creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) (02/05/88)
We're running PC-DOS 3.3 here on PS/2's, and have run into some problems formatting 3.5" disks. This problem has occurred on more than one machine, and using more than one DOS set, and with more than one person operating the machines. When we format a 3.5" disk with the DOS commands stored on the hard disk it formats the first one OK. If we answer yes to the "format another?" question, or answer no and run FORMAT again, it gives a media error and says the disk is unusable. If we reboot the system and try it again, we can get the next disk formatted, but the one after that won't format, and so on. I tried booting the system with the original 3.5" DOS disk and tried it from there. It worked perfectly. It seems the problem appears when working from the hard disk, but not with DOS on drive A: (3.5"). Has anyone seen this bug, or know of a patch? I just read another note about a problem with 3.3 FORMAT on an XT clone, so that may be the same bug. - - - - - - - - - Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University. creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu, ...iuvax!silver!creps, creps@iubacs.bitnet
bose@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (02/05/88)
I have noticed the same problem except it occurs only when you try and format a 720K disk in a 1.44Meg drive.
uchuck@ecsvax.UUCP (Charles Bennett) (02/06/88)
In article <777@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>, creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) writes: > > We're running PC-DOS 3.3 here on PS/2's, and have run into some problems > formatting 3.5" disks. This problem has occurred on more than one machine, > and using more than one DOS set, and with more than one person operating > the machines. > When we format a 3.5" disk with the DOS commands stored on the hard disk > it formats the first one OK. If we answer yes to the "format another?" > question, or answer no and run FORMAT again, it gives a media error and > says the disk is unusable. If we reboot the system and try it again, we > can get the next disk formatted, but the one after that won't format, and so > on. > Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University. > creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu, ...iuvax!silver!creps, creps@iubacs.bitnet The fix for this and a pletheora of incidental problems with PS/2's is well known by IBM. You need to have DASDDRVR.SYS and the line "DEVICE=[d:]DASDRVR.SYS"[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[D[C[C[C[C[C[C[C[C in your CONFIG.SYS. You must have the new version of DASDDRVR.SYS, V1.2 698 bytes long, *not* V1.0 640 bytes long. In addition, there is a fix out for BACKUP.COM which corrects a problem that occurs when you backup a disk that has 79 or more subdirectories. This is a new copy of BACKUP.COM. All of the above is available from your local IBM representative. -- -Chuck Bennett- 919-966-1134 ... ...!(decvax|akgua)!mcnc!ecsvax!uchuck
nts0699@dsacg1.UUCP (Gene McManus) (02/08/88)
in article <36300010@iuvax>, bose@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu says: > Nf-ID: #R:silver.bacs.indiana.edu:777:iuvax:36300010:000:110 > Nf-From: iuvax.cs.indiana.edu!bose Feb 5 10:21:00 1988 > > > I have noticed the same problem except it occurs only when you > try and format a 720K disk in a 1.44Meg drive. This was also written up in a very recent PC Tech Journal (I think). The word on 3.5" disks is "don't use 720K disks in an attempt to get 1.44M". Doesn't seem to be a good way to 'cheap' our way around the 3.5", high density diskettes. Gene -- Gene McManus @ Defense Logistics Agency Systems Automation Center, Columbus, OH 43215 (614) 238-9403, Autovon 850- UUCP: {uunet!gould,cbosgd!osu-cis}!dsacg1!gmcmanus The views expressed are my own, not those of The Agency, or Dept. of Defense
milt@nvuxj.UUCP (M. Krain) (02/09/88)
Your IBM dealer should provide you with a free "fix" to PC-DOS 3.3 FORMAT.
wales@CS.UCLA.EDU (02/10/88)
In article <336@dsacg1.UUCP> nts0699@dsacg1.UUCP (Gene McManus) writes: >in article <36300010@iuvax>, bose@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu says: >> I have noticed the same problem except it occurs only when you >> try and format a 720K disk in a 1.44Meg drive. >This was also written up in a very recent PC Tech Journal >(I think). The word on 3.5" disks is "don't use 720K disks >in an attempt to get 1.44M". Doesn't seem to be a good way >to 'cheap' our way around the 3.5", high density diskettes. Wait a minute. When bose@iuvax said "format a 720K disk in a 1.44Meg drive", did he mean: (1) Stick a 720K disk in a 1.44 Meg drive and format it for 1.44 Meg? (That is, skimp on quality and try to make a 720K disk do a job you should really have bought a 1.44Meg disk for?) or did he mean: (2) Stick a 720K disk in a 1.44 Meg drive and format it for 720K? (That is, tell the 1.44 Meg drive to act as a 720K drive while doing the format -- presumably so the resulting disk could be read on a 720K drive somewhere?) If he meant #1, then your comment from the PC Tech Journal is relevant. If, on the other hand, he meant #2, then you missed the point. When I first read bose@iuvax's comment, I assumed he meant possibility #2 above. Was I mistaken? -- Rich Wales // UCLA Computer Science Department // +1 (213) 825-5683 3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, California 90024-1596 // USA wales@CS.UCLA.EDU ...!(ucbvax,rutgers)!ucla-cs!wales "Sir, there is a multilegged creature crawling on your shoulder."