Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!umd5!purdue!i.cc.purdue.edu!j.cc.purdue.edu!pur-ee!iuvax!silver!creps
From: creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: PC-DOS 3.3 FORMAT bug?
Message-ID: <777@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Date: 5 Feb 88 04:25:03 GMT
Reply-To: creps@silver.UUCP (Steve Creps)
Organization: Indiana University Computer Science Department
Lines: 20


   We're running PC-DOS 3.3 here on PS/2's, and have run into some problems
formatting 3.5" disks. This problem has occurred on more than one machine,
and using more than one DOS set, and with more than one person operating
the machines.
   When we format a 3.5" disk with the DOS commands stored on the hard disk
it formats the first one OK. If we answer yes to the "format another?"
question, or answer no and run FORMAT again, it gives a media error and
says the disk is unusable. If we reboot the system and try it again, we
can get the next disk formatted, but the one after that won't format, and so
on.
   I tried booting the system with the original 3.5" DOS disk and tried it
from there. It worked perfectly. It seems the problem appears when working
from the hard disk, but not with DOS on drive A: (3.5").
   Has anyone seen this bug, or know of a patch? I just read another note
about a problem with 3.3 FORMAT on an XT clone, so that may be the same
bug.

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Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University.
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu, ...iuvax!silver!creps, creps@iubacs.bitnet