Loading Disk Images


AppleWin registers1 the following file types as "Disk Images": *.do, *.dsk, *.nib, *.po and *.woz.  Double-clicking a disk image in Windows Explorer will automatically load and boot the disk. While older versions of AppleWin started a new instance of the emulator for every disk started in this manner, current versions of the emulator will simply replace the current disk (and reboot) if there is an instance of the emulator already running.

You may also drag and drop a disk image from an Explorer window to the AppleWin emulator window to load and boot the disk.  Dropping the image exactly on one of the drive buttons will insert it only into this drive without booting.  For example: drop "Pascal1.dsk" to drive 1 and "Pascal2.dsk" to drive 2, then click the the Run button to bring up UCSD Pascal.

AppleWin now allows you to open a disk as read-only.  To do this, click the checkbox for "Open as Read Only" in the Select Disk Image dialog.  This works like the physical write-protection mechanism on a real Apple //e floppy disk.

If a Disk Image name is too long to read in the Toolbar, simply pause the mouse cursor over a drive button to get a tool-tip with the full name.

Under the vertical Toolbar, are 2 LEDs, one for each floppy disk drive. The colors indicate drive status:

  • Black: drive is off
  • Green: drive is reading
  • Red: drive is writing
  • Orange: drive is reading (and floppy is write-protected)

    By default the Disk II Controller card has the 16-sector firmware (as used by DOS 3.3 and ProDOS). But if a WOZ image that internally identifies as 13-sector format (eg. DOS 3.2) is put into drive 1, then from the start-up/logo screen (or the next reset), the Disk II Controller card's firmware will automatically be switched to the old 13-sector firmware, allowing the disk to boot. And it will automatically switch back if a non-13-sector WOZ (or any non-WOZ) image is put into drive 1 and the machine is reset.
    NB. There is no support for this feature for non-WOZ images.

    1 To register the file types in Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 10, you will need to run AppleWin with elevated privileges. This only needs to be done once. Right click the AppleWin.exe icon and select 'Run as Administrator'.