Disk2FDI Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) and answers:

WRITING IMAGE DISK FILES:
- Is it possible to write an Amiga, Commodore 64 or any other non-IBM disk
  image back to a real floppy disk using a standard PC?
        - NO. The trick used to read non-IBM disks cannot be used to write
          those disks. The PC floppy disk controller (FDC) is not able, with
          any trick imaginable, to write non-IBM sectors.
          To go a little into more details, the problem is that the FDC always
          encodes data into standard MFM, excluding any other kind of encoding
          (for example GCR), and cannot write any other synchronization marks
          than those of a standard IBM sector, excluding the Amiga track
          layout.

- Still, how can I write an Amiga, Commodore 64 or any other non-IBM disk
  image back to a real floppy disk using a PC?
        - The Catweasel controller can be a solution. The official site is at:
          http://www.jschoenfeld.com/
          I am not affiliated with this product in any way, so please direct
          any further question to the webmaster of this site.


RUNNING DISK2FDI UNDER WINDOWS OR LINUX:
- Can I run Disk2FDI under Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP?
        - NO. Because Disk2FDI requires a direct access to the hardware ports
          of the PC, it cannot run under these systems. To execute Disk2FDI,
          you should use a DOS boot disk that includes any necessary utility
          to access mass storage devices. A suitable boot disk can be created
          by running the "BOOTD2F.EXE" program located in the "SUPUTILS"
          subdirectory of the Disk2FDI archive.
          Still, ".IMG" and ".ST" extraction works under these systems, but
          the number of sectors is incorrectly detected, so please use the
          full /S switch, for example /SIMG9.2 for a standard double-density
          PC disk, /SIMG18.2 for a standard 3.5" high-density PC or Macintosh
          disk, or /SST10.2 for a 10-sector Atari ST disk.

- Can I create FDI files from within Windows (any version)?
        - NO. The FDI extraction algorithms require a complete takeover of the
          machine in order to work, so a pure DOS environment is necessary.
          Please restart in DOS mode or boot your computer using a DOS
          bootdisk. A suitable boot disk can be created by running the
          "BOOTD2F.EXE" program located in the "SUPUTILS" subdirectory of the
          Disk2FDI archive.

- Will you release a Linux version of Disk2FDI?
        - This is NOT planned for the near future. Besides, the Disk2FDI
          tricks used to read non-IBM disks would probably not be very
          compatible with the Linux system programming requirements. If you
          are using Linux as your only operating system, you should use a DOS
          bootdisk to execute Disk2FDI. A suitable boot disk can be created by
          running the "BOOTD2F.EXE" program located in the "SUPUTILS"
          subdirectory of the Disk2FDI archive.


READING AMIGA, COMMODORE 64 OR ANY NON-IBM DISK USING ONLY 1 DISK DRIVE:
- Is it possible to read Amiga, Apple ][ or Commodore 64 disks using only 1
  disk drive with a standard PC?
        - NO. It is only partially possible for those disks (read the
          1DISKDRV.TXT file located in the TECH sub-directory for technical
          details). Besides, in the case of Apple ][ and Commodore 64 disks,
          who would ever only have a 5.25" floppy disk drive in a PC? ;-)

- I don't have enough 3.5"/5.25" bays in my computer for a second floppy disk
  drive.
        - You don't have to be able to physically access the second floppy
          drive since it is only used as a trick. So you can insert a blank
          disk into a disk drive, then attach the disk drive somewhere inside
          your computer, just like a hard drive. This is not a problem since
          you will never have to change the floppy disk inside.

- I don't have the necessary data/power cable(s) for a second floppy drive.
        - Those can be found easily at any good computer reseller store.
          You may even be able to find some on the Internet.

- I don't have a second floppy drive. Can I use some kind of virtual floppy
  disk program, or access the floppy drive of another computer with my home
  network?
        - !!! Disk2FDI requires a second floppy disk drive to access Amiga,
          Apple ][, Commodore 64 and single-density disks, as well as to
          create FDI files, because of *hardware* constraints. If a program or
          network was enough, Disk2FDI would simply not require 2 disk drives.

- Can I use some kind of USB or parallel floppy disk drive as a second drive?
        - NO. Unfortunately, the tricks used by Disk2FDI require both drives
          to be attached to the same floppy disk cable and controller.

- Would it be possible to read Amiga or other non-IBM disks using a recent USB
  floppy disk drive?
        - I don't know. This may be possible, but I doubt it. Someone willing
          to do this should first find detailed documentation about these
          drives. It is very unlikely that I look into this myself.
