arxt@sphinx.uchicago.edu (patrick palmer) (06/08/88)
I just ran into a stupid problem that I do not understand. I was trying to
simplify the job of formating a whole pile of disks (to see if they are OK).
I tried to create a batch file (which might or might not be easier - but when
something is as boring as formating 50 disks, why not). I made a file in the
s: directory that looked like:
echo "begin"
format drive df0: name blank noicons
echo "finish"
Then from the system: directory, I typed:
execute filename
It appeared to work fine until the bitter end; then it failed with some
message like:
returncode 20
(maybe it said format failed first).
Anyway, I do not have any documentation to tell me what this returncode means,
and I do not see anything wrong with what I did. Would someone please
enlighten me. (I have a plain vanilla system on an A1000 and
a B2000 - both give the same result.)
Pat Palmer arxt@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Bitnet or arpanet)
7.20::oddjob::ppalmer (span)jdp@killer.UUCP (Jim Pritchett) (06/11/88)
In article <4349@sphinx.uchicago.edu>, arxt@sphinx.uchicago.edu (patrick palmer) writes: > > I just ran into a stupid problem that I do not understand. I was trying to > simplify the job of formating a whole pile of disks (to see if they are OK). > I tried to create a batch file (which might or might not be easier - but when > [ stuff deleted...] > It appeared to work fine until the bitter end; then it failed with some > message like: > returncode 20 [ more stuff deleted...] > > Pat Palmer arxt@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Bitnet or arpanet) > 7.20::oddjob::ppalmer (span) This is an old problem. For some reason, format returns error code 20 whenever it is run (even successfully) from a batch file. One workaround is to put a "failat 20" command before the format command and a "failat 10" (??) after the format to restore the normal condition. I dont know what format will return if it really fails. I ran into this bug a year or two ago while trying something similar to what you are doing. Hey CATS! Has this bug been fixed in 1.3? (I wonder if the ARP guys fixed it???) I hope that this helps, Jim Pritchett P.S. Does anyone know of a free (or cheap) access to the net in the Fort Worth Texas area? I am using killer in Dallas now, but I am moving to Fort Worth soon. (The toll fees can get very expensive with the current comp.*.amiga.* volume!)
Arved@cup.portal.com (06/15/88)
In 1067.3.5080.2, jdp@killer.UUCP asks if problems with the FORMAT
command have been fixed in 1.3 or by the ARP command.
I do not have 1.3, but do use ARP, and came across the Format Failed
return code 20 problem. The FORMAT command was not included in a batch
file, it was just plain executed in the CLI. The command was:
FORMAT drive df0: name "Communications Programs"
Everything worked as expected if I used a single word for the disk
name without quotes (as in . . . name NewFloppy).
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Arved@cup.portal.com \X/