Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!strath-cs!str-va!cadp15 From: cadp15@vaxa.strath.ac.uk Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Extened Format Programs... Message-ID: <1990Dec17.120630.9491@vaxa.strath.ac.uk> Date: 17 Dec 90 12:06:30 GMT References: <36743@cup.portal.com> Organization: Strathclyde University VAX Cluster Lines: 31 In article <36743@cup.portal.com>, Yonderboy@cup.portal.com (Christopher Lee Russell) writes: > What is the current verdict on all of the extened format programs I have > ran across. Is it safe to format a disk with these programs (is the data > going to be secure). I have a program that formats 82 track and gives > me near 800K is this OK? Also what is the twister format, is this good? > > ....Thanks ahead of time... .....Yonderboy@cup.portal.com Well, at the moment I have about half a dozen disks that I use daily that are double sided, 84 tracks and 11 sector - gives me about 930 Kb. I've been using them for about 8 months now with no problem - BUT I do use high quality BRANDED disks (mainly TDK and Sony), lesser quality disks just do not cope. Anything past 10 sectors is risky, and to find out how many tracks your drive can cope with you can (though not really recommended) tell it to format 85 tracks and listen to the drive - when it stops going clunk after every track then you've gone to far (ie you can format to one track less than the one you're on). MOST drives will happily cope with 82 track/10 sectors... -- #include xmas.sig /******************************************************************************* * The Sorcerer man be 'Only visiting this planet' but wishes you a merry * * Christmas and a happy New Year. He can still be found at: * * * * JANET: cadx862@uk.ac.strathclyde.computer-centre-sun * * cadp15 @uk.ac.strathclyde.vaxb * * INTERNET: via nsfnet-relay.ac.uk BITNET: via ukacrl UUCP: via ukc.uucp * * * * or second star to the right and straight on 'till morning. * *******************************************************************************/