Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!gatech!mcnc!ecsvax!burgin
From: burgin@ecsvax.UUCP (Robert Burgin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Do 1.44Mb 3.5" drives reliably read/write 720K floppies?
Message-ID: <4774@ecsvax.UUCP>
Date: 17 Mar 88 14:08:37 GMT
References: <746@esunix.UUCP> <1528@homxc.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 26
Keywords: 3.5", disk formats, interchangeable
Summary: Does too work!

In article <1528@homxc.UUCP>, rps@homxc.UUCP (R.SHARPLES) writes:
> In article <746@esunix.UUCP>, angerhof@esunix.UUCP (Norman Angerhofer) writes:
> > 
> > My question:  do the 1.44MB 3.5" drives also RELIABLY read and write the
> > 720k format?
> 
> I have just done this in my PC's Limited 386/16.  I have yet to get it
> to work properly...
> ... However, if you follow
> the MS DOS directions for formatting a 1.44meg as 720K:
> 	format b: /t:80 /n:9
> you get the error "invalid parameter".  According to someone at the 
> MS help #, this is an acknowledged bug - e.g. you can not format a 
> 1.44meg as 720K under DOS 3.3 at this time...

I have followed this discussion about 1.44 meg drives and 720K disks
for some time and can't understand what the fuss is all about.  I
have a Tandy 4000 with a 1.44 meg drive, and it handles 720K
disks with no trouble.  I did have some problems until I got a
copy of DOS 3.3 and discovered 'FORMAT B: /T:80 /N:9'  And it
works.  Maybe I'm lucky?

--rb

P.S.  I always reverse the parameters -> 'FORMAT B: /N:9 /T:80'
      Maybe that's the ticket?