Disk Copy
Encyclopedia
Disk Copy was the default utility for handling disk image
s in System 7
through Mac OS X
10.2 (Usable in System Software 6 as well). In later versions of Mac OS X
it has been replaced by DiskImageMounter
for mounting the images and Disk Utility
for creating them.
Although the last official public release of Disk Copy for Mac OS 9 was version 6.3.3, there was to be a version 6.5 that supported the newer DMG
image format introduced with Mac OS X. But because Apple had stopped support for OS 9 already, support for the old OS was eventually removed in favour of OS X. As such the OS 9 version of 6.5 only ever made it to beta 13 before development on it stopped. There was also a developer version 6.4 that 6.5 was based on and had most of the same functionality, but as a developer version it was never released. Although version 6.4 and 6.5 will read DMG images when the system is booted into OS 9, they can only do so if the image is not compressed.
Disk Copy was also the name of an Apple utility distributed with some of the earliest version of the Mac OS. In order to copy 400K floppy disks using as few disk swaps as possible on a machine with only 128K of RAM, the original Disk Copy used the screen buffer
to store binary data from the disk being copied; as a result, the screen (other than a small area at the bottom displaying the GUI
) filled with noise while copying was in progress.
Disk image
A disk image is a single file or storage device containing the complete contents and structure representing a data storage medium or device, such as a hard drive, tape drive, floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or USB flash drive, although an image of an optical disc may be referred to as an optical disc image...
s in System 7
System 7 (Macintosh)
System 7 is a single-user graphical user interface-based operating system for Macintosh computers. It was introduced on May 13, 1991 by Apple Computer. It succeeded System 6, and was the main Macintosh operating system until it was succeeded by Mac OS 8 in 1997...
through Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
10.2 (Usable in System Software 6 as well). In later versions of Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
it has been replaced by DiskImageMounter
DiskImageMounter
DiskImageMounter is the utility that handles mounting disk images in Mac OS X, starting with version 10.3. Like BOMArchiveHelper it has no GUI when double-clicked; in fact, doing so does nothing. It is found in /System/Library/CoreServices/DiskImageMounter.app...
for mounting the images and Disk Utility
Disk Utility
Disk Utility is the name of a utility created by Apple for performing disk-related tasks in Mac OS X. These tasks include:*the creation, conversion, compression and encryption of disk images from a wide range of formats read by Disk Utility to .dmg or—for CD/DVD images—.cdr, which is identical to...
for creating them.
Although the last official public release of Disk Copy for Mac OS 9 was version 6.3.3, there was to be a version 6.5 that supported the newer DMG
DMG
DMG may refer to:*DMG Radio Australia, owner of the Nova and Classic Rock radio networks*.dmg file, the Apple Disk Image file format used in the Mac OS X computer operating system*Daily Mail and General Trust, an international media company...
image format introduced with Mac OS X. But because Apple had stopped support for OS 9 already, support for the old OS was eventually removed in favour of OS X. As such the OS 9 version of 6.5 only ever made it to beta 13 before development on it stopped. There was also a developer version 6.4 that 6.5 was based on and had most of the same functionality, but as a developer version it was never released. Although version 6.4 and 6.5 will read DMG images when the system is booted into OS 9, they can only do so if the image is not compressed.
Disk Copy was also the name of an Apple utility distributed with some of the earliest version of the Mac OS. In order to copy 400K floppy disks using as few disk swaps as possible on a machine with only 128K of RAM, the original Disk Copy used the screen buffer
Screen buffer
In computing, screen buffer is a part of computer memory used by a computer application for the representation of the content to be shown on the computer display....
to store binary data from the disk being copied; as a result, the screen (other than a small area at the bottom displaying the GUI
Gui
Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grilled dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients. The term derives from the verb, "gupda" in Korean, which literally...
) filled with noise while copying was in progress.
Supported image formats
- Disk Copy
- Disk Copy 4.2
- DiskSet
- PC drive container
- raw disk image
See also
- DiskImageMounterDiskImageMounterDiskImageMounter is the utility that handles mounting disk images in Mac OS X, starting with version 10.3. Like BOMArchiveHelper it has no GUI when double-clicked; in fact, doing so does nothing. It is found in /System/Library/CoreServices/DiskImageMounter.app...
— The Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
10.3 and later successor. - Disk UtilityDisk UtilityDisk Utility is the name of a utility created by Apple for performing disk-related tasks in Mac OS X. These tasks include:*the creation, conversion, compression and encryption of disk images from a wide range of formats read by Disk Utility to .dmg or—for CD/DVD images—.cdr, which is identical to...
— Creates disk images in Mac OS X 10.3 and later. - RaWrite and RaWrite2 for MS-DOSMS-DOSMS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
and Microsoft WindowsMicrosoft WindowsMicrosoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal... - dd (Unix)Dd (Unix)In computing, dd is a common Unix program whose primary purpose is the low-level copying and conversion of raw data. According to the manual page for Version 7 Unix, it will "convert and copy a file". It is used to copy a specified number of bytes or blocks, performing on-the-fly byte order...