Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!larry!polyslo!jdudeck
From: jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Formatting 3.5" Diskette
Message-ID: <25acfdbc.507@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Date: 11 Jan 90 21:42:20 GMT
References: <20972@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <7509@pt.cs.cmu.edu> <4444@rtech.rtech.com>
Reply-To: jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck)
Organization: Cal Poly State University -- San Luis Obispo
Lines: 17


In article <4444@rtech.rtech.com> fredb@llama.UUCP (Fred Buechler) writes:
> The problem is that DOS FORMAT attempts to format the diskette for the
> maximum density that the drive supports. To format a 720k (DS/DD) diskette
> in a high density (1.44mb) drive, use the command: FORMAT A: /t:80 /n:9

It's easier to type FORMAT A: /F:720 which also works.

Interestingly, some systems (e.g. American Mitac 286) automatically detect
whether you have inserted a 720k or 1.44m diskette in the drive, and format
accordingly.  Others (such as my no-name clone) do not.  I suspect that
either it is a difference in the FORMAT routine sold with the version of
DOS that you have bought, or else it is related to the BIOS support, or both.

If anyone knows where to find a FORMAT program that runs under DOS 4.01 and
supports 3.5" density auto-detection, I would be happy to learn about it.


-- 
John Dudeck                           "You want to read the code closely..." 
jdudeck@Polyslo.CalPoly.Edu             -- C. Staley, in OS course, teaching 
ESL: 62013975 Tel: 805-545-9549          Tanenbaum's MINIX operating system.