Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!rulcri.leidenuniv.NL!PLUIMERS
From: PLUIMERS@rulcri.leidenuniv.NL ("Jeroen W. Pluimers")
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: FDFORM17.ZIP - Floppy disk formatter - up to 1.8 mb per disk!
Summary: Reposted by Keith Petersen
Message-ID: <7EC1B16060603144@rulcri.LeidenUniv.nl>
Date: 11 Jun 91 13:10:00 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Lines: 48

I have uploaded to SIMTEL20:
 
pd1:<msdos.dskutl>
FDFORM17.ZIP    Floppy disk formatter - up to 1.8 mb per disk!

FDFORMAT, a replacement for the DOS-Format program, has the following
advantages:

1) Supporting 3-1/2"-1.44 MB drives with any BIOS-Versions in ATs and Clones. 
2) Formatting and using of 720/820 kByte disks in AT 5-1/4"-1.2 MByte Drives 
   using cheap double-density (DD) disks.
3) Increasing the capacity of your disks up to 300 kByte additional storage.
4) Supporting 3-1/2"-360 kByte format.  This is useful, when you want 
   to make copies of 5-1/4"-disks to 3-1/2"-disks using DISKCOPY
5) Enhance speed of your diskette I/O up to 100% with sector sliding.
   This is a method of physical ordering sectors in a way, that your
   drive is ready to read the next logical sector, when your head ad-
   vances one track.
6) Improved BOOT-Sector, which automatically boots from harddisk, if
   the diskette in drive A: is not a system disk. This allows you to
   leave the diskette in drive A;, when you reboot the system.

Changes in Version 1.7:

Added /W switch to do a format without erase.

Added /Q and /U switches to work like DOS 5 FORMAT.

Added Volume Serial Number.

Uses DOS switch char to call COMMAND-SHELL and allows switch char to
select options.

A special 8088-Version of FDREAD was added, which is required on some
XT systems.

FDFORMAT, WIMAGE and READBOOT don't need Interrupt 58H any longer.

Full extended Boot-Record as introduced in DOS 4 is now used.

Fixed problems with some Diskette-Cache Programs.

Lot's of bugs fixed.

jeroen
- -
Jeroen W. Pluimers
PLUIMERS%rulcri.leidenuniv.nl@rulway.LeidenUniv.nl