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Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23
Do not allow newly uploaded CD image/floppy images to be modified

Since I am a Macintosh CD and floppy image collector, some of the disk images in this web site are not original and thus modified because of these effects:

  • Desktop DB and Desktop DF files did not match from the original CD/floppy
  • .Trashes folder exists (hidden or not)
  • .DS_Store file exists (hidden or not)
  • Any other Mac OS X indices existsh(idden or not)
  • File structure sort order does not match the original CD/floppy
  • These problems can be caused by mounting the disk image without first locking it, or using an burning a modified CD image. This means when I see the Get Info option from the CD image or floppy image, it's still modified and the file structure from the CD image or floppy image is mismatch from the original CD-ROM or original floppies.

    In order to upload untouched Macintosh disk images:

    • Make sure the disc images is original, clean, untouched and not modified directly from the original CD-ROMs and floppies such as applications and games.
    • Make sure you created the disc image from the compatible, suitable CD burner such as Toast (CD image) from the CD-ROM and Disc Copy (Uncompressed .img file) from the floppies.
    • To check the contents on the newly created CD image, make sure the CD image file is locked first, the file structure on the CD image must be matched from the original CD, and the host OS must be Mac OS 7.x-9.x to mount.
    • Please do not create the CD image (circa 1987-1997) with the HFS+ filesystem, it will not work especially for Mac OS 7.x users.
    • Choose the CD image mounter in this site. Click Get Info on the File Menu on the CD image that mounted and check the modified timestamp match from the original CD-ROM than the newly modified date (for example 2010 or 2011). If the timestamps is not original, re-create the CD image again with the suitable CD burner or make sure the CD image is not read and write.
    • Edit: Changed 'xxx 7' to 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User

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IIGS_User's picture
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Joined: 2009 Apr 8

I will write-protect my .cdr images now. Smile

iig's picture
iig
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Joined: 2009 Jul 16

What if it is modified? (sorry if thats a dumb question Smile ) Will it not mount?

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Joined: 2009 May 8

Besides the annoyance of files being spammed over archived images of original CD's, and the incorrect dates, it is also a case of integrity. To preserve software you want it to be an untouched exact copy. If it contains files that do not belong, and has incorrect dates, then how do you know nothing else is changed? Or if it contains viruses, or malicious code? Or if some file is missing?

Even more importantly, it does cause problems - especially if you burn one of those modified images to CD to use on a real mac. Worst case scenario is that the burned CD cannot mount on your classic mac due to the corrupt file structure.

That has happened to me a couple of times, when I've used a downloaded image to make a CD. In some cases the images were screwed up so badly the only way to burn a CD readable on a 68k mac was to first burn a CD to get it from the OSX computer to PPC computer (which was compatible enough to mount it) and from there restore the file structure and burn *another* CD that the 68k computer was able to mount.

bertyboy's picture
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Joined: 2009 Jun 14

As pagan says, and I'll keep it simple - the site is all about the preservation of original Macintosh software. The Holy Grail of that is unmodified images of the original install media. It's what we should all be trying to achieve.

And I know sometimes this gets in the way of those who just want to download lots of stuff for free (usually everything) and play some of it. That's when we make a few compromises if we really must, ie. stripping out game demos from a CD image to cut the file size down to something easy to use. I've done it before for a few titles and I've had to go back and upload the full un-modified CD image to Mediafire or similar, posting a second link on the game page.

Again, it might sound like we're making a big deal out of it, but that holy grail makes more than a few members here trawl eBay and other sites at least twice a week looking for new suitable titles, parting with our own money to make the original media available to all - rather than some warez version that was acquired from thepiratebay or similar that is missing the music, or video clips, or contains viruses.

Thundersock's picture
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Joined: 2010 May 20

Good point all, I think I left the audio discs out of some of the stuff I uploaded. I'll check.

MadMac's picture
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Joined: 2010 Mar 20

ok ok dont kill me... everthing is a learning experience... ooops! ...I create the .cdr image from the Disk Utility of MacOS X, i will make a new one from the 9 and re-upload it. Working on it...

bertyboy's picture
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Joined: 2009 Jun 14

I don't think we're jumping down your throat, just trying to explain why it is so important to many of us. I do my best to keep the disc images original, but just sometimes it has to be modified.

OSX Disk Utility .cdr images are better than nothing, and they should have the correct modification timestamp, but this can be modified if you mount the .cdr disc image without locking it first. OS9 Disk Copy disc images are exactly the same, they should b locked before mounting. The biggest problem here seems to be that OSX Disk Utility and OS9 Disk Copy (from memory) automatically mount the disc image as soon as it's created, by default anyway, before you have a chance to lock it. We all have to remember to turn that option off in the create / save dialog box.

Toast, either OSX or OS9 versions are first rate at creating usable disc images that no-one should complain about. Again, lock them before mouning them.

MadMac's picture
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Joined: 2010 Mar 20

Bertyboy, that s it. I made a locked .img file under the 9.2.2. mounted and checked. If somebody finds something out of place... well, tough luck! Im wearing an anti-flame suit by now... Smile
Timestamps are checked, checksum, everything.
Toast 5.1 toast image give me the same problems as disk utility with the timestamps, files and folders.
In about 3 hours, links would be ready, people.

iig's picture
iig
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Joined: 2009 Jul 16

Thanks for explaining Smile .

IIGS_User's picture
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Joined: 2009 Apr 8

Toast, either OSX or OS9 versions are first rate at creating usable disc images that no-one should complain about. Again, lock them before mouning them.

Plus, Toast preserves the PC partition of a CD-ROM, if available.

MCP's picture
MCP
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Joined: 2010 Mar 12

It just depends on what you intend to do with the disc image. Personally I think it's a waste in this day and age of large memory and huge hard drives to burn cd's unless you absolutely must in order to get something to work. And some disc images containing old compact mac software won't work with Mini vMac unless altered from their original state. So there's reasons for going in either direction. I say preserve the disc as best you can--until preservation gets in the way of using it!

Euryale's picture
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Joined: 2009 Jul 22

Is it Ok if I burn a CD image using Alcohol 120% or NERO?
That´s how I make my back-ups, even the Hybrid CD´s (music and data) result just like the originals
and work fine.

bertyboy's picture
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Joined: 2009 Jun 14

Absolutely.

Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23

In the MCP's mediafire archive, I found the Developer CD SSW 04-93 download link. Unfortunately, the dates are incorrect and the CD volume is modified by April 2010, but everything on the CD image is untouched. Can you please re-upload with the proper, correct date?

Also, I've checked the AppleCDsCatalog DiskTracker file on the MCP's mediafire archive, and all of the Apple CD images in the catalog are all CD volume have incorrect dates (like modified in 2010 or 2009) (and some of them have incorrect file structure), but only MacAdvocate CD is untouched. Can you please re-upload all of the Apple CDs to your archive with the all CDs are untouched?

MCP's picture
MCP
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Joined: 2010 Mar 12

Absolutely not. If the dates in my archives are changed, it means that the images were changed slightly to work easily with Mini vMac. Nothing else about the discs were altered. And I will not contribute to whatever kind of obsessive compulsive mania of yours it is that drives you to always be begging for redundant software.

Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23

Sorry MCP.

Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23

Here is the results of another subspect:
- It won't readable in Mac OS 7.x to 8.0.
- It uses the Mac OS Extended format and the Joilet format, not Mac OS Standard.
- The Desktop DB file has been modified.

To the uploader (Vitoarc), please replace the CD image with the new, untouched and un-modified PowerMacintosh CD image. Make sure you are using Apple Disk Copy to create CD images as read-only.

Edit: Changed 'xxx 7' to 'Mac OS 7' - IIGS User

Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23

Updated this page for more better meaning.

But not also this site, some areas also have the CD images modified such as Mitrokhin's Pandora Wired Server.

Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23

Remember, always you must check this page to get a proper information how to create CD images 100% untouched without modifying them.

T-1000's picture
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Joined: 2011 Sep 15

Thanks for making me aware of this.
I had no idea you could damage the disk images in this way. I will be careful and follow the instructions here from now on.
However I will not remake my first few uploads, at least not for now as I don't think there have been any structural damage, maybe just some modified change dates.

Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23

Can you please stick this topic? It contains the important guidelines for creating CD images that the modifications are untouched.

IIGS_User's picture
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Joined: 2009 Apr 8

Sticky now. Thanks for notification.

Fortuna Wave's picture
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Joined: 2009 May 23

Now this is also affects floppy images that is modified from the original floppy set.