Macintosh: How to Copy or Initialize (Format) a Floppy Disk

How do I copy a floppy disk? How do I initialize or format a floppy disk?
If your Macintosh has two floppy-disk drives:

1) Insert the disk to be copied in one drive, and the disk you want to copy to in the other drive.

2) Drag the icon of the original disk onto the icon of the "target" or destination disk.

3) You'll be asked if you want to completely replace the contents of the target disk with the contents of the original. Click Yes to continue.

Note: This will replace, not add to, everything that was on the disk you are copying to.


If your Macintosh has only one floppy-disk drive:

1) Insert the disk to be copied in the floppy disk drive.

2) Press Command-E to eject the disk. Its icon will remain on the desktop, but as a dimmed, or grayed-out shadow.

3) Put the disk you want the new copy on in the floppy disk drive. It may be a disk you have used before, or a new, uninitialized disk. If it is uninitialized, click Initialize to format the disk.

4) Drag the icon of the dimmed floppy disk over the icon of the disk you just inserted in the drive.

5) You'll see a warning dialog box that asks if you want to completely replace the contents of the new disk with the contents of the original. Click Yes to continue.

Note: This will replace, not add to, everything that was on the disk you are copying to.

6) You'll be asked to insert disks as needed as the computer makes your copy.

Note: You can stop the copying process at any point by pressing "Command-." (Command-period). You may have to press this key combination more than once.
Published Date: Feb 20, 2012