Disk Archive — IBM PC User Group Software Library Disk 21 (IBM-PC-User-Group-Software-Library

▸ Archivist's Notes

DEVICE: GreaseWeazle 4.1
DRIVE: TEAC FD-55GFR
SUITE: FluxEngine (decoder.retries=3, drive.revolutions=1.2)
ARCHIVER: Lee Smallbone
ARCHIVED: 2026-05-18

NOTES:
Disk purchased as part of a large estate sale from eBay.

Disk is assumed to be part of the same library as other disks that state "IBM PC USER GROUP 01-232 2277 SOFTWARE LIBRARY" as the text format, labelling style, number scheme and grouping with other disks suggest they all belong together from the same library even though some don't explicitly say so.

Disk was contaminated lightly with mould sporing:
Cleaned in original sleeve using 3D printed disk rotation enclosure
Medical non-adherent swab dipped in 99.9% isopropanol alcohol to clean disk surface
Dry swab used to dry the window, and then rotated until all of disk surface wiped.

100% media recovery.

Disk returned to original plain sleeve for archiving.

Disk Label:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

LIBRARY DISK 21
--------------------------------------------------------------------
BUILD .EXE BUILD .PAS COMBINE .BAT DISKNAME. EMPTY .
ENTER .BAT INDEX .BAT INFO .BAT INPUT .EXE INPUT .PAS
MERGE .EXE MERGE .PAS README .021 SORT .EXE SORT .PAS
START .BAT
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This disk contains a complete set of programs written by
Peter Norton and designed as a simple way to index a book
or other document.
To use type 'INFO' followed by <Enter>, then follow the
instructions on the screen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

01-26-1986 16 FILES FORMAT 1S BYTES: 160256 USED 0 FREE

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Who was the IBM PC Users Group? --

The IBM PC User Group, also seen as The IBM Personal Computer User Group and later The PC User Group UK, was an independent UK user group for IBM PC and compatible computer users, active by at least 1986 and probably earlier. It operated initially from PO Box 830, London SE1 2BQ with telephone 01-232 2277, distributing public-domain and user-supported software via a paid disk catalogue. By the early 1990s it had moved to PO Box 360, Harrow HA1 4LQ and was operating the ibmpcug.co.uk UUCP/Internet host, offering email, news, FTP, telnet and dial-in access.

The group’s newsletter was called Connectivity, edited by Alan Jay by 1990. Dr Alan Solomon was closely associated with the group and is described in contemporary press coverage as running the IBM Personal Computer User Group near London; later material identifies him as chairman. The group appears to have played a notable role in early UK PC public-domain/shareware distribution, anti-virus awareness, and pre-mainstream Internet access.

▸ References & Further Reading

Practical Computing Magazine September 1986 (Internet Archive) ia600600.us.archive.org Page 21 hails: "CHEAP IBM SOFTWARE: The IBM PC User Group has published its latest catalog of software. Costing £3, it lists over 200 different discs, each one containing around 15 programs ranging from games to utilities and applications. The discs cost £5 each to members, plus VAT and a handling charge. The programs provided are either in the public domain - which means they are free - or are user supported. The means that the programs can be copied and passed on, but users are encouraged to send a small contribution to the authors. Details from IBM PC User Group, PO BOX 830, London SE1 2BQ. Telephone 01-232 2277."

▸ Directory Tree

┌─ IBM-PC-USER-GROUP-SOFTWARE-LIBRARY_DISK-21.IMG
│
├── BUILD.EXE                   29 KB  1983-01-13  sha256:7f1602f7a09622591f01bd76033f64a8710ba2b00bd7173cfc90245b29e9122d
├── BUILD.PAS                  4.1 KB  1983-03-02  sha256:9d676faec6e663fad209ac248047a76f43685928660fe6e92ac6133bec630af8
├── COMBINE.BAT                 128 B  1983-01-13  sha256:fafe349bddeb87405c07c35d91dd025e8c8a2bf0560877bbf531ffb2ca64aacc
├── EMPTY                         1 B  1983-01-08  sha256:58f7b0780592032e4d8602a3e8690fb2c701b2e1dd546e703445aabd6469734d
├── ENTER.BAT                   128 B  1983-01-13  sha256:0d501975d9c68d9fad28de71f5c82778214c6fecd4514d1e4ddccac1ffecd895
├── INDEX.BAT                   128 B  1983-01-13  sha256:e1ce847983d906123d4e8b354f480754c259d47aa04ef5ac7647b37122c23433
├── INFO.BAT                   5.6 KB  1983-01-13  sha256:ada187221d535466b21df621795ac5315a62bb253bd0c7be112f1c3f3f8cc811
├── INPUT.EXE                   29 KB  1983-01-19  sha256:435dd4cec5acf4324fda5a162c0c1ac60a2ce5ac6f3898e41708dfb9bb7a1d4f
├── INPUT.PAS                  6.8 KB  1983-01-19  sha256:ff9aa923763ff3a435a0c2fff0b6408fcefde9bb5d79588a0bef6013246a9754
├── MERGE.EXE                 29.8 KB  1983-01-13  sha256:d768954c6b2948ffb03ca9aae726560496f22f8ace4c45ccd9f4893756805a41
├── MERGE.PAS                    4 KB  1983-01-13  sha256:faa524ec7b030941afe0590dd115f68d05429fea8071d6a5f3d53caf5efe32e8
├── SORT.EXE                  35.3 KB  1983-01-13  sha256:cf82aeb935d5492c4fd1d254396e52d51c0c41588ebc5c3338ce67b8485ce600
├── DISKNAME                    384 B  1984-12-04  sha256:5b5900c6d00770bcd6d52405cf3902124dfbbab4f9a6f834bc86b1838bf327e0
├── SORT.PAS                   5.1 KB  1983-01-13  sha256:7096fc85599bfa199a4194e14c42f2253f52894aed83d2b1ca4a99eaade319f3
├── START.BAT                   128 B  1983-01-13  sha256:0bddd4b1e95bc503d2fbe3d107e3e1c4172dd82e33855e71e4c61366d93bdb84
└── README.021                 2.8 KB  1984-09-10  sha256:209fc329cdf572bd7e2596d3394166f03386624cda393f220270b6fdd909377a
│
└─ END IBM-PC-USER-GROUP-SOFTWARE-LIBRARY_DISK-21.IMG

▸ File Manifest

Path	Size	Modified	SHA-256
BUILD.EXE	29 KB	1983-01-13 11:33	7f1602f7a09622591f01bd76033f64a8710ba2b00bd7173cfc90245b29e9122d
BUILD.PAS 📄 view	4.1 KB	1983-03-02 12:00	9d676faec6e663fad209ac248047a76f43685928660fe6e92ac6133bec630af8
COMBINE.BAT	128 B	1983-01-13 11:39	fafe349bddeb87405c07c35d91dd025e8c8a2bf0560877bbf531ffb2ca64aacc
EMPTY	1 B	1983-01-08 10:26	58f7b0780592032e4d8602a3e8690fb2c701b2e1dd546e703445aabd6469734d
ENTER.BAT	128 B	1983-01-13 11:37	0d501975d9c68d9fad28de71f5c82778214c6fecd4514d1e4ddccac1ffecd895
INDEX.BAT	128 B	1983-01-13 11:40	e1ce847983d906123d4e8b354f480754c259d47aa04ef5ac7647b37122c23433
INFO.BAT 📄 view	5.6 KB	1983-01-13 11:19	ada187221d535466b21df621795ac5315a62bb253bd0c7be112f1c3f3f8cc811
INPUT.EXE	29 KB	1983-01-19 09:31	435dd4cec5acf4324fda5a162c0c1ac60a2ce5ac6f3898e41708dfb9bb7a1d4f
INPUT.PAS 📄 view	6.8 KB	1983-01-19 09:29	ff9aa923763ff3a435a0c2fff0b6408fcefde9bb5d79588a0bef6013246a9754
MERGE.EXE	29.8 KB	1983-01-13 11:30	d768954c6b2948ffb03ca9aae726560496f22f8ace4c45ccd9f4893756805a41
MERGE.PAS 📄 view	4 KB	1983-01-13 11:21	faa524ec7b030941afe0590dd115f68d05429fea8071d6a5f3d53caf5efe32e8
SORT.EXE	35.3 KB	1983-01-13 11:28	cf82aeb935d5492c4fd1d254396e52d51c0c41588ebc5c3338ce67b8485ce600
DISKNAME 📄 view	384 B	1984-12-04 00:51	5b5900c6d00770bcd6d52405cf3902124dfbbab4f9a6f834bc86b1838bf327e0
SORT.PAS 📄 view	5.1 KB	1983-01-13 11:20	7096fc85599bfa199a4194e14c42f2253f52894aed83d2b1ca4a99eaade319f3
START.BAT	128 B	1983-01-13 11:36	0bddd4b1e95bc503d2fbe3d107e3e1c4172dd82e33855e71e4c61366d93bdb84
README.021	2.8 KB	1984-09-10 17:38	209fc329cdf572bd7e2596d3394166f03386624cda393f220270b6fdd909377a

▸ Antivirus Scan

✓ NO THREATS DETECTED

16FILES SCANNED

0INFECTED

0ERRORS

31.52sSCAN TIME

Engine: ClamAV 1.4.4 / DB 27990 · via clamdscan

Infected files: 0
Time: 0.006 sec (0 m 0 s)

▸ Archive.org

This disk image has not yet been submitted to the Internet Archive.
Once uploaded, create IBM-PC-User-Group-Software-Library_Disk-21.link in the archive directory containing the item identifier.

▸ Live Access via mTCP NetDrive

This disk image is available for immediate live access on the public X86.WORLD mTCP NetDrive service. Mount it directly as a drive letter on any DOS machine with a network connection — no download required.

DOS COMMAND

NETDRIVE CONNECT disks.x86.world:2002 IBM-PC-User-Group-Software-Library_Disk-21.img D:

Requires mTCP and a configured packet driver. Replace D: with any free drive letter. The connection is session-scoped (writeable, but only for your connected session).
Type NETDRIVE DISCONNECT D: to unmount.

Image Size	160 KB
Filesystem	FAT12 (assumed — non-standard BPB)
Floppy Type	160KB
Form Factor	5.25"
Format Notes	IBM DOS 1.0 SS/SD
Volume Label	UGRP DISK21
Cylinders	40
Heads	1
Sectors/Track	8
Total Sectors	320

Used capacity	95.1%
Slack space	4.9% (7.8 KB)
Date range	1983-01-08 → 1984-12-04
Largest file	SORT.EXE (35.3 KB)
Cross-disk dupes	0 file(s)
AV status	✓ CLEAN

▸ Disk Identity

▸ Contents Summary