View Full Version : Need help getting files out of Mac floppies
Kitsune Sniper
10-09-2008, 02:28 PM
I have the "Apple Font Pack", and well, the package has several True Type fonts that I would like to get for use on my Windows system. The problem is, the thing came in floppy disks, and none of the programs I found online could read the disks using my USB drive. I tried using dd to dump the disk but the images had nothing but mostly repeated 32-byte patterns.
This probably means the disks are either: A) dead, or B) using a file system that the programs can't recognize. These disks are 16 years old so they -may- be dead, but I don't want to toss them without making sure they can still be rescued somehow.
Can anyone who has an old Mac system running System 7 help me out? All I need are the font files, I'll convert them to Windows TTF format on my own. :)
evildragon
10-09-2008, 04:12 PM
Get a program that can read Mac floppies, they do have a different file system.
Mac TTF of that generation really won't work on Windows if I remember, even converting them isn't possible. You see, on Windows it's a binary file. On a Mac, a file exists on a "forked" plane. You got resource forks.
I have a modern Leopard running Mac, and can indeed read those old disks with my dell usb floppy drive. But, I can't guarantee you'll make sense of those files.
Kitsune Sniper
10-09-2008, 05:04 PM
None of the programs I found could read the disks. I tried several, including TransMac and MacDrive. It might be some sort of USB incompatibility, because other programs I used to copy some DOS floppy disks to my PC crashed with errors.
As for converting the TTF files, well, there's a program called CrossFont (http://www.asy.com/scrcf.htm)... so uh, yeah.
If you can help me out, I'd appreciate it.
evildragon
10-09-2008, 05:15 PM
What's the capacity written on the disk? Some disks are not MFM encoded, and these can NOT be written by ANY modern floppy drive, only the older Mac drives.
Kitsune Sniper
10-09-2008, 06:38 PM
... They don't say. They're white disks, but have no other markings on them. The manuals don't say a thing either.
The box only mentions that System 7 is required. Oh, and the floppies... only have one hole! The write protect-tabbed one. Is that important?
evildragon
10-09-2008, 06:50 PM
Oh, and the floppies... only have one hole! The write protect-tabbed one. Is that important?
Yes, it means it's either 800KB or 720KB. And being a Mac disk, it's going to be 800KB, so no modern floppy drive will be able to read it, not even a modern Mac. You're going to need access to a Mac with an old "SuperDrive" in it. I have one, but it has a tendency to corrupt disks.
Kitsune Sniper
10-09-2008, 08:43 PM
Yes, it means it's either 800KB or 720KB. And being a Mac disk, it's going to be 800KB, so no modern floppy drive will be able to read it, not even a modern Mac. You're going to need access to a Mac with an old "SuperDrive" in it. I have one, but it has a tendency to corrupt disks.
Well, if the write-protect tab is used then it shouldn't be able to write anything, so it wouldn't corrupt the stuff. I think.
I hate floppy disks. :\
InsaneDavid
10-09-2008, 09:01 PM
Well, if the write-protect tab is used then it shouldn't be able to write anything, so it wouldn't corrupt the stuff. I think.
I hate floppy disks. :\
One hole = one side.
evildragon
10-09-2008, 09:07 PM
The drives heads are magnetized when they shouldn't be, so that hole don't mean anything when those magnetized heads move past the disk.
jb143
10-10-2008, 10:56 AM
Well, if the write-protect tab is used then it shouldn't be able to write anything, so it wouldn't corrupt the stuff. I think.
I hate floppy disks. :\
The write-protect tab will only stop a drive from writting if the drive is working propperly. It will do nothing for you if, say, you set the disks on a powerfull speaker coil.
Have you searched the web for the fonts your looking for? I wouldn't be too surprised if someone already converted them.
Kitsune Sniper
10-10-2008, 02:16 PM
The write-protect tab will only stop a drive from writting if the drive is working propperly. It will do nothing for you if, say, you set the disks on a powerfull speaker coil.
Have you searched the web for the fonts your looking for? I wouldn't be too surprised if someone already converted them.
I have. A lot. They're available... for $50-100 each. :p
Call me crazy, but I paid three bucks for my fonts. I have a license. I want to use them. ;p
evildragon
10-10-2008, 04:11 PM
Hell yea you are crazy man. ;)
Actually, that is crazy.
Do you know the names of the fonts on it? I have a Mac and probably already have them.
Kitsune Sniper
10-10-2008, 09:08 PM
You probably don't - apparently these fonts were only distributed this way. I'll send you a PM later tonight.
evildragon
10-12-2008, 04:26 PM
Still waiting for that PM.