Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!rutgers!dayton!viper!john From: john@viper.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: reading IBM-PC floppies. Message-ID: <1062@viper.Lynx.MN.ORG> Date: Thu, 28-May-87 15:09:40 EDT Article-I.D.: viper.1062 Posted: Thu May 28 15:09:40 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 30-May-87 05:46:54 EDT References: <282@nikhefh.UUCP> <1254@imagen.UUCP> Reply-To: john@viper.UUCP (John Stanley) Organization: DynaSoft Systems Lines: 44 In article <1254@imagen.UUCP> turner@imagen.UUCP (D'arc Angel) writes: >in article <282@nikhefh.UUCP>, u13@nikhefh.UUCP (Rene van 't Veen) says: >+--------------------------------------------------------- >+ >+ >+ Hi there, >+ >+ Can anybody tell me, whether it is possible to read IBM-PC floppies on >+ the ST and vice-versa. I know it says somewhere that the two of them are >+ supposed to be compatible, but I wonder whether anyone has tried this yet. >+ Hardware differences are not the point, since I saw somebody advertising >+ a 5 1/4 inch >+ mail : ..!mcvax!nikhefh!u13 or u13@nikhefh.UUCP >+ >+--------------------------------------------------------- > >I spent a lot of time trying to do this, there are some format >differences like the size of the FAT's etc. but the biggest problem >i had was that all of the PC's i had access to used quad-density >format which completely confused my drive. However with the correct >drives and some format kludges, it is possible. Funny, I've had no problems with FET size differences... I suspect the problems you had were more due to the very narrow tracks put out by the AT drives. While "in theory" you can format on an AT drive and carry it over to a normal drive and have it work, it's -never- worked for me. You might try formatting the disk on the ST or on a normal PC and then trying to write to it on the AT style drives. That tends to work, but don't use it to backup anything important... I. B. Computer makes 5.25" drives for the ST in normal IBM-PC format and quad-density (IBM-AT 1.2meg) formats. Their address+phone is: I. B. Computers 1519 S.W. Marlow Ave. Portland, OR 97225 (503) 297-8425 Hope this helps... --- John Stanley (john@viper.UUCP) Software Consultant - DynaSoft Systems UUCP: ...{amdahl,ihnp4,rutgers}!{meccts,dayton}!viper!john