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From: berggren@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Eric Berggren)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: msdos format
Message-ID: <716@pdxgate.UUCP>
Date: 20 Nov 90 07:19:58 GMT
References: <1424@manta.NOSC.MIL>
Sender: news@pdxgate.UUCP
Lines: 32

north@manta.NOSC.MIL (Mark H. North) writes:

>I'm having a problem with ibmdos 3.2 and format. There's probably a better
>group to ask but here it is. I boot off c: then try to format a:/s and get
>the following msg -- Insert DOS disk in a: and strike any key when ready.
>Now, I've done this thousands of times and it just goes ahead and formats.
>All of a sudden I get this message. Format is acting like it doesn't know
>where to look for the system files which are on c: of course and where I
>have booted from. Another symptom: I then booted from a pristine dos floppy
>in a: and did

>c:
>\dos\format a:/s

>and got the same msg.

>Is this weird or am I losing it? 

  This is either caused by the fact that MS-DOS cannot locate the main 
system files, which is nothing new for it. Check the COMSPEC environment 
variable by typing "set". It should read "COMSPEC=C:\COMMAND". If not,
somebody redefined it in either a SHELL= line in the CONFIG.SYS file
or a SET COMSPEC= line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
  OR, this problem is caused by differing DOS versions. Someone may have
upgraded the system without upgrading the utilities. Try recopying the
FORMAT.COM from the release DOS 3.2 diskettes.
  Feel free to send E-MAIL if that still doesn't work.

==============================================================================

     "Round and round the while() loop goes;
           Whether it stops," Turing says, "nobody knows."