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Alternative way to check or fix disks?

Started by J.T.Kirk, 16:44, 02 July 15

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J.T.Kirk

Hello, I was wondering if there's an alternative, better way, to check 3" disks with Amstrad. I mean, I'm currently using DISCKIT3 for checking if my disks are 100% error-free. Is this reliable enough?

On the other hand, is there any tool for fixing some tracks on a disk, or be able to copy some files on corrupted disk to another working disk?

Thanks in advance.
Amstrad CPC 6128, CTM-644, External 3.5" Disk Drive

TFM

#1
Quote from: Phantom on 16:44, 02 July 15
Hello, I was wondering if there's an alternative, better way, to check 3" disks with Amstrad. I mean, I'm currently using DISCKIT3 for checking if my disks are 100% error-free. Is this reliable enough?

On the other hand, is there any tool for fixing some tracks on a disk, or be able to copy some files on corrupted disk to another working disk?

Thanks in advance.


Well, I would suggest to you to use BD04.COM (an CP/M application) which does really well in error checking. Here a zipped DSK...

But do yourself a favor and use it with CP/M Plus (not 2.2 because it always wants to load the ccp).

Of course bad sectors get locked out, but the remaining disc can still be used.  :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Kris

You can use Multi mark, it is very reliable and will allow you to format and mark "bad sector" as used with a file; so that you can use your disk.


ivarf

On my opinion, you only use this to salvage important files. Then bin all bad discs

TFM

Quote from: ivarf on 21:12, 02 July 15
On my opinion, you only use this to salvage important files. Then bin all bad discs


For me: The ultimate way to salvage files is to set the number of read / write attempts to 30 or 100 in FutureOS and the copy the disc to a blank one. This usually works. (See file #D.E for RAM address of variable or ask here for a protocol).
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

qbert

#5
I'm absolutely disaproving this.
Nowadays, error free disks are extremely rare. Does this mean we have to bin 80% of the remaining 3" disks in the world ?
Nope. Just use MULTI MARK for tagging the bad sectors (very similarly to the way your modern OS is tagging dead clusters of your SSD drive !)

Then you may "install" on your tagged disks cracked games or serious software. Just use a fast "file copy" software like Crime. No disk to disk copying here, but file copying works very well and you'll never lose a file.

I have an hundred of tagged 3" floppy disks here containing my huge collection of Amstrad Software. Each of them is missing a dozen clusters.


Quote from: ivarf on 21:12, 02 July 15
On my opinion, you only use this to salvage important files. Then bin all bad discs

CraigsBar

Quote from: qbert on 22:02, 02 July 15
I'm absolutely disaproving this.
Nowadays, error free disks are extremely rare. Does this mean we have to bin 80% of the remaining 3" disks in the world ?
Nope. Just use MULTI MARK for tagging the bad sectors (very similarly to the way your modern OS is tagging dead clusters of your SSD drive !)

Then you may "install" on your tagged disks cracked games or serious software. Just use a fast "file copy" software like Crime. No disk to disk copying here, but file copying works very well and you'll never lose a file.

I have an hundred of tagged 3" floppy disks here containing my huge collection of Amstrad Software. Each of them is missing a dozen clusters.
I have only had disc failures on a very low number of my discs. I think I have binned only 5 or 6 total. And they were later cheepo discs not amsoft or maxell. You have an 80 % failure rate.... Wow are you keeping them next to a magnet?
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

TFM

You got a well point there. IMHO it's a good idea to format a disc, wait some days, then scan it with BD04.COM. Sometimes 30 years old GAPs on a Disc are not that good any longer. And as we know the header doesn't get written new when the FDC fills in data into a sector ;-) Only GAPs after data get written again.  :)
TFM of FutureSoft
Also visit the CPC and Plus users favorite OS: FutureOS - The Revolution on CPC6128 and 6128Plus

Audronic

If you have bad Disks, this is worth a try
Grab a magnet (From an old dead hard drive) and erase the disk by waving the magnet over the front and the back in a circular motion.
and then do a low level format and see what happens.
I have recovered a lot of potentially faulty disks this way.


Good Luck     Ray
Procrastinators Unite,
If it Ain't Broke PLEASE Don't Fix it.
I keep telling you I am Not Pedantic.
As I Live " Down Under " I Take my Gravity Tablets and Wear my Magnetic Boots to Keep me from Falling off.

J.T.Kirk

Thanks for the multiple answers guyz. The only problem right now is the lack of an external 3.5" drive, thus I cannot transfer any Amstrad files from my Amiga to Amstrad, so I have to stick with DISCKIT3 I guess. But will keep all that info in mind.
Amstrad CPC 6128, CTM-644, External 3.5" Disk Drive

CraigsBar

Quote from: Phantom on 13:22, 03 July 15
Thanks for the multiple answers guyz. The only problem right now is the lack of an external 3.5" drive, thus I cannot transfer any Amstrad files from my Amiga to Amstrad, so I have to stick with DISCKIT3 I guess. But will keep all that info in mind.
What do you want. I can write and post whatever you want on to a 3 inch disk. Just tell me what you want, and provide the discs.
IRC:  #Retro4All on Freenode

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