Article 1855 of microsoft.public.win32.programmer.kernel: In article <5up05j$l6m$2@proxy5.proxy.ozemail.net>, "Geoff Chappell" wrote: >Jamey Kirby wrote in article ><5uj39s$uof$1@news01.btx.dtag.de>... >> >> Under Windows 95, you can not use the \\.\a: method. > >I mean this only as a small point and only as a diversion, but is your >statement perhaps slightly too strong, so that it is true of typical >configurations but not true universally? I don't think you can really go >further than to say that under Windows 95 you cannot _rely_ on using the >\\.\a: method. > >The standard components of Windows 95 do not recognise the \\.\a: >construction - but, as far as I know, neither do they frustrate the \\.\a: >method. Under Windows 95, on some configurations, possibly only ones with >specially-written third-party VxDs, the \\.\a: method may work. > In VC++ 4.0 there's a WINNT sample program to access the floppy using \\.\a: and (of course) this doesn't work for WIN95. According to the doc (not easy to find) you should be using \\.\vwin32 which opens a handle to the Win32 virtual device driver and then use some horrible DeviceIO functions. There's an example in the VC++ KB about how to get hold of the disk info but not about how to actually read (or write) any given sector. I also need similar functionality to access any sector. I've seen references to: #include int abswrite(int drive, int nsects, long lsect, void *buffer); But of course this ain't supported in MS VC++... So my questio is also: how do I access any sector on a floppy? Any pointers welcome! Thanks, Marius. Anite Systems, Government Systems Division 151, rue des Muguets, L-2167 Luxembourg Tel/Fax: +352 42 77 44/43 95 94 http://www.anite-systems.lu/