Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!bionet!ames!hc!lanl!cmcl2!rna!amms4!hjg From: hjg@amms4.UUCP (Harry Gross) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: 1.2meg/360k compatibility question Message-ID: <561@amms4.UUCP> Date: 14 Jul 89 19:10:47 GMT References: Reply-To: hjg@amms4.UUCP (Harry Gross) Organization: Eagle Clothes, Inc., New York, NY Lines: 34 In article as2d+@andrew.cmu.edu (Alan Henry Stein) writes: >I am currently putting together a new computer and have a question. I have >read all the warning (in the DOS manual etc.) about writing to a 360k disk >in a 1.2 meg drive (disk formatted at 360k) and then not being able to read >it in true 360k drives. I have also read about similar compatibility problems >between 1.44meg and 720k drives. Anyone have a problem with this type of >compatibility or come up with a solution to it (other than putting in both >HD and DD drives)?? The problem between 360K and 1.2M drives is that the track on a 1.2M drive is half the width of the track on the 360K drive. Thus, even though the diskette may be formatted for 360K, if it was done on a 1.2M drive, the data is 'thinner' than if it had been done on a 360K drive. SOME 360K drives don't seem to mind, but many do. This leads to the warning stating that you MAY have problems reading the disk. In the case of the 720K vs. 1.44M drives, no such problem exists. The data tracks are the same size on both drives. The only difference is whether or not data is recorded on one side, or both sides. Thus, a good mix of floppy drives would be 1 each: 360K drive (probably as drive A) 1.2M drive (probably as drive B) 1.44M drive (what ever you wish - D? E?, etc., but probably NOT C) Hope this helps -- Harry Gross | reserved for | something really Internet: hjg@amms4.UUCP (we're working on registering)| clever - any UUCP: {jyacc, rna, bklyncis}!amms4!hjg | suggestions?