Create a 500mb or 550mb floppy image

[guimenez]

Hi

I need to create a 500mb floppy image, but i don't know the parameters on winimage to do that. I know that can use the 600
or 700mb examples from bcdw but i just need the 500mb because i need to use the rest of the space of the cd to another program. How can i make the calculations for that size or a little more.

many thanks

[jaclaz]

Maybe you can read this:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=326

and re-calculate for the size you need.

jaclaz

[guimenez]

Hi jaclaz

the topic says:
So if you want roughly 3 Gigabytes, i.e. 3 x 1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024 bytes= 3,221,225,472 bytes
you need:
3,221,225,472/255/63/512=391,63 Cylinders
You can round it in excess to get:
CHS 382 x 255 x 63=6,297,480 sectors

So you can start winimage and make a new image with this parameters:
(Select Custom Image):
Filesystem (FAT32)
Sectors per cluster (4)
Total numbers of sectors (6297480)
Media descriptor (248) <-this means F8 hex
Sectors per track (63)
Heads (255)
Hidden Sectors (0)
Physical Drive Number (00) <-this means floppy, for HD is 8x (80 hex =128, 81 hex=129)

but i don't know what calculations i need to make to have the 500mb floppy?

thanks

[jaclaz]

Did you study multiplications and divisions at school?

if you want roughly 0.5 Gigabytes, i.e. 0.5 x 1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024 bytes= 536,870,912 bytes
you need:
536,870,912/255/63/512=65,27 Cylinders

You can round it in excess to get:
CHS 66 x 255 x 63=1,060,290 sectors

So you can start winimage and make a new image with this parameters:
(Select Custom Image):
Filesystem (FAT32) <-or FAT16
Sectors per cluster (4) <- or choose among available sizes
Total numbers of sectors (1060290)
Media descriptor (248) <-this means F8 hex (hard disk) HD or 240 <-this means F0 hex (Floppy)
Sectors per track (63)
Heads (255)
Hidden Sectors (0)
Physical Drive Number (00) <-this means floppy, for HD is 8x (80 hex =128, 81 hex=129)

Was it so difficult?

Check also the rest of the procedures/alternatives on the given link and/or the corrections/tricks that need to be used.

And of course there are now "better" and easier ones, like using IMDISK to create the image from scratch, as it will set everything "automagically" once you giive it the size you wish.

jaclaz

[guimenez]

Thank you Jaclaz

My problem was not the calcs but the the rest of the numbers(255/63/512) i didn't know if they change with the size of the image.

But now, i understand. I will try the IMDISK too.

Many thanks once again

[jaclaz]

Please, do understand that while the sector size of 512 bytes is a "standard" ( at the moment and definitely for that size of volume) the 255/63 is just the "normal" geometry that 2K/XP/2003/Vista/2008/Windows7 use (and that IMDISK will use).
Since your image is around the first CHS HD size barrier, other factors, including the BIOS involved in the whatever you are up to and the OS used for it, may require a different geometry or, on the contrary this info will simply be ignored.
Typical geometries:

• 255/63
• 128/63
• 16/63
• 64/32

In other words, Your Mileage May Vary, and some experiemnts are needed anyway.

jaclaz

[guimenez]

I've made the floppy image and was created sucessfully but i can't make it bootable

i've change the boot records properties to win98 boot disk and injected the win98 boot disk files but it doesn't boot .

thanks

[jaclaz]

I've made the floppy image and was created sucessfully but i can't make it bootable

i've change the boot records properties to win98 boot disk and injected the win98 boot disk files but it doesn't boot .

Really?

I really don't understand why people think I like to press the keys of the keyboard in front of me to say things that are unneeded.

Check also the rest of the procedures/alternatives on the given link and/or the corrections/tricks that need to be used.

In other words, Your Mileage May Vary, and some experiments are needed anyway.

[DarknestSoul]

hi there. i got a problem with the 500mb floppy, i'm tring to autorun the floppy with freedos but dont work, i tried all th ways you explain but the floppy still dont work. i hope you can help me. thanks

[daxniel]

I have a problem with the floppy boot. I put the boot file created in the winimage program and when I boot the floppy it doesn't work. The screen is all black and an underline is blinking in the left corner on the screen.

[jaclaz]

@DarknestSoul
@daxniel

What is the difficult part?

Summed up previous posts mean:

• follow the method detailed in the OTHER thread:
  viewtopic.php?f=3&t=326
  that has been reported as successful
  OR
• after having succeeded with THAT method, reported to be working, find the differences with what Winimage produced and change settings
  OR
• get a pre-made 600 or 700 Mb image here:
  http://www.wolfgang-brinkmann.de/bcdw/images_e.htm
  and try to recreate an identical one with Winimage, in order to find the right settings/sequence
  OR
• use IMDISK directly

jaclaz