Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!lethe!yunexus!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!spool.mu.edu!samsung!emory!utkcs2!stc06!rm3 From: rm3@stc06.ornl.gov (MCBROOM R C) Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms Subject: Re: Formatting floppies (Was: 2 problems) Message-ID: <1991Feb8.143725.1463@cs.utk.edu> Date: 8 Feb 91 14:37:25 GMT References: <2211@inews.intel.com> <1991Jan31.223713.18506@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> Sender: usenet@cs.utk.edu (USENET News Poster) Reply-To: rm3@stc06.ctd.ornl.gov (MCBROOM R C) Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab Lines: 22 In article <1991Jan31.223713.18506@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> mikew@proton.LCS.MIT.EDU (Michael B. Williams) writes: >In article <2211@inews.intel.com>, tom@ismdqa.intel.com (Tom Soukup ~) writes: >|> The first problem is when attempting to format a floppy disk from the File >|> Manager. After selecting all of the formatting options, I get the >|> "Formatting Diskette" box showing the progress of the format. The disk >|> will get compeletely formatted, and then the system will get stuck with the >|> message "Creating root directory" in the message box. If I am formatting a >|> high density disk, I can click on the cancel button at this point and >|> continue with no apparent side effects. If I have tried formating a double >|> density disk, however, Windows will suddenly abort, leaving me staring at >|> the C:\> prompt. Note that in both cases, the floppy disk is formatted. >|> Any thoughts?? > >You've gotten a lot further than I have. I've been using Windows since 1988, >and I have *never* been able to format a floppy using Windows. When I try, >I get a dialog box that just says it can't format the disk, but it doesn't say >*why*. This goes for 5.25" or 3.5" disks, low or high density. > >As usual, I can learn to live with another of Windows limitations, but the >curiosity factor moves me to wonder why this is happening. Any clues? Never had a problem with formatting from windows on PS/2's :-)