Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!elroy!hacgate!ashtate!dbase!marc
From: marc@dbase.UUCP (Marc Schifer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Formatting 3.5" DS/DD to 1.44MB on Zenith 286-LP
Summary: Using DS/DD 720k disks as HD 1.44 disks
Keywords: HD, 3.5" disks, Zenith
Message-ID: <8@dbase.UUCP>
Date: 3 Feb 89 00:38:27 GMT
References: <2004@pembina.UUCP>
Organization: Ashton Tate Devlopment Center Glendale, Calif.
Lines: 31

In article <2004@pembina.UUCP>, mathur@alberta.UUCP (Ambrish Mathur) writes:
> with a 3.5" disk drive and MSDOS 3.3+. I can't seem to
> format a DS/DD 3.5" disk to 1.44MB even with the /t and /n
> parameters. On an IBM PS/2 this is possible (DOS 4.0). 
> While the Zenith system supports 1.44MB for HD disks, it does 
> not seem to allow this for the DS/DD disks although the
> manual vaguely hints this is possible. Is the check for 
> HD disks a software feature? If it is I don't see why 
> the 1.44MB formatting should be disallowed on the normal
> DS/DD disks since PS/2 's do allow it.  
      
       The work around to the media sensor in most of the non PS/2
       3.5 inch drives is to drill a hole (crude but effective if done
       carefully) in the other side of the disk, using another disk as
       a templet, to be shure you get the hole in the right sopt.  The
       only problem with this is that the life expectancy of the DS/DD
       disk formated at double its capacity (1.44) is not very long.
       I used to use the 720k disks in a PS/2 Model 80 I had for a while
       and formated them at 1.44 (IBM dosn't check the media) but soon
       found that my disks were rapidly going bad, some to the extent of
       not being able to be refroamted.  So I do not recomend this approach
       for saving money on disks unless you don't care about your data.


       Marc

       --------------
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       (i.e. TheseArntNoboddysOppoionsButMyOwnAndIamNotevenchureIWantthem)

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