[comp.sys.ibm.pc] a question about formatting floppies

landry@apollo.uucp (Chris Landry) (08/26/87)

I have a Leading Edge model M with an add-on external hard disk.
It seems to be very ibm compatible and I've had no problems
running any software or booting from the hard disk.

Something funny happens when I try to format floppies.

If I enter...           format b:       # to create a non-system diskette
the response is...      Vers 2.11
                        Insert new disk in drive B:
                        and press any key when ready
and it formats with no problem.

If I enter...           format b: /s    # to create a system diskette
the response is...      Vers 2.11
                        Insert DOS disk in drive A:
                        and press any key when ready
If I do what it says
I then get the message...
                        Insert new disk in drive B:
                        and press any key when ready

It formats ok but its sort of a pain to dig out my DOS disk.

Why is it asking for a DOS disk????

The PATH is set to a directory which contains all
the MS-DOS 2.11 system files supplied with the machine.

Could this be my first compatibilty problem?
Anybody got any theories?
-- 
    Chris Landry        Apollo Computer, Chelmsford MA
    landry@apollo.uucp

russ@hpldola.UUCP (08/28/87)

What is your default drive when you issue the format command?
On an IBM PC/XT with PC-DOS, I get the same message if the 
default drive is A:, but I do not get the message if the
default drive is C:.  DOS is looking for the two hidden/system
files on the default drive when you issue the format command.