Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!watdragon!rose!trgauchat
From: trgauchat@rose.waterloo.edu (Terry Gauchat)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: ??HELP?? DOS 3.3: How to format 1.44 MB ?
Message-ID: <14288@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 5 Jun 89 14:51:42 GMT
References: <330001@hpbblb.bbn.hp.com> <1439@bucket.UUCP>
Sender: daemon@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: trgauchat@rose.waterloo.edu (Terry Gauchat)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 26

In article <1439@bucket.UUCP> leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) writes:
}Well, I run DOS 3.3 ( actually Compaq 3.31) and and the same setup
}(1.2 meg A, 1.44 Meg B). The only time I have trouble is if the floppy
}isn't a hd floppy. All HD floppies have a hole opposit the write-protect
}hole that indicates to the hardware that they are HD disks.

Okay, so the hardware knows the disk isn't an HD -- so why the $^@$*
didn't they add a DOS error ==> improper media density, or something,
rather than allowing the format command to run for days pseudo trying
to format -- only to say 900+k bad sectors when it stops?

I think it is an industry conspiracy.  No clearly understandable
error message was introduced in order to make the format trial
failure appear to be caused by MEDIA FAILURE!!!  (when in fact,
it is mearely media encasement failure  :) ).

SO SPREAD THE WORD --> Buy reasonable quality regular density 3-1/2"
                       diskettes, drill or melt a hole (where conveniently
                       marked), and you have instant HD diskette.


Terry Gauchat
MicroCosmic Computer Services

and President of the International Coalition Against Deceptive Disk
Manufacturers... (PICADDM).