Disk Image Utlity?

[LCARS]

I have a few PowerBooks running their original install and I'd like to create a disk image to archive them. Are there any suggestions on freeware or abandonware utilities for System 7? 

I came across a download for Dantz Retrospect, but it doesn't list disk imaging as part of it.

Thank you!

 

[Cory5412]

System 7 itself will run Apple's own Disk Copy utility. If you have this machine networked, you can save a copy of the hard disk to the network volume, or another external volume.

The limitation is that it appears only to work completely on volumes up to 2 gigabytes, but lots of PowerBooks fit within that envelope.

In terms of archiving original condition machine installs: There are machine-specific installers available and so if you had the diskettes or CD(s) that came with a machine, imaging those would arguably be more valuable than imaging the in-place install, at least in terms of overall community needs.

I don't know if any of the third party disk imaging tools will make images bigger than 2GB, but those are also available.

 

[olePigeon]

As Cory mentioned, used Apple's Disk Copy.  It's free.  I recommend Disk Copy 4.2 for creating floppy disk images.  Use Disk Copy 6.3 for creating CD images.

If you have a CD that has both an audio portion and data (many CD-ROM games did this), then you'll want to use Toast.  Toast can create a hybrid disk image that contains both the CD Audio and the data partitions.

 

[LCARS]

Thank you both. This information is much appreciated. I feel silly; I’ve seen Disk Copy Utility for decades but never thought that I could do what I wanted. I stand corrected!

I have the 3400c and 2400c specific installer CD-ROMs. I’ll make a Toast backup of those.

I recall seeing Disc Copy 6.3 at Archive.org but I’m sure I have it on one of these machines.

 

[Cory5412]

What other stuff do you have for CD imaging? Toast isn't really a "standard" format and it's annoying to deal with on both vintage and modern computers. You could image that with DC6 on a Mac or use Disk Utility on a modern Mac to make a CD master image of it or use something like infrarecorder on a PC to make an ISO file of it, that's how I got my images for re-duplication of the iMac/233 and 1400 install CDs.

In terms of where to get disk copy for an older mac, it's available here http://main.system7today.com/updates.html  - I'm sure archive/garden et al will have it. There's certainly a couple copies hanging around on vtools, if you've got an account there.

EDIT: I should clarify. By "standard" I don't mean "common" toast is "common" kind of and I'd kind of argue that's a problem, to be honest. This is something I've been meaning to do more research and compilation on for the purpose of deciding what formats to convert things to for vtools, but that's another issue.

 

[olePigeon]

What Cory said.  Stick with Disk Copy for disk images.  Only use Toast for hybrid CDs like the original Warcraft.

 

[Cory5412]

mmmmmmm. Another option for hybrid CDs is to image them on something modern using a tool that produces bin/cue files. It's just about the only way to get, say, BeOS-oriented CDs to work at all. Unfortunately, that reduces the ability of older computers to work directly with those image files, but it does improve the accuracy of imaging and you can put them on a modern computer to turn a real CD. If I remember correctly, MacSD might work with bin/cue files as well, but I'd have to go look.

It seems like in general, third party OSes and games is where this is going to go weird, but there are things like dual-platform copies of AppleWorks 5 and how you manage those depends on whether you want an accurate image or a functional one, for my part I'll admit it doesn't bother me the idea that a dual-platform copy of apleworks 5 got distributed separately, but.

 

[LCARS]

I appreciate all the information and conversation. Before I get too far in, I'm having some trouble with the linked Disk Copy 6.3.3 from System7Today. I downloaded the PPC version and it isn't working, "error type -39" on two machines. Has anyone else experienced with problem with the PPC download from S7T? 

Cory - I have a few Apple restore CDs and some general driver CDs (HP LaserJet 6MP, QuickTime Video Conferencing.) I agree, Toast can be annoying. I'm using my PowerMac G4/9.2.2 as a conduit between Mojave and 7.6.1 and its become a fussy program. Although it has proven invaluable so I'll suppress the annoyance.

I've been trying to network my 1400c with both a Xircom ethernet card and a Lucent WaveLan but none of the drivers work, even the ones listed at functional with OS7. I have found out that my 1999 PowerMac G4 can stream Boston Public Radio. It's very cool to hear the news coming from that trusty machine.

 

[LCARS]

I'm sorry for the double post; I was able to fix the problem. I often forget how particular System 7 is about how programs are installed. 

Thank you for the suggestions! Disk Copy 6.3.3 is fantastic. I've been updated my programs via .img files and it's gloriously easy.

 

[Cory5412]

Glad to hear it's working!

My annoyance with Toast is less about its functionality and, keep in mind that this perspective is of someone who presumes to be responsible for giving advice (or running a site that does) and ultimately running a small repo of stuff in the form of vtools, more that the image format is proprietary. If you have a .toast file, you pretty much need to have Toast.

It's not bad software, it's just annoying from that specific perspective.

 

[kerobaros]

If you have a .toast file, you pretty much need to have Toast.

I assume you mean that you need to have Toast on your classic system? For what it's worth, I have burnt many a .toast image on a Linux system by changing the file extension from .toast to .iso and using any old burning program, typically Xfburn. Just used that technique last night on a couple of CodeWarrior disks and a Norton Utilities disk, all downloaded from the Garden and extracted from their .sit files using unar. Your mileage may vary, I suppose.