bad Drive Request.


756 Disk Seek Error.

 The hard drive controller has reported a seek error.


757 Unknown Media Type.

 The hard drive controller has reported an unknown media type error.


758 Sector not Found.

 The hard drive controller has reported a sector not found error.


759 Printer out of Paper.

 This error messages occurs when Labels are selected and the printer is not ready to accept jobs.


760 Write Device Fault.

 DiskDupe is having trouble accessing the hard disk.


761 Device Read Fault.

 DiskDupe is having trouble accessing the hard disk.


762 Hardware Failure.

 DiskDupe is having trouble accessing the hard disk.

 Can occur if the TEMP file is on a network directory where the user does not have write access.  Add the following line to the computer's AUTOEXEC.BAT file: SET TEMP=C:\TEMP.


780 A Virus was found

 A virus was found on the hard disk.


801 Configuration File not Found.

 DiskDupe cannot locate the file DISKDUPE.DAT. or DISKDUPE.DA5 Make sure this file is in the current subdirectory or in a subdirectory on your path statement.


802 Controller is not responding.

 A controller that is not functioning correctly has been selected under Setup. If you have a secondary controller, check its configuration.

 Try running Auto-Set from the Controller List in DiskDupe before and after installing a new floppy controller. Normally a computer has only one Primary Controller at address 3F0 and additional controllers are put at the 370 and/or 360 addresses.  When the new controller is removed (with the computer power off) if Auto-Set detects a controller at these addresses or if the computer locks up when Auto-Set is run then determine which card is causing the conflict and re-jumper it to use another address or move the floppy controller to another address to keep it from conflicting.

 If Auto-Set locks up the computer then enter the floppy controller addresses manually in the Controller List.

 Do not install a new floppy controller card that is jumpered to use the Primary address (3F0) unless the Primary controller for the computer (for A: and B:) has been disabled.

 If you are trying to run an SDS drive with two controllers then make sure that the second controller (for head 1 of the drive) has its interrupt disconnected and that its address is entered in the controller following the Head 0 controller in the Controller List.

 Can also occur if a controller is not setup to use IRQ 6, which is the normal floppy drive interrupt request signal.  Although DiskDupe supports other IRQs, we recommend using IRQ 6 since it has a high service priority. Look at the controllers documentation for information on what interrupt it is using.  Most controllers by default use IRQ 6.


803 Drive is not Responding.

 This is the expected error when the floppy cable is disconnected.  Try another floppy cable.  Most likely the drive number is incorrect in the Drive List or there is a cabling problem.  Try selecting Auto-Set from the Drive List to see where DiskDupe finds the drive.

 If you are working with an SDS drive with two cables make sure that the head 0 controller is connected to head 0 of the drive and that the SDS controller is connected to head 1.

 If you are using an Allegro I controller make sure that the C1 SDS CONFIG. jumper is set for the type of interface you are using: NORM for normal drives and two-cable SDS drives, YE DA for factory Y-E Data SDS single cable drives, and ALF for the single cable ALF interface.  (If you have jumpered the card for software select of the C1 connector and you are using a Y-E Data SDS drive then make sure you have run the SDSCON.EXE program to configure the connector).

 With single cable Y-E Data 2XSDS drives make sure that the jumpers on the drive are set correctly.  There should only be jumpers on M1, DC and DS0.

 Y-E Data jumper settings


804 Not a RamboDisk.

 The drive letter set for the Rambodisk is not a valid RamboDisk or is not formatted to the correct capacity. Reboot your system and check the drive letter for the RamboDisk, which is displayed when the driver loads.  Make sure that the Rambodisk is formatted to some capacity (like 720Kb) and that it is accessible from Dos as a drive letter (like D:).  Type RAMBODSK /? from the Dos prompt for help.


805 Not a Valid Image File.

 This occurs when you specify a source file that was not created by DiskDupe. It can also indicate that the disk image file is damaged. Try creating a new disk image file.

 If an error occurs when creating an image file, even if it is an autoloader error, then the image file will not be finished and will not be valid.

 Sometimes users that are unfamiliar with the DiskDupe will get this message if they pick a non-image file as a source with the intention of copying the file directly to the destination diskette. DiskDupe is designed for disk to disk (or image to disk) copy and does not support a direct copy of Dos files.  It is possible to copy files to a Rambodisk from Dos and then run DiskDupe to make a copy of the Rambodisk to a floppy.  Type RAMBODSK /? from the Dos prompt for help.


806 Unknown Image Version.

 This message commonly occurs when two different versions of DiskDupe are used to copy from a common set of image files.  Image files are always forward compatible but not always backwards compatible. Otherwise this could be a sign that the image has been corrupted.


807 Can't Determine Disk Type.

 The auto-sensing feature under Disk can not tell what type of disk is being used. This usually means that the disk is unreadable but it can also occur if the drive or disk type is configured incorrectly in DiskDupe.

 Try setting the disk type manually.


808 Wrong Disk Type.

 Check the type of disk that is set under the Disk menu- usually it is best to leave the disk type set on "Auto".

 The only cross-format configurations that DiskDupe supports are the three listed in the Help|Contents under "Disk Conversions".  In most cases the disk size of the "Source" should be the same as the "Destination" regardless of the amount of data on the master.


809 Set Destination to a Drive.

 You may get this error if, for example, you are formatting a disk and have destination set to an image file.


810 Controller not a Compaticard IV.

The CompatiCard IV is an enhanced controller that has a special driver in DiskDupe.  Try the Auto-Set option in the Controller List under Setup.


811 Controller not an Enhanced 82077.

 Try setting the controller type to Standard.


812 Not Enough EMS Memory.

 This could indicate a problem with the actual memory chips in your computer.


813 Not Enough XMS memory.

 This could indicate a problem with the actual memory chips in your computer.


814 Bad set File.

 Your set file has been damaged.  Try creating a new set file (File|New).


815 User Interrupt TSR not installed.

 If you are using a copy protection program like Az-Tech's Everlock or BBI's StopCopy make sure the copy protection TSR is installed before you start DiskDupe, then go into Job|Options to activate it.

 If you are not using a TSR, make sure User Interrupts is off under Job|Options.

 DiskDupe looks for the TSR at interrupt vector 60 (hex).


816 SDS Controller not Responding.

 The controller for the head 0 side of the SDS drive is responding but the controller for head 1 is not.  Check the address of this controller and make sure it is the address listed for the last controller in the Controller List. If it is not then enter the correct address in this menu or try running "Auto Set".  If something is conflicting with the controller then you might need to move it to another address.  See error 802.

 Also make sure that the interrupt on the SDS controller is left unconnected.


817 Dos driver not installed for this drive


818 File is bad.

 Can occur if an image, DiskDupe.DAT, or serial file has been corrupted. Remake the file, but keep a backup of the corrupted file just in case this is not the problem.  Image files have built in Cyclical Redundancy Checks which help maintain data integrity, so if the data read in does not correspond to its CRC calculated value this error may occur.

 Can also occur when DiskDupe is buffering data to an area of the hard drive that is bad.  If this problem is encountered, a possible solution might be to run SCANDISK which comes with Dos 6.0 or running an equivalent program that checks your hard drive for bad spots.

 Can also occur if you are using some sort of disk caching program, such as LanCache that comes with Lantastic 6.0.  If this is the case try performing a "clean" boot, i.e. boot the computer from a floppy disk or press the <F5> key when your computer is booting up, if you have Dos 6.0, and then try running DiskDupe.


819 Went past the end of the external serial text file


820 Printer is not responding


821 Bottom Stacker is not responding


822 Setup Error, Error in the Command Line

DiskDupe has not recognized one of the command line switches used, which is indicated with a ^ symbol in the error dialog box.

 Command line switches


823 First disk needs to be write-protected

 When running in Relay mode the first diskette must have a write protect so that it can be recognized as a master.


824 SDS Head 1 not Responding.

 The drive SDS drive head 0 is responding but the drive head 1 is not.  Check the connection between the head 1 board on the drive and the controller.

 Some SDS drives are designed to operate with controllers (such as the ALF and Allegro controllers) that do not need to see an index pulse at both heads so it is possible to find a drive that has does not have its index pins connected together for both heads.  If you are using an SDS drive with two boards (the so-called "pancake" SDS drives) then make sure that the pin 8 of the first board (index) is connected to the pin 8 of the second board by checking this connection with a continuity meter.

 If you are using the Allegro I board with a SDS drive then you only need to make sure that the INDEX jumper is in the SDS position.


825 Unknown Auto-loader Type.

 If you are using a CopyBus loader, try turning it off and waiting 5 seconds before

 turning it back on.


826 No controller setup


827 Cable Bad or Upsidedown

 WARNING! If you have a Media Logic AccuCopy drive do not reverse the drive cables.  This error can occur for a number of reasons, so it is imperative not to assume that drive cable is indeed upside down, since reversing the cables will DAMAGE your drive!

 If you get this error message using a Multi-Disk II controller make sure that the controller type is set up correctly in the Controller List under Setup.

 The 34 pin ribbon cable for the floppy drive is in question or else the drive select jumper is in the wrong position.

 For the Y-E Data 2XSDS single cable drive the jumpers should be on DS0, DC, and M1 only, even though the drive is at position 1.  All other drives should be jumpered to use DS1.

 The ALF and Y-E Data SDS single cable interfaces only work with a straight cable.


828 Set source to an Image or Set


829 SDS Cable is bad or upside down

 This error message can occur with SDS drives for the same reasons listed for error 827.


830 No SDS controller Setup.

 DiskDupe cannot find the SDS controller listed in the Controller list.  If you are not using an SDS drive then set the Drive Speed to 1X in the Drive List (highlight the drive of interest and choose Edit).

 If you are using an SDS drive then the SDS controller should be the last controller in the list and it should have no interrupt (IRQ 0).  Try choosing Auto-Set in the Controller List under Setup to see if DiskDupe can sense the controller.


831 SDS drive cables are reversed

 This error message can occur on two cable SDS drives if the drive cables are reversed.

 When you attach an SDS drive (or any drive) to the C2 connector on the Allegro I or II without telling the software to use the C2 connector this error message will occur.


832 Controller not an enhanced 82078

 Try running Auto-Set from the Controller list under Setup.


833 Side 0 has side 1 data, bad cable or setup

 This error message can occur if the drive has been setup as a 1x or 2x drive and it is really a SDS or 2xSDS drive.

 This error message can occur if the drive cable is connected incorrectly or if the drive is jumpered incorrectly.

 Y-E Data Jumper Settings


834 Unknown File Version


835 Controller is not an Allegro

 If you are using an Allegro controller and you get this message then there may be an address conflict (see error 802). Make sure the Allegro has been properly entered into the menus on the Controller List.

 If you get this message using some other type of controller then enter in the controller type in the Controller List.


842 Serial file is not current


843 The DCI driver was not found


844 Drive alignment is bad

 A drive alignment problem has been detected which may require servicing.  A misaligned drive will produce disks that are perfectly readable by it, but may not be readable on a properly aligned drive.  Misaligned drives are one of the major causes of creating "bad" disks, which is why we recommend checking the alignment frequently.


845 Controller doesn't support this data rate

 An attempt was made to copy a disk to a drive that does not support that disks data rate.  For example, trying to copy a 1.2MB 5.25" image to a 1.44MB 3.5" HD drive.

 This can also occur if the drive you are using has been set up incorrectly. For example, if you are copying to a a regular 1.44MB drive and the drive speed has been set to the incorrect RPM (360, 600, etc.) you will also get this error.  To check if this is the case, go into Setup|Drives and edit the drive to find out.


846 This printer needs an LPT port


847 The PC Line controller doesn't support this drive


848 The PC Line controller doesn't support this disk


849 This is not supported on the PC Line controller


850 Line label not found


901 Unknown Error.

 (Technical Support)


902 Out of RAM Memory.

 DiskDupe ran out of conventional memory.  Try exiting out of DiskDupe and starting up again.  If the computer has extended memory then make sure that a memory manager is loaded (like HIMEM.SYS or QEMM) so that XMS memory is available to DiskDupe.


903 EMS Error.

 This could indicate a problem with the actual memory chips in your computer.


904 XMS Error.

 This could indicate a problem with the actual memory chips in your computer.


905 User Interrupt Error.

 The user interrupt TSR reported an unknown error.


906 Buffer Memory has been corrupted.

 Indicates that the image file has changed or that the memory in your computer might be bad.  Try setting the "EMS/XMS Limit" in the Setup menu to "Not Used/Not Used" (Dos only).  This message can also occur if the image file has been corrupted. Try remaking the image file.  Also be sure to scan for viruses.


907 Code Memory has been Corrupted.

 Indicates that there might be a problem with a TSR writing over the DiskDupe code.  Also try scanning for viruses.


908 Image File has been Corrupted.

 DiskDupe has checked the CRC's in the image file and found a discrepancy, which usually means that the file has been overwritten on the hard drive due to a virus or a malfunction of the hardware.  Such hardware overwrite problems are often made worse when the Doublespace feature of Dos 6.0 is used.

 In rare cases this error can occur when using an image file made with a previous version of DiskDupe (prior to version 4.05) that has not been updated correctly.   Also try scanning your computer for viruses.


909 DMA Setup Error.

 There has been a conflict between the DiskDupe software and the memory manager of the computer (usually when running under Windows).  Try starting up DiskDupe using the /DMAWINOFF command line (Dos only) switch by typing DISKDUPE /DMAWINOFF from the Dos prompt (Dos only).  This setting gets saved in the DISKDUPE.DAT file so it does not have to be reentered each time afterwards.

 If /DMAWINOFF doesn't work try /VDMA=NONE or /VDMA=MEM (Dos only).  The default is /VDMA=BUF, which normally works the best.

 When running from Windows, try increasing the DMA buffer size by adding the line "DMABufferSize=100" under the [386Enh] section of the Windows SYSTEM.INI file.


910 Not allowed in protected mode


XXXX Internal Error, Unknown error.

If DiskDupe reports an internal error then call or fax us here at Micro System Designs for technical support.  Be sure and let us know the number of the internal error (usually a four digit number) and the conditions under which it occurred.

 Technical Support


File viewer

A file viewer views the contents of a text file. You can use the arrow keys to move about in the file. A file is loaded via the File|Open menu item.

  Up         Move up one line

  Down       Move down one line

  Right      Move right one column

  Left       Move left one column

  PgUp       Move one page up

  PgDn       Move one page down

  Home       View right most column of the file

  End        View left most column of the file

  Ctrl-PgUp  View top of file

  Ctrl-PgDn  View bottom of file.

File viewers can be resized and moved using the Windows menu.