Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!tcdcs!swift.cs.tcd.ie!vax1.tcd.ie!jagrogan
From: jagrogan@vax1.tcd.ie
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: 3.5" drive in a PC?
Message-ID: <7074.2722cd8f@vax1.tcd.ie>
Date: 22 Oct 90 10:44:31 GMT
References: <40931@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Organization: Computer Laboratory, Trinity College Dublin
Lines: 35

In article <40931@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (James Sonnenmeier) writes:
> I wonder if anyone can answer a question.  I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want
> to install in an origional PC. It had two 5.25" drives so I simply replaced
> one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed then the mother board switches were set
> already for 2 drives etc ... ) but the machine thinks the 720K drive is
> still a 360K drive! ... Like I said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983)
> if I replace the disk controller with a more modern piece will that let me
> use the drive as 720K??  ( It can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a
> new disk ... that is it thinks its 360K)
> 
> 
> Anyone have any ideas??  Thanks
I had a similar problem with a clone that I bought. Although it was a new
machine (1988), the 3.5" drive could read 720K but not format.
I got around this by installing it as an external drive (d:) in the
config.sys. I could then use drive d: as a 720K drive, and drive b: as
a 360K drive, although they were the same physical drive.
If this doesn't work then you'll probably have to replace the controller
card.
Hope this helps. 
	John.
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