Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!att!drutx!druwa!rlp
From: rlp@druwa.ATT.COM (PrehnRL)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: XT with 1.44Mb floppy?
Summary: Micro solutions compaticard IV
Message-ID: <9143@drutx.ATT.COM>
Date: 21 Jun 91 00:29:26 GMT
References: <28610D27.543C@deneva.sdd.trw.com>
Sender: news@drutx.ATT.COM
Distribution: usa
Lines: 41

In article <28610D27.543C@deneva.sdd.trw.com>, cwong@acme.coyote.trw.com (Chun P. Wong) writes:
> Recently, I bought a new controller card to add a 1.44Mb floppy to my XT, thus
> giving my system two 360K floppies, a 40Mb hard drive and a 1.44Mb floppy.
> After I installed it, the system booted up fine.  I typed 'DIR' and still
> everything was fine.  But when I tried FORMATting *ANY* of the floppy drives,
> it would complain with 'Invalid bad media' or something to that effect.  I
> took the card back to the store where they tested it on an AT-compatible,
> and it worked.  I've heard that an XT *CAN* have a high-density floppy, but
> how do I do it?  My system is an IBM XT with 640KB ram.  I have a 'SmartOne'
> modem installed with a Herc mono card.  DOS is 3.30.
> 
> Any suggestions are welcomed.
> 
> -C. Wong


The compaticard IV will work in just about any XT including the AT&T 6300.
It provides it's own bios for acknowledging the 1.4M drive.
IT will mix/match up to 4 internal/external drives 360K,1.2M,720k,1.4M.
If you use their CCFORMAT command, it will automatically format the highest
density capable for the installed drive.  You can format lower density floppies
by adding the appropriate option.
(e.g add /720k option to format a 720K floppy in a 1.4M drive.)

It's drawback is it's price $112 from DPS in Longmont Co (800)669-8914.

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