Mike_W_Ryan@cup.portal.com (11/06/88)
I am installing a 3 1/2 floppy in my Vectra and would like to be able to read my older discs written by a HP150 ( I have single and double density discs tooread ). The 150 doesnt seem to do plain old IBM format while the vectra does. Is there a program available (cheap I hope) that will allow me to read the 150 discs on the Vectra? Mike_W_Ryan@cup.portal.com
ericr@hpvcla.HP.COM (Eric Ross) (11/07/88)
The Vectra will read double sided HP150 discs without any problem. The adjustment to this format is automatic when reading, so no overt action on your part is required. Formatting in double sided format for the HP150 can also be achieved by using the FOR150 command. The Vectra, however, cannot read single sided HP150 discs. Eric Ross ericr%hpvcper@hplabs
bturner@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Bill Turner) (11/08/88)
> I am installing a 3 1/2 floppy in my Vectra and would like to be able > to read my older discs written by a HP150 ( I have single and double > density discs tooread ). The 150 doesnt seem to do plain old IBM > format while the vectra does. Is there a program available (cheap I > hope) that will allow me to read the 150 discs on the Vectra? I may be wrong, but I believe that double-sided disks can be read on the Vectra with no extra work. However, the single-sided disks aren't supported any more. I have a Vectra with DOS 3.2. It comes with a utility to format disks (double-sided) for a 150, so I am assuming (yeah, I know...) that it can read 150-formatted disks as well. --Bill Turner
bmp@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Brian M. Perkin) (11/08/88)
I can read 150 discs in my Vectra with no special software or extra steps. Note that there is a program for the vectra which ships with recent versions of DOS called FOR150 which will format a disc in a format that the 150 understands. This affects the capacity of data you can transfer. The only real issue as I see it is understanding which way each disc has been formatted. Brian Perkin hpda!bmp
John_-_DeBert@cup.portal.com (11/10/88)
(The editor I tried didn't cut it , so there's no "include" here...Sorry
if it's confusing.)
Re the question of reading HP-150-formatted disks on a Vectra:
The Vectra is an IBM-compatible and uses the IBM format for its disks.
The HP-150 originally used HP's proprietary format on single-sided disks
and were NOT IBM compatible. With MS-DOS 3.2 and a double-sided drive, such
as the 9122 or 9133 or the 82901/82902 5.25 inch drives, it became possible
to format disks in the IBM format.
If you use MS-DOS 3.2 and a double sided drive, your 150 disks can be read by
any IBM or compatible. If not, then you need another driver to enable your
Vectra to read the HP-formatted disks. (note: you MUST select the IBM format
when using FORMAT on the 150, else the disks will be in HP format.)
J. DeBert
John - DeBert@cup.portal.com
CIS: 75530,347
The opinions in the preceding program are solely mine and do not belong to
or necessarily represent the opinions of Portal, my company, my friends
or my cat.
Howeird@cup.portal.com (Howard Gary Stateman) (11/11/88)
There is one requirement to read the HP format diskettes in a Vectra. The Vectra must be running DOS 3.2 or higher, and in the case of the Vectra CS (or Classic), must have its ROMs upgraded to the DOS 3.2-compatible ROM set. That ROM upgrade is a part of the Vectra CS 3.2 upgrade kit. The ES and RS series already have the appropriate firmware. This assumes you have the 3.5-inch drivers properly installed and listed in CONFIG.SYS.