Index
WinImage

Version 2.00

© 1993-1994 Gilles Vollant

Portions © Christoph H. Hochstätter

Portions © François Liger

Portions © Microsoft™

English documentation translation with help of Joël Demay and Michael Segall

WinImage is a disk image management utility.

What is a disk image file

Using WinImage

File Menu

Image Menu

Diskette Menu

Option Menu

Batch assistant

WinImage future

Acknowledgements

Where find WinImage

Registering

WinImage is a shareware from an ASP member. You can copy it, distribute it, it is available on BBS or CDROM. But if you use it, do not forget to register!


What is a disk image
What is a disk image  ?

WinImage is a disk image management utility. A disk image is a file which contains all the floppy data (file, FATs, boot sector, directory...).

By making an image of a floppy disk and writing it on another, we get an exact copy (as with the Dos DiskCopy command). We can read a floppy and write the image on the hard disk. The day after, without using a floppy, we can extract a file from the image. The week after, we can write the image on two new floppies, for instance, without needing the original, and create two exact copies of it.

We can also create disk images with WinImage. If we want to put 5 files (taking 1.3 Mb) on a 3"1/2 HD unformatted floppy, we create an empty 1.44 Mb image, inject the 5 files into it from the hard disk (this is very fast) and, in one operation, we format the floppy and write the image on it.

WinImage can format and use very large-capacity non-standard disks. (3"1/2 HD 1.72 Mb and 5"1/4 HD 1.44 Mb). To use them, you must load, before Windows, the TSR FdRead, a shareware from Christoph H. Hochstätter which you can get with the FdFormat utility. I think that having a look at it is a must. You don't need this TSR if you use only standard formats with WinImage.

You can load an image by reading a floppy, or reading an image file, or creating an empty image.

You can extract the files of an image onto any device. (hard disk, network unit or... floppy).

You can also add files to the image.

The image can be copied onto a floppy (which must have the same format) or saved in a file.

An image file contains all the floppy sectors. If it's not full, you can truncate it.

WinImage can read the images of a lot of disk copy utilities: Wimage (in FdFormat utility) from C.H. Hochstätter, CopyVit from Sébastien Chatard, DrDos 6 and OS/2 2.x diskimage utilities, DCF (Disk Copy Fast) from Chang Ping Lee, DF (Disk Image File Utility) from Mark Vitt, Super-DiskCopy from Super Software, SabDu from S.A. Berman, Disk-RW from K. Hartnegg, DiskDupe from Micro System Design, internal disk Microsoft and Lotus image utilities and the MFMT sample Windows NT application that comes with Windows NT SDK.


Using WinImage

WinImage shows in its main window the files and directories present in the image. You can go into a directory by double-clicking on it. To return to the parent directory, double-click on the first entry ("..").

WinImage runs with the image in memory. When there is no image, some icons and menu entries are grayed.

You can create a directory, delete or add files in the image with the icons or the Image menu. You can use drag-and-drop from the Windows File manager to WinImage to inject data into an image, or from WinImage to another application to extract from it.

You can extract files in three ways: By extracting in the Image menu (or its icon), launching a file by double-clicking on it, and dragging it to another application.

WinImage allows you to drag the image file from WinImage to another application: You put the mouse pointer in the status bar or in the toolbar background. You press the left mouse button and keep it pressed, put the mouse pointer onto another application (drag and drop client), and release the mouse button. This original function allows you to add the image in a .ZIP or .ARJ file with Nico Mak's WinZip utility, or attach the image to an e-mail created with Microsoft™ MS-Mail, or Lotus™ Notes or ccMail.


File Menu

New

Creates a new, empty image. You must select a format (by example 1.44  Mb).

Open

Opens an image file.

Close image

Closes the current image.

Save

Saves the current image.

Save as

Saves the current image with a new name.

Batch Assistant

Open Batch assistant dialog box.

Exit

To quit WinImage.


Image Menu

Create directory

Creates a directory in the current image.

Select

Selects files in the current image.

Inject

Injects files into the current image.

Extract

Extracts files from the current image.

If no file is selected, WinImage extracts all files from the image. Otherwise it extracts only selected files.

Depending on the Confirmation option, you will have to specify the extraction path. (a dialog box with some Preference fields is shown).

Delete file

Deletes files from the current image, after asking for confirmation.

If there is no file selected, WinImage deletes all the files from the image, otherwise it deletes only the selected files.

Change Label

Changes the volume label of the current image.

Change size

Changes the size of the current image.

The new size must be greater than total size of the files in the image. (You can transform a 1.44Mo image into a 360Ko image only if you have less than 360Ko of files).

Defrag current image

Defragments the current image files.


Diskette Menu

Use drive A: or B:

Use drive A: or B: to read and write floppies.

On a computer with two drives, this command lets you choose the unit you want to use for reading or writing disks.

Read disk

Read a floppy and store its image in memory.

Compare disk

Compares current image with a floppy.

Write disk

Writes current image to a floppy.

Format and write disk

Formats a floppy and writes the current image onto it.


Option
Option Menu

Sort by Name

 Sort by Type

 Sort by Size

 Sort by Date

These options are used for displaying the file present in the image.

Font

Changes the current font (used for displaying the files present in the image).

Preference

Set WinImage Options

You see this dialog box:

Ignore unused track when reading  : if this option is checked, when reading (or comparing) a floppy which isn't full, WinImage ignores the unused tracks.

Ignore unused track when writing  : if this option is checked, when writing to floppy an image which isn't full WinImage ignores the unused tracks.

Verify writing  : if this option is checked, WinImage verifies when writing to a floppy. That takes more time, but you are sure the new disk is readable.

Use only standard format  : if this option is checked, WinImage create only standard floppies (which don't need FDREAD).

Select floppy for image  : if this option is checked, WinImage selects a floppy type for the image in memory. (If you load a 360Ko image, WinImage selects a 5"1/2 floppy format).

Truncate unused image part  : if this option is checked, WinImage reduces the size of the image when writing an image file which isn't full.

Use incremented open/save wizard: if this option is checked, WinImage increments the filename by 1: After opening (or saving) the "DISK01.IMA" file, WinImage proposes "DISK02.IMA" for the next opening (or saving).

Path  : You specify here where from to get the files to form the image.

These three options are for extracting subdirectories (when directories are in selection when extracting, or if there is no selection)  :

Ignore subdirectories  : WinImage won't extract the subdirectory(~es) selected.

Extract all in the same directory: WinImage extracts files in a subdirectory of the image in the Path location.

Extract with pathname: WinImage extracts files from a subdirectory of the image to a subdirectory of the Path location.

Default viewer: defines viewer application launched when double-clicking on a file without association.

Confirmation

Inject: The 2 first options allow you to enable/disable the use of a dialog box when injecting files. The last is for ask confirmation when you replace

Extract: The three first options control the display of a confirmation dialog box when extracting files.

Confirm overwriting when extract: if this option is checked, if extracting risks overwriting a file, WinImage asks for confirmation.

When deletes files: this option controls the display of a confirmation dialog box when deleting files on image.

Options for registered user: see Registering.

Verify disk content before write  : if this option is checked, WinImage asks for confirmation before writing on a disk which contains data.

Sound and notification

Select sound and message

With this option, you can ask WinImage to play sound (beep or, with a sound adapter, .WAV, .MID and, under Windows NT, .AVI file).


Batch
Batch assistant

With the batch assistant, you can chain operation on several image. By calling "Batch assistant" in file menu, you see:

When WinImage execute batch, it repeat the sequence : make an image in memory (source) and use this image for saving (destination). When the source has no image, the batch is complete.

You must select one source between:

- Set of floppies : WinImage will read some floppies. You say how many floppies you want read.

- Set of images files : WinImage will load some image. You can open a list file (.WIL), or add some image.

- Directory injecting : WinImage will inject directories on image. If the directory name contain number, it can increment the directory name, and make an image for each directory. If a directory is bigger than an image, WinImage make several image

You must select one, or more, destination:

- Set of floppies : WinImage will write some floppies. You say if you want format them.

- Set of images files : WinImage will write some image. You specify the filename of the first, and WinImage increment filename. You can optionnaly make a list file (.WIL) with a comment.

- file extraction : WinImage will extract file from image to directories you specifiy. It can increment the directory name.

In this sample, WinImage extract file image DISK1.IMA to DISK5.IMA on directories c:\temp\disk1 to c:\temp\disk5.


Evolution of WinImage

January 1994: Version 2.00

- Batch assistant

- Show disk directory when reading

- WinImage can be iconised when read or write a floppy

- New toolbar

- Image information

- Title bar

- Sound notification

- Support for .DLL resource (for other language than french or english)

September 1993: Version 1.11

Support of directory drag from Windows File Manager.

September 1993: Version 1.10

main differences:

-  Windows  NT version: built for the released version of NT, drag and drop server run correctly.

-  Functions for deleting files in an image, changing format and defragmenting.

-  Drag server of image file.

-  Better usability: new menu, news option and confirmation dialog boxes, "Always on top" in system menu, last 4  files in File menu, help on toolbar via button.

-  Incremented filename.

-  Better support of comparing and option saving.

May 1993  : Version 1.0

First version.

There are two versions of WinImage: a 16 bit version for Windows 3.1 and a 32 bits version for Windows NT (WINIMANT.EXE). It can't use large capacity floppies (there is no NT version of FDREAD), but background reading or writing disk DOES ABSOLUTELY NOT slow working with another application. There are both Intel 80x86 and Dec Alpha versions of WinImage NT.

I hope you will send me a feedback about WinImage. My CompuServe ID is 100144,2636 and my Internet e-mail box is 100144.2636@compuserve.com.

If you find WinImage useful, give it to your friend and upload it to your BBS.


Acknowledgements

Building a user-friendly software requires the help of a lot of people.

The Dos utilities FdFormat and Wimage from Christoph H. Hochstätter gave me some great ideas. Without the source code, I couldn't format large format floppies.

By Building new icons and bitmaps, François Liger gave WinImage a better look. By giving me some pieces of code, he saved a lot of my time.

Correcting the french documentation, Monique Vollant allowed me to have a better syntax. François Liger, Joël Demay and Michael Segall did the same thing for the English documentation. And Kent Cedola build the Dec Alpha Windows NT version.

Some ideas and tests have been coming from beta-testers. I thank David Chemla, Fabrice Letard and Thierry Halin, and particularly Joël Demay, Michel Nedelec and Luc Coiffier.

Patrick Rafamantanantsoa, Bernard Maudry, Nico Mak, Serge Delbono and Michael Segall gave me some additional ideas for WinImage.


Find WinImage
Where find WinImage

You can find the last version of WinImage :

- on Compuserve, forum IBMHW (librarie disk/disk util), and WinShare (librarie disk/disk util et utilitaire NT)

- On the BBS The Windows Manor, with these phone number (Paris, France) : (33 1) 42437852, (33 1) 42432618 or (33 1) 42432458. Enter "J 25" command to go on the WinImage area. You can download WinImage or send me a message.

You can find these file : (xx is the version number, by sample WINIMA20.ZIP is a ZIP for version 2.0) :

- WINIMAxx.ZIP : Help and both executable for Windows NT Intel and Windows 3.1

- WIMALTxx.ZIP : Help and executable for Windows 3.1

- WIMANTxx.ZIP : Help and executable for Windows NT Intel

- WIMAXPxx.ZIP : Help and executable for Windows NT Dec Alpha

- WIMATKxx.ZIP : Source file (.RC, .RTF) for translate WinImage in your langage. You can build .HLP and .DLL with ressource. This add a langage in the Preference dialog box.


Registering

WinImage is shareware. You can copy, distribute and try it and it is available on BBS or CDROM. If you use it, you must register. You will receive a license, the latest release and the next two releases, Dos Extract and Inject tools.

If you register WinImage, I send you a registering number. You can choose Registering in the Option menu, and enter this code. After, you can in the Preference (Option menu) ask to hide the first screen.

The licence price is still 100  french francs or $20.00.

send a check to  :

Gilles Vollant

13, rue François Mansart

91540 Mennecy

France

Phone  : (33) (1) 64 99 75 23

Site Licence : You can contact WindowShare B.P. 2075 / 57051 Metz cedex 2 France, Fax : (33) 87 32 37 75

You can use the CompuServe shareware registration service (GO SWREG). The WinImage registration number is 1233.

Credit Card Ordering:

To order by MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover, call the Public (software) Library at 1-800-2424-PsL or 1-713-524-6394 or send your order by FAX to 1-713-524-6398 (U.S.A. phone number) or by CompuServe Email to 71355,470. You can also mail credit card orders to PsL at P.O. Box 35705, Houston, TX 77235-5705.

The WinImage number on the PsL registration service is #10976 .

Use these numbers only for Credit Card orders. For site licenses or WinImage information, contact me at CompuServe 100144,2636.

This software is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442-9427 USA, FAX 616-788-2765 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.