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Presentation

MacDisk is an utility for reading, writing and formatting Apple Macintosh magnetic media on an IBM compatible PC, without any hardware modification of the computer and without any add-on.
MacDisk is a 32-bit application and runs under all recent versions of Windows (Vista and 7 included, even 64 bits). Under XP and higher, to manage USB and FireWire (IEEE 1394) drives, you should preferably use the current release (7.5). See the page on the service lsdiorw about installation problems.

Supported Media

• HD (High Density) floppy disks (1.44 MB),
• CD-ROMs, pure HFS, hybrid (HFS/ISO 9660) and even ISO 9660 CD-ROMs with Apple extensions
• DVD-ROMs, which are in fact just huge CD-ROMs
• Plain hard disks without any capacity limit (see also our page on Disk Interfaces and on Huge disks). Windows XP and higher only.
• Iomega Zip cartridges, 100 and 250 MB
• Iomega Jaz removable disks, 1 and 2 GB
• External hard disks connected on the USB or FireWire (IEEE 1394) bus
• SyQuest cartridges, all capacities
• Bernoulli disks, all capacities
• USB media (keys, drives, token)
• Magneto-optical cartridges of 128 and 230 MB (3.5") and of 300, 350, 600, 650 MB (5.25").

Macintosh CD-ROMs are managed as read-only volumes. If you want to create Macintosh CD-ROMs od DVD-ROMs on your PC, please visit our page on MacImage.
All kinds of Zip cartridges are supported (be it on SCSI bus, on USB bus, on IDE/ATAPI bus or on the parallel port).
Under Windows 2000/XP/Vista, we don't use the Aspi layer any more, but a service launched under the local system. See the MacDisk data sheet and the Lsdiorw page.

File System Compatibility

MacDisk manage HFS volumes (classical magnetic Macintosh media), the new HFS+ format (also called Extended Mac OS), which handles better the current bigger disks, MS-DOS media (FAT 16/32) which were written to on a Macintosh and store Macintosh files (those volumes show some peculiarities, see our page of comments) and the NTFS volumes (Windows NT and 2000) storing Macintosh files handled through SFM (Services For Macintosh).
MacDisk, when launched from a Windows partition created by the boot manager Bootcamp on a Macintosh with Intel processor, can access the Macintosh partition to copy files back and forth. Instead of the classical Apple Partition Table, such disks use the MBR concept (GPT partition table) with an entry to a EFI partition (code 0xEE), a Macintosh partition (code 0xAF) and a Windows partition (code 0x07).

Why MacDisk?

MacDisk is aimed at all users needing to exchange data files between the Macintosh and the PC.
MacDisk is an indispensable tool for data exchanges between sibling applications that exist in both Macintosh and PC (Windows) versions, like MS-Word, MS-Excel, PageMaker, Quark Xpress as well as transfering compatible data formats (Ascii, graphical files).
To get a better understanding of MacDisk features, you can download the Help File.

MacDisk Version 7.0

MacDisk is a 32-bit program. The latest version for Windows 2000/XP/Vista adds many new functions: it now supports all CD-ROM drives (SCSI, USB, IDE/ATAPI), all kinds of CD-ROMs (HFS, HFS+, hybrid, even multi-session ones). The 32-bit version is much faster than former ones. For an example, a 80-MB file is copied from the CD-ROM drive to the hard disk in less than a minute!
More, the new interface offers an Explorer bar to navigate the Macintosh volume and a listview which allows to sort the items according to the name, to the type, to the data or resource length, to the creation/modification date and to the signature.

This feature is very interesting, for an example if you get a floppy with both Word and Excel files. A sort according to the signature will allow you to copy selectively the Word files in a specific subfolder and the Excel files in another one. Likewise, if you do DTP, you'll be able to copy selectively the Tiff pictures, the EPS files and the layouts.
See also our Version 7 Preview Page on its new features and its new user interface (with numerous screen captures).

MacDisk Under Windows XP SP2 and Higher

If your computer runs under Windows XP SP2 and higher and if you are using Windows Firewall, you have to correct its settings to allow MacDisk to call its low-level disk access service Lsdiorw.exe.
See the text on this setting on the page about the service Lsdiorw.

And What About DD Floppy Disks?

MacDisk cannot read Apple Macintosh DD (400 KB or 800 KB) floppy disks. Apple chose to implement the GCR coding (Group Coded Recording) with a variable spindle speed to squeeze more data on the outer tracks of the medium. There are no software solutions to mimic that on the PC, and the existing hardware solutions become more and more of "historical nature" (Central Point Option Board DeLuxe, Apple external floppy drive connected to a MicroSolution controller).
However, I recently learned that one of those cards is still available: the Catweasel board can read DD images with a normal PC-floppy (connected to it) as well as many other formats.

MacDisk Features

MacDisk manages the Macintosh signatures and adds a corresponding extension to the files copied from the Mac to the PC. Conversely, MacDisk gives a signature to the files copied on the Macintosh volume to make "double-clickable" icons. The lookup table is freely editable (with the SignEdit utility).
MacDisk is a low-level disk utility and not a conversion program. It doesn't modify the contents of the files (to avoid yet another source of problems). It is bundled with MacText, a little text converter aimed at some Macintosh text formats.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

Most big applications existing on both platforms open the files created on the other platform. That is, Word for Windows opens Word Mac files. This holds true also for Excel, PageMaker, Xpress and many others. See our Hints & Tips for more information about converting and transferring data files between Macintosh and PC.

Font Transfers

From version 4.5, MacDisk offers certain features to transfer and convert font files between the Macintosh and the PC.

How to Buy MacDisk?

Please see our Price list and our On-line Order Desk. The on-line order processing is done on a secure server (SSL) and offers all the security you want (in particular, your credit card information never travels on unsecured links).
As soon as your credit card is charged, you are redirected to the downloading page, where you can download the full version of the program. A confirmation message is also sent by email with a downloading link.

To Go Further...

• MacDisk data sheet
• Hints and tips on exchanging formats between applications
• Download a demo package to check yourself what the program may do for you
• Testimonials Page (a few sentences may say it better than thousand words...

Updates and Upgrades

If you're a registered user of one of our products (included MacCD, MacSQ or MacScuzzy), see our Upgrade & Update Page. We also offer a competitive upgrade for users of similar products.