Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!mitel!testeng1!huis
From: huis@testeng1.misemi (Stephen Hui)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: RE: 1.2Mb 3.5 Drive ???!!
Message-ID: <8124@testeng1.misemi>
Date: 31 May 91 17:38:34 GMT
Reply-To: huis@syscad36.UUCP ()
Organization: Mitel CAE Services
Lines: 30


>>I have a 3.5 inch high density drive that thinks it formats out to 1.2
>>Mb instead of 1.44.  Funny thing is, these disks can be read and
>>written to by other PCs with HD drives (as a 1.2 Mb disk), but my
>>drive will not read anything except what it formats itself.
>>Inconvenient.

There are two possible reasons for this problem.

1.	The BIOS in you system doesn't support 3.5" Floppy at all.
	If you have an OLD Phenix BIOS then this is the problem. Some
OLD Phenix BIOS let you select HIGH or LOW Density Drives (1.2M & 360K
Floppy Drives). When you hook a 3.5" drive and setup as high density
drive, all you can get is 1.2M only (so as for low density selection,
you will get 360K only). All you have to do is to get a new BIOS that
support 3.5" drive (like a newer Phenix or AMI BIOS).

2.  	The controller card for the drives can't handle 3.5" drive at all.
	I had one of these controller before. I tried driver.sys, different
3.5" floppy and never work. But the drive works with other machine. Finally,
I conclude the problem was the controller and I tried another controller on
my machine and it worked. I sold the machine to someone who didn't plan to
use 3.5" floppy at all and bought another system. If this is the case, you
can buy a new controller for you system (I paid $125.00 for my controll at
that time. It was easier for me to sell whole system that just a controller).

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Stephen Hui                     uunet!mitel!testeng1!huis
Mitel Corporation               Tel: (613) 592-5660 X4959
Kanata, Ontario, CANADA         Fax: (613) 592-4784