Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!zephyr.ens.tek.com!ogicse!plains!wilken From: wilken@plains.NoDak.edu (Scott Wilken) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Subject: Re: Formatting cheap 3-1/2" floppy Message-ID: <7783@plains.NoDak.edu> Date: 27 Jan 91 17:45:14 GMT References: <1991Jan26.015628.15182@usenet@scion.CS.ORST.EDU> <1005@ra.MsState.Edu> Organization: North Dakota State University, Fargo Lines: 22 In article <1005@ra.MsState.Edu> it1@ra.MsState.Edu (Tim Tsai) writes: >In article <1991Jan26.015628.15182@usenet@scion.CS.ORST.EDU> daver@ECE.ORST.EDU (Dave Rabinowitz) writes: >> Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable >> Format failure > > I usually just toss those disks. I haven't tried this but one of >those magnetic media erasers from Radio Shack (essentially a very No, this isnt your problem (at least from what I get out of context, I didnt see the original message). That is the message you get when you try to format a Double Density disk on a High density drive.. To format these disks correctly, using DOS 4.0 or higher, type "format b:/f:720" (of course this assumes that you have your 3.5 drive in b:. It is done differently with earlier versions of DOS, but offhand I dont remember the command. Im sure someone on the net can tell us.. Scott -- Internet: wilken@plains.nodak.edu UUCP: ..!uunet!plains!wilken Bitnet: WILKEN@PLAINS