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From: leonard@percival.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: problems with MSDOS3.2 and an AT clone.
Message-ID: <456@percival.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 11-Mar-87 23:04:29 EST
Article-I.D.: percival.456
Posted: Wed Mar 11 23:04:29 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Mar-87 00:41:50 EST
References: <2429@dalcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: leonard@percival.UUCP (Leonard Erickson)
Distribution: na
Organization: Percy's UNIX, Portland, OR.
Lines: 21
Keywords: Microsoft MSDOS 3.2 PC-AT FORMAT
Summary: no. of buffers affects format!

{what's a line-eater mommy?}

I've had similar problems with FORMAT on an AT clone. On my machine I couldn't
format normal (360k) floppies. By accident I discovered the following:

	1. *All* formats could be done from a BASIC shell (SHELL "format a:")
	2. reducing the number of buffers in config.sys from 40 to 37 re-
	   enabled 360k formats from DOS. At 20 buffers I *still* can't
           format a 1.2 meg disk.

There may be some unknown factor at work as for the first month or so I *could*
format both 360k & 1.2 meg disks. But removing various programs has not helped.

Another machine at work recently started reporting 'track 0 bad or unusable' 
after formatting disks. But on it, the disks were usable. On my unit the error
appears at the *start* of formatting.
I'm using a Kammerman Labs TCS-7000 (re-labeled Tatung). The other machine is a
Packard Bell AT. I'm running MS-DOS 3.1. He is running PC-DOS 3.1.

		Leonard Erickson
		...tektronix!reed!percival!leonard