External usb floppy drive for mac software#
The Apple 1.4M format uses "MFM" for their bits, a Windows PC with additional (non-standard) software may be able to read and possibly write Apple 1.4M format diskettes. Software on a PC/MS-DOS/Windows computer CANNOT create or read the Apple Macintosh 400K and 800k formatted diskettes - PC hardware is not able to read the "GCR" bits.
External usb floppy drive for mac mac#
(The oldest Mac 400K format is a little less available, on some older Macs - check your Mac model for specifics.)That's due to the MAC COMPUTER'S software and hardware controller, and Apple support software. Meanwhile: All but the earliest Apple Macs with 1.4M Apple drives can, with proper OS and software, produce and read both Apple 1.4MB and 800K diskette formats, and PC 1.44MB and 720K diskette formats. You'd have to replace the controller and use very specific software for that controller - and there were/are only a few products which provided Mac format and file system support. The Mac drives won't "fit", the controller can't "control" it. problem is in the Windows PC's controller hardwareb. "Magically" hooking up a physical Mac floppy drive to a PC/Windows computer, or vice versa, won't help you out. In either case, these formats for binary data and file data are producedĪT THE COMPUTER, NOT INSIDE THE DRIVE (a common misconception). When Apple's 1.4M floppy drive was developed, Apple also developed a "MFM" format for their 1.4M diskettes, but did not use the "FAT" scheme for their 1.4M Mac floppy file system. Use these keywords to find details elsewhere. In the 1980's on MS-DOS based computers, based on even older pre MS-DOS technology. The scheme for file descriptionsĪnd data on the floppy diskette is called "FAT".
The bits on these drives are written and read in a binary data scheme called "MFM" (even older, "FM"), and these drives rotate at a constant rate. This scheme was also used on 5.25" inch drives. The old Windows/MS-DOS 3.5" drives are supported at the BIOS ROM level, and a floppy controller "chip" technology developed in the late 1970's for early personal computer use. Apple also has a scheme for their "file system" - how files areĭescribed and the file data is distributed on the diskette, They call that HFS (and a very early version was MFS). Also, their floppy drives rotate atdifferent rates depending on where the data is located on the diskette. Mac floppy drives are connected via a 20-pin cable. That's a description of how the bits are written and read. Apple developed what's called a "GCR" data scheme for their 400K and 800K floppy drive format. The old Apple Macintosh floppy drives were supported by Apple's very specific floppy controller software and hardware. Very different diskette formats, hardware Question: how are old Macintosh floppy disks "written" and why can't an old PC floppy drive read them? Interface hardware, the binary level of disk formats, and have some Understand these issues, one has to know the binary level of drive Generally speaking, NO Windows PC can read and write Mac format diskettes, not without additional, specialized hardware or hardware "tricks". Many older Macs with floppy drives, can read and write PC/Windows diskettes. Second, floppy drives have beenĪround for decades: floppy drive "standards" have changed repeatedly. First, "Apple" and "Windows" are veryĭifferent hardware and software "standards". Misleading, and especially so when comparing Apple Macintosh products To my Windows computer to read Mac disks? Which could be used in a modern Windows PC? Can I hook a Mac drive Question: What is the interface for the Mac "high density" 3.5" floppyĭrives (auto-inject/manual-inject). This document was last updated Sept 30 2014. I have a specific Web page about non-standard floppy controllers for old or recent Windows/Linux PC's, to read non-MS-DOS diskettes. I sell and describe Apple Macintosh floppy drives on the linked Web page. Also, I cover floppy disk drive technology on my Tech information on floppy disks drives and media. Go there to read specific answers to specific questions with brief commentary. This is a kind of question about Apple Macs which I cover in my How can I read old Mac diskettes on my modern Windows (Linux) PC? or on an old Mac? Or can I 'connect' Apple floppy drives to my Windows computer to read Mac diskettes?" Windows vs Macintosh - floppy drives and diskettes
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