cyang%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Cheng Yang) (08/28/90)
The floppy disks formatted by a Macintosh cannot be reformatted by an IBM PC. And the floppy disks formatted by an IBM PC can't be reformatted by a Mac. Does anyone here have any idea of solving this problem? ***************************************************************************** * Ho capito, signor,si!........ * * * *Cheng Yang Home Address: * *Department of Computer Science 808 East, 300 South, #3 * *University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT 84102 * *E-Mail Address:cyang@peruvian.utah.edu Tel: 801-322-1918 * *****************************************************************************
marc@Apple.COM (Mark Dawson) (08/28/90)
In article <1990Aug27.110119.2908@hellgate.utah.edu> cyang%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Cheng Yang) writes: >The floppy disks formatted by a Macintosh cannot be >reformatted by an IBM PC. And the floppy disks formatted >by an IBM PC can't be reformatted by a Mac. Does anyone >here have any idea of solving this problem? > When I was working with Kennect, making the Rapport product, we ran into this problem ALL the time (we had to test if we could do IBM formats, etc). We ended up just buying a big magnet ($10 or so??). It tended to scrable the data/format nicely, and the Mac && IBMs would then format it. Mark -- --------------------------------- Mark Dawson Service Diagnostic Engineering AppleLink: Dawson.M Apple says what it says; I say what I say. We're different ---------------------------------
jdic@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Jonathan Dick) (08/28/90)
In article <1990Aug27.110119.2908@hellgate.utah.edu> cyang%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Cheng Yang) writes: >The floppy disks formatted by a Macintosh cannot be >reformatted by an IBM PC. And the floppy disks formatted >by an IBM PC can't be reformatted by a Mac. Does anyone >here have any idea of solving this problem? > I've never had any problem reformatting Mac 3.5" disks as IBM, or IBM 3.5" disks as Mac disks. I don't know why you're having difficulty. Assuming you're using 3.5" drives on both machines. :-) What are the densities of the diskettes and the drives you're using? Matter o' fact, I have occasionally saved a diskette that failed initialization on the Mac by first reformatting it on a PC, and then trying the initialization again on the Mac. (I don't recommend this for any disk you need to rely on, but it's good for a scratch disk...) -Jon --------|\----o-------------------------------------------------------------- | \ o | Jonathan Dick jdic@uhura.cc.rochester.edu |\ / .\ o | University of Rochester Standard disclaimers apply. | | ( |---------------------------------------------------------- |/ \ / | | / | Today's cannibals, putting the "feed" back in "feedback." |/ |
dhoyt@vw.acs.umn.edu (08/28/90)
In article <44308@apple.Apple.COM>, marc@Apple.COM (Mark Dawson) writes... >In article <1990Aug27.110119.2908@hellgate.utah.edu> cyang%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Cheng Yang) writes: >>The floppy disks formatted by a Macintosh cannot be >>reformatted by an IBM PC. And the floppy disks formatted >>by an IBM PC can't be reformatted by a Mac. Does anyone >>here have any idea of solving this problem? Am I missing something? I swap disks all the time and have never had a problem. david paul hoyt | dhoyt@vx.acs.umn.edu | dhoyt@umnacvx.bitnet
fswrr@acad3.fai.alaska.edu (rector walter r) (08/30/90)
In article <1990Aug27.110119.2908@hellgate.utah.edu>, cyang%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Cheng Yang) writes... >The floppy disks formatted by a Macintosh cannot be >reformatted by an IBM PC. And the floppy disks formatted >by an IBM PC can't be reformatted by a Mac. Does anyone >here have any idea of solving this problem? > Get a big magnet and apply liberally tohe disk. This usually seems to work. -Reed
lrm3@ellis.uchicago.edu (Lawrence Reed Miller) (08/31/90)
In article <1990Aug27.110119.2908@hellgate.utah.edu>, cyang%peruvian.utah.edu@cs .utah.edu (Cheng Yang) writes... >The floppy disks formatted by a Macintosh cannot be >reformatted by an IBM PC. And the floppy disks formatted >by an IBM PC can't be reformatted by a Mac. Does anyone >here have any idea of solving this problem? > Start reformatting the disk to the format that it is already in, and when it is about half done, hit the interrupt switch and crash your machine (:^()! The disk will then be "damaged" according to the mac, and you can put it in any format that you want. For instance, for a mac disk do "erase disk", and after about 10 secs of formatting, crash & reboot. AFE will then reformat for a PC. NOTE: There must be a better way of doing this!!! This procedure is not good for your system file; use at your own risk. Lawrence Miller
CXT105@psuvm.psu.edu (Christopher Tate) (08/31/90)
In article <1990Aug27.110119.2908@hellgate.utah.edu>, cyang%peruvian.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Cheng Yang) says: >The floppy disks formatted by a Macintosh cannot be >reformatted by an IBM PC. And the floppy disks formatted >by an IBM PC can't be reformatted by a Mac. Does anyone >here have any idea of solving this problem? Just what do you mean when you say that the disks can't be reformatted? Is is that the Mac *tries* to format the disks, but invariably fails? If this is the case, then the earlier suggestion of brushing the disk liberally with a permanent magnet may well be your best bet. However, I'm not sure I understand why you're having this problem. I have often reformatted Mac disks as IBM disks, and vice versa, with no trouble. Check the densities of the disks you're using. Are they double density (one notch in the disk) or high density (two notches)? If you try to format a high density disk in drives that can't handle them (non-FDHD drives on Macs, non-1.44 MB drives on IBM's), you'll have a lot of trouble. The 800K drives simply can't handle the greater remanence (sort of "strength") of the magnetic medium on high density disks. Oh, and just for general usefulness, here's how to force the Mac to reformat ANY disk when you insert it. Sometimes the Desktop file gets a bad sector in it. When this happens, the Mac will ordinarily try to rebuild the file, after telling you it has to make "minor repairs." Because of the bad sector, this attempt fails, and so the Mac reports "unable to create desktop file," and ejects your disk without giving you a chance to "Erase Disk" to fix the problem. To get around this, do the following: Hold down the command, option, caps-lock, and tab keys while inserting the disk. (You may also have to hold down shift; I don't remember offhand.) This forces the Mac to bring up the disk initialization dialog, whether or not the disk is readable. ------- Christopher Tate | "Oh wow: not only is 57 | prime, but it's also Bitnet: cxt105@psuvm | divisible by three!" Uucp: ...!psuvax1!psuvm.bitnet!cxt105 | Internet: cxt105@psuvm.psu.edu | - a very sincere math major
whiteheada@yvax.byu.edu (08/31/90)
Use a magnetic bulk eraser such as ones available from Radio Shack. They work every time and without going to the extremes of hitting the reset switch. Armand Whitehead BYU
jimb@silvlis.com (Jim Budler) (09/05/90)
In article <90243.104636CXT105@psuvm.psu.edu> CXT105@psuvm.psu.edu (Christopher Tate) writes: >Hold down the command, option, caps-lock, and tab keys while inserting the >disk. (You may also have to hold down shift; I don't remember offhand.) >This forces the Mac to bring up the disk initialization dialog, whether or >not the disk is readable. Command-Option-Tab Caps-Lock isn't needed. -- Jim Budler jimb@silvlis.com +1.408.991.6061 Silvar-Lisco, Inc. 703 E. Evelyn Ave. Sunnyvale, Ca. 94086