I acquired a floppy called "Apple 5.25 Drive Test Reference Disk" (part number 077-0325) and it says the disk is not copyable. So I assumed it was a specially created/formatted disk like the Datalife Analyzer disk/program for checking alignments. But it turns out I was only half right. It is a specially formatted floppy to test alignment. But it has no software on it and requires a separate program disk named "Apple 5.25 Drive Test 1.0" (part number 077-0324). A quick Google search and a scan of Asimov don't seem to yield any images for the program disk. Does anyone by chance know if an image of the program disk exists somewhere?
I found the instructions for using it in the Apple Technical Service Manual volume 2, starting on page 18 if anyone else is interested in it:
Is it perhaps this image off the disk_utils section of Asimov?
https://www.apple.asimov.net/images/disk_utils/Apple%205.25%20Drive%20Test%201.0.2%20on%20800k%20image.2mg
Wow, thanks! I think that is it. I used CiderPress to convert it to a 140k image, booted it, and it seems to match the the manual. I swore I looked in that folder, but when I saw it was mostly copy programs, I probably gave up. I think my reference disk will arrive probably Friday, so I can give those special tests a try.
It's funny, when I saw your post I immedately remembered seeing that program this past weekend so I just had to remember where it was. I was downloading a lot of stuff for my IIe over the weekend from Asimov and Scott's site and I have the "newer" 5.25 Floppy Drive so I thought that might be something to download, but then I looked it up and noticed it said you also had to have that specially formatted disk from Apple to use it and of course I didnt have one and knew since it was specially formatted you couldn't make one, so I passed on downloading it. Nice coincidence! Good luck - let us know how it behaves!
Interesting find. If you ever want to sell that, I would like to have it, to replace my defecxtive disk. I may be able to produce correct/usable copies, given time, and make them available to people who need them.
If someone could gaurantee they could successfully reprodice these, I would be inclined to contribute the disk. But how is that even possible? Could it be fluxed and then rewritten using Applesauce? If so, I'm assuming it would have to be done on a perfectly aligned drive. I admittedly don't know enough about how these disks were mastered to begin with.
I have all the AppleSauce hardware and would be willing to image it. We can see from there if it can be reproduced. PM me if instersted. Thanks - Jay
It cannot be done with any old system and making an image. Duplicating it reuires perfecty calibrated drives, with a 1:1 sector copy, and I would need to check if it uses any wacky tracks. That said, I am happy to let someone with more time try to do it. The whole point of the disk is to provide alignment data, so there may be things such as track overlap and other facets implemented t spot alignment and speed issues. I sadly do not recall if anything like that was used, but a simpe rip, then writing it to a disk would be worthless.
Someone woud need to produce physical replacement diskettes. That is what I was volunteering to try to do. Worst case, you loan it out for a few months and I can't do it. Best case, I produce two boxes of these and then we have twenty for peope who need them.
I have no problem sending it off to someone to study/duplicate, even if there is a slight chance of making a copy. I love to see this unique/rare stuff get preserved and made readily available again.
I will say, I'm a little disappointed in the program itself. It probably won't help much in actually realigning a drive that needs it. The tests all seem to be pass/fail based on the service manual and what I saw when I ran it. The manual just tells the repair shop to note what error the program displayed and to send the drive back to Apple.
On the bright side, the program seems to think the reference disk is valid. The manual shows that it will throw an error if you try and run the two tests that require it without it. It did not throw that error when I tried it today. So hopefully its still a good copy.