Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!van-bc!
From: lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Can I de-install a floppy?
Message-ID: <1175@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca>
Date: 27 Feb 90 22:09:43 GMT
Lines: 26
Return-Path: <lpami!lphillips>
To: van-bc!rnews

In <2623@leah.Albany.Edu>, wfh58@leah.Albany.Edu (William F. Hammond) writes:
>Does anyone have a utility to de-install a floppy without disturbing
>the directories and files that are present?  (I know that "format"
>will de-install, but it also wipes out all directories and files.)
>Preferably the boot blocks should be left looking as if they came from
>"format".

Interesting idea, and one that is easy to implement. Until someone does it, you
could use DEdit or Sectorama. The only required value in sector 0 is  'DOS',0
or $444F5300, in the first longword, so you can safely put anything in the rest
of the sector. Sectorama will not allow you to update a block if it does not
have a valid checksum, but the checksum will not affect anything.

So, just go to sector 0 and use ASCII edit to put in blanks or credits or a
flame about MsDos starting at the second longword.

-larry

--
Gallium Arsenide is the technology of the future;
  always has been, always will be.
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|   //   Larry Phillips                                                 |
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