[comp.sys.ibm.pc] How to format 360KB 3.5" disk on AT compat???

hoang@rex.cs.tulane.edu (Dzung Hoang) (07/11/89)

    I have an AT compatible with a 720KB 3.5" floppy as drive B and would
like to format diskettes for use on an Atari 520 ST with a 360KB 3.5" floppy.
The ST's drive is SS/DD while the AT's drive is DS/DD.  MS-DOS v3.30 does
not allow me to format a 3.5" disk single-sided.  Is there a PD format
that would allow me to format a single-sided disk?  If not, can someone
supply me with the correct parameters for formatting the disk single-sided
so that I can attempt to modify an 800K format program (800KFMAT) to do the
trick.
    Has any ST user accomplished this on any IBM compatible???

Dzung Hoang
hoang@comus.cs.tulane.edu
tulane!comus!hoang

dnewton@carroll1.UUCP (Dave Newton) (07/13/89)

You might try a /1 option.  At least that's what Jeff says to try.  Hope it
works.

-- 
         "If I cannot create it, I do not understand it"
                                        -Richard Feynman
David L. Newton           (414) 524-7253        dnewton@carroll1.cc.edu
=8-) (smiley w/ a mohawk) (414) 524-7343     uunet!marque!carroll1!dnewton

leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) (07/13/89)

hoang@rex.cs.tulane.edu (Dzung Hoang) writes:

>    I have an AT compatible with a 720KB 3.5" floppy as drive B and would
>like to format diskettes for use on an Atari 520 ST with a 360KB 3.5" floppy.
>The ST's drive is SS/DD while the AT's drive is DS/DD.  MS-DOS v3.30 does
>not allow me to format a 3.5" disk single-sided.  Is there a PD format
>that would allow me to format a single-sided disk?  If not, can someone
>supply me with the correct parameters for formatting the disk single-sided
>so that I can attempt to modify an 800K format program (800KFMAT) to do the
>trick.
>    Has any ST user accomplished this on any IBM compatible???

Add the following line to your CONFIG.SYS:
	device=driver.sys /D:x /H:1
                             ^replace with 0 for drive A, 1 for B
This will install a logical drive D: (or whatever the first unused
drive letter is) that is a single sided 3.5 drive.

I use this on my XT all the time. Do note that while you can format
disks for the ST on a PC and use them with no problems, the reverse
isn't true. Apparently the PC expects sector 1 to immediately follow
the index, and the ST doesn't care. <sigh>

-- 
Leonard Erickson		...!tektronix!reed!percival!bucket!leonard
CIS: [70465,203]
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Let's start with typewriters." -- Solomon Short