ezk@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Erez Zadok) (06/27/90)
My 3.5 drive works properly, unlike IBM PS/2's 3.5 which will format and write 1.44 floppies even if the floppy has only one hole (DS/DD and not HD.) It works fine with two-hole floppies, or second-hole-punched floppies and gives me 1.44Mb. I heard that there are such drives that have a switch that will force writing 1.44 on DS/DD floppies. Is it possible to set this in software, and not have to mechanically fiddle with the drive? I was thinking that the DRIVPARM option of CONFIG.SYS might do it, but when I added the line to my CONFIG.SYS, I got an "unrecognized command in CONFIG.SYS" error(?!) Has anyone had this problem before? For reference, I have a Packard Bell 286 machine, with Phonix bios, running DOS 3.30. The said drive is drive B. This is my CONFIG.SYS file: break=on BUFFERS=11 FILES=20 drivparm= /d:1 /f:2 fcbs=16,8 device=c:\dos\sys\ansi.sys shell=c:\command.com c:\dos /e:4000 /p Thanks, Erez. A wank's morning starts one machine | Arpa: ezk@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu clock cycle after midnight. | Usenet: rutgers!columbia!cunixf!ezk - HebrewWank #1 | Bitnet: ezk@cunixf, erzus@cuvmb
fisher@sc2a.unige.ch (Markus Fischer) (06/28/90)
In article <1990Jun27.035428.27845@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>, ezk@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Erez Zadok) writes: [fiddling with a 3.5 drive...] > ... I was thinking that the DRIVPARM option of CONFIG.SYS might > do it, but when I added the line to my CONFIG.SYS, I got an "unrecognized > command in CONFIG.SYS" error(?!) Has anyone had this problem before? > > For reference, I have a Packard Bell 286 machine, with Phonix bios, running > DOS 3.30. The said drive is drive B. > > This is my CONFIG.SYS file: [...] Say, are you *sure* that `drivparm' is a DOS 3.30 command ? My manual doesn't list it at all (IBM DOS 3.30), and my on-line help system tells me it's a `DOS 4.0 and up' command... On the other hand, the string `DRIVPARM' *is* in my ibmbio.com... hmmm. Regards, Markus Fischer
bob@omni.com (Bob Weissman) (06/30/90)
This question should be added to the Frequenly Asked Questions list... In article <198@sc2a.unige.ch>, fisher@sc2a.unige.ch (Markus Fischer) writes: > In article <1990Jun27.035428.27845@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>, ezk@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Erez Zadok) writes: > > ... I was thinking that the DRIVPARM option of CONFIG.SYS might > > do it, but when I added the line to my CONFIG.SYS, I got an "unrecognized > > command in CONFIG.SYS" error(?!) Has anyone had this problem before? > > Say, are you *sure* that `drivparm' is a DOS 3.30 command ? My manual doesn't > list it at all (IBM DOS 3.30), and my on-line help system tells me it's a > `DOS 4.0 and up' command... DRIVPARM exists in MS-DOS 3.30, but is buggy. Fischer's online help command is wrong. Call Microsoft at their support line (sorry I don't have it handy) and explain your problem. Give them the part number of your original MS-DOS 3.30 disk and ask for the 3.30A maintenance release. This release fixes DRIVPARM and several other bugs. But you have to have purchased generic MS-DOS for Microsoft to send you a free upgrade. -- Bob Weissman Internet: bob@omni.com UUCP: ...!{apple,pyramid,sgi,uunet}!omni!bob
psfales@cbnewsc.att.com (Peter Fales) (07/02/90)
In article <198@sc2a.unige.ch>, fisher@sc2a.unige.ch (Markus Fischer) writes: > > Say, are you *sure* that `drivparm' is a DOS 3.30 command ? My manual doesn't > list it at all (IBM DOS 3.30), and my on-line help system tells me it's a > `DOS 4.0 and up' command... > > On the other hand, the string `DRIVPARM' *is* in my ibmbio.com... hmmm. DRIVPARM does exist in DOS 3.3, but it is buggy. To get it to work, you need to have the character Control-A after the "=" character in the DRIVPARM line. For example, my CONFIG.SYS has the line DRIVPARM=^A/d:1 /f:2 (Where ^A indicates a single character with the numeric value 01) I think this was fixed in DOS 3.30A. -- Peter Fales AT&T, Room 5B-420 N9IYJ 2000 N. Naperville Rd. UUCP: ...att!ihlpb!psfales Naperville, IL 60566 Domain: psfales@ihlpb.att.com work: (708) 979-8031
bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (RAMontante) (07/02/90)
<198@sc2a.unige.ch>, fisher@sc2a.unige.ch (Markus Fischer) writes: > Say, are you *sure* that `drivparm' is a DOS 3.30 command ? My manual doesn't > list it at all (IBM DOS 3.30), and my on-line help system tells me it's a > `DOS 4.0 and up' command... psfales@cbnewsc.att.com (Peter Fales) <1990Jul1.200527.8301@cbnewsc.att.com> : | DRIVPARM does exist in DOS 3.3, but it is buggy. To get it to work, you | need to have the character Control-A after the "=" character in the [ example omitted ] For what it's worth, DRIVPARM is documented in Zenith's release of MSDOS v3.21, and it works without needing the CTRL-A. I suppose it's in Zenith's v3.30 and up, as well. As always, you *have* to consider whose release of DOS you're using, as well as which numeric version.
doerschu@rex.cs.tulane.edu (Dave Doerschuk) (07/08/90)
In article <198@sc2a.unige.ch> fisher@sc2a.unige.ch (Markus Fischer) writes: >In article <1990Jun27.035428.27845@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu>, ezk@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Erez Zadok) writes: >[fiddling with a 3.5 drive...] >> ... I was thinking that the DRIVPARM option of CONFIG.SYS might >> do it, but when I added the line to my CONFIG.SYS, I got an "unrecognized >> command in CONFIG.SYS" error(?!) Has anyone had this problem before? >> For reference, I have a Packard Bell 286 machine, with Phonix bios, running >> DOS 3.30. The said drive is drive B. > >Say, are you *sure* that `drivparm' is a DOS 3.30 command ? My manual doesn't >list it at all (IBM DOS 3.30), and my on-line help system tells me it's a >`DOS 4.0 and up' command... > >On the other hand, the string `DRIVPARM' *is* in my ibmbio.com... hmmm. DRIVPARM is supported from 3.3 onwards, the following is excerpted without permission from "helpsb", a very complete help system that I've just downloaded for testing: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DRIVPARM= /D:n [/T:t] [/S:s] [/H:h] [/F:f] [/N] [/C] [new DOS 3.3] Each DRIVPARM line configures a device on your computer and tells DOS to assign a unique drive name (letter) to it. Diskette drive names will follow the "standard" A: and B: (if present). Hard drive names will follow C: (and any other drive names assigned to partitions on the drive C: occupies). Some versions of DOS use DEVICE=DRIVER.SYS instead. n is an index you assign to each drive. For diskettes, indexes must be less than 128. 0=A, 1=B, etc. Hard disks may be above 128. Multiple DRIVPARMs for the same index are allowed. /T:t sets tracks per side, 1-999 (default 80) /S:s sets sectors per track, 1-99 (default 9) /H:h sets maximum number of heads, 1-99 (default 2) /F:f specifies form factor, 0=160/180/320/360Kb, 1=1.2Mb, 2=720Kb (default), 3=8" SD, 4=8" DD, 5=hard disk, 6=tape drive, 7-1.44Mb /N sets nonremovable block device /C sets changeline (door-open) support as available +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hope this helps. Dave doerschu@rex.cs.tulane.edu