Return-Path: Received: from u.ergo.cs.cmu.edu by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa15840; 7 Jun 91 9:34:01 EDT Received: from u.ergo.cs.cmu.edu by U.ERGO.CS.CMU.EDU id aa09057; 7 Jun 91 9:33:07 EDT To: Scott.Vorthmann@GNOME.CS.CMU.EDU, bovik@CS.CMU.EDU Reply-to: Tim Freeman Subject: Reading MS-Dos disks Date: Fri, 07 Jun 91 09:33:04 EDT Message-ID: <9055.676301584@U.ERGO.CS.CMU.EDU> From: Timothy.Freeman@U.ERGO.CS.CMU.EDU There was a recent question about how to read MS-DOS diskettes on the general bboard. I asked this a while ago, and this is a summary of the responses I got. In addition to the options listed below, there is an IBM Pc with both 5" and 3" disk drives in the UCC. Not all 5" disk drives can read all 5" disks due to variations in density; there are at least four densities: single, double, high, and quad. I forget whether high or quad is higher. Tim Date: Wed, 25 Jul 1990 14:10-EDT From: Michael.Gillinov@SAM.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: Re: IBM PC with High Density disk drives You can use the CFA cluster's IBM PC/AT's to read your disk. These machines are on the campus internet, so you can FTP the files to your favorite machine. You can also use an IBM RT-PC. There's still one in the terminal room. [Comp Center replaced all of the ones in 5200.] The RT programs are something like dosread and dosdir. I think they're located in /usr/ibmtools, or something like that. Yes, high density is more dense than double density ;-) --MDG Date: Wed, 25 Jul 1990 14:52:50 EDT From: Oswald Wyler Subject: Disk drive I've got a PC-AT with a high density and a double density disk drive in my office (WH 7204). Give me a call at X8486 if you want to come down, to make sure I'm there. Oswald Wyler Date: Wednesday, 25 July 1990 16:32:36 EDT From: Adele.Sufrin@H.GP.CS.CMU.EDU Subject: IBM PC I have a Compaq DeskPro on my desk that you can use. It has a high density floppy drive in it. You can FTP your files if needed. This Compaq is very similar to an IBM AT. Most of the PCs you see now are either Double Density or High Density. A High Density floppy drive can read & format both kinds of diskettes, but a Double Density drive can only read & format double density diskettes. A double density drive can also read (& I think format) single density diskettes. Single density diskettes are not widely sold anymore. I have extra double density diskettes to give away if you need some. Adele Sufrin Also, IBM RT's have HD drives and you can use dosread and doswrite to access dos disks. -William Frank (Speech Group) Subject: High Density Drives Date: Thu, 26 Jul 90 09:50:21 EDT From: Martin.Greenburg@CIVE.RI.CMU.EDU I have the facility to read both 3.5" and 5.25" HD disks if you still need them read/transferred/uploaded. With regards to the difference in the "density", I believe that the increase in capacity (esp. with the 5.25" HD disk) is caused more by the decrease in size of the disk head than the capability of the media to hold the data. MGG