Help: I'm confused: *.bin or *.exe file when loading new OS

I've read some horror stories about upgrading MPC2000XL to the new OS and I'm confused. I downloaded the two OS's 1.14. and 1.20 just to be safe. I have an extarnal Hard drive so I hope I can transfer them to it and in case of any trouble I can revive the system from there.
But here are my few questions:
1. Using XP, I formatted disks with regular FAT format and unzipped the files into MPC2KXL.BIN that I transferred to the floppy (each for separate OS). Will the MPC read those floppies or do I need a special DOS format?
2. Someone on this forum had serious problems where *.bin files were not being read by MPC which would be right according to the manual that says that *.exe or *.sys files only are. So this guy renamed this *.bin file to *.exe file and put it on the same floppy along with the *.bin file. Should I do the same?
3. I'd like to transfer the files to my hard drive so if I lose my floppy/zip connectivity after I upgrad to media readers (that's what I plan on doing) I would like to be able to load various OS's from the external hard drive.. So again my question is should I use the renamed files MPC2KXL.EXE of the respective 1.14 and 1.20 OS's when I want to upgrade the OS or should I use the MPC2KXL.BIN files that I downloaded from the AKAI web page.

Oh, I'm a bit scared to mess with it but my card reader arrived today and my hands are itching...

Help please and thank you big time

Tad

Tadmen wrote:1. Using XP, I formatted disks with regular FAT format and unzipped the files into MPC2KXL.BIN that I transferred to the floppy (each for separate OS).

So again my question is should I use the renamed files MPC2KXL.EXE of the respective 1.14 and 1.20 OS's when I want to upgrade the OS or should I use the MPC2KXL.BIN files that I downloaded from the AKAI web page.

Use a normal DOS/FAT format floppy disk.
Unzip the downloaded file directly to the freshly formatted floppy disk.
The MPC2000XL loads a *.BIN file for upgrading it's operating system.
You do not need to re-name the file.

Rohan.

I have Windows XP, is it the same as the DOS/FAT disk format you're talking about.

I just you the option under windows Floppy to format disk, where it gives me an option FAT. IS it OK?

I would appreciate if you could clarify this. If this is not of, how else would I format the disk.

Tad

Yep... FAT.