trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (James Sonnenmeier) (10/16/90)
I wonder if anyone can answer a question. I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want to install in an origional PC. It had two 5.25" drives so I simply replaced one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed then the mother board switches were set already for 2 drives etc ... ) but the machine thinks the 720K drive is still a 360K drive! ... Like I said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983) if I replace the disk controller with a more modern piece will that let me use the drive as 720K?? ( It can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a new disk ... that is it thinks its 360K) Anyone have any ideas?? Thanks ========================================================================== Jim Sonnenmeier ! TRLJIM@UBVMS.BITNET : BITNET ! :-) [72361,2133] : CompuServe ! I like to think that time and space University at Buffalo ! are ours to use :) ... The sky is my Department of Mechanical/ ! joy, the wind is my lift. Aerospace Engineering ! ==========================================================================
davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (10/18/90)
trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (James Sonnenmeier) writes: > I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want to install in an origional PC. It had two > 5.25" drives so I simply replaced one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed > then the mother board switches were set already for 2 drives etc ... ) > but the machine thinks the 720K drive is still a 360K drive! ... Like I > said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983) if I replace the disk controller > with a more modern piece will that let me use the drive as 720K?? ( It > can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a new disk ... that is it thinks > its 360K) > Anyone have any ideas?? Thanks There are numerous klutzy solutions to this one and one that is downright simple. Following is a little uuencoded utility called SET80.COM. Call it out of your autoexec.bat file and your system will then know that your B: drive is a 3.5" 80 tracker for formatting and other purposes. The program was written by a friend of mine, Villy Madsen. Source code (.asm) is available on request. ------------------------cut here----------------------------- begin 644 SET80.COM MG%56C,V#Q1"-M@4`5KXA`%;+345-3U)9)`(`/@D``0```@8```("```"!P`` M`@,```((```"!````@D```(%```"M$2P#;,"M0BQ0`X?N@,`S2&T3,TA[.M- MD`0```!0``(``@(!``)P`*`%_0,`"0!742ZC'@'\H0(`*\6,UXS>._?K"8O$ M+>4`L033Z#TH`',1N`A,S2$>*\!0NA(!M`G-(<L>O@@`#A^.Q2O_N1D`\Z0? M+@$N(P$N`2X6`9"0D)"0D)"0D(V&&`".Q5E?7EV=CM"\``&<4U%25E=5'AZ, MQ;D``.,?OB$`#A^LBN`JP`/%CL"M`\67K9<FBQ6KB_I"=??BYK[:``X?%@<K M_[E+`/.DC88``([8OE<`C88``([`OV,`_191R]'G<@>,P"T`"([`T>9R!XS8 M+0`(CMCYT=[YT=^LT.AS`XKHK(K(T?ES!+``\ZKSI'7.!Q]=7UY:65N=N``` -CM"\``"X-!+J```````` ` end ------------------------cut here----------------------------- Dave McCrady | ersys!davem@nro.cs.athabascau.ca Edmonton Remote Systems | 13324-138 Street | BBS: (403)-454-6093 300-9600 bps (HST) Edmonton, AB Canada T5L 2B4 | USENET (403) 452-3254 300-2400 bps
park@motcid.UUCP (Kyuhwa Gideon Park) (10/18/90)
trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (James Sonnenmeier) writes: >I wonder if anyone can answer a question. I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want >to install in an origional PC. It had two 5.25" drives so I simply replaced >one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed then the mother board switches were set >already for 2 drives etc ... ) but the machine thinks the 720K drive is >still a 360K drive! ... Like I said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983) >if I replace the disk controller with a more modern piece will that let me >use the drive as 720K?? ( It can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a >new disk ... that is it thinks its 360K) I just did the same upgrade(?) as you have done. The solution I found is to use DOS 3.2 or 3.3 and place "drivparm" line (with the right parameter values) in your config.sys file. Obviously, this is assuming that the 3.5" drive is your B: drive. I am able to format 3.5" diskettes to 720KB. >Anyone have any ideas?? Thanks See above. No problem. ========================================================================== park@motcid.uunet Motorola Cellular Infrastructure Group 1+312-632-7248 (voice) Home of the future Radio Telecomm. Standard disclaimer apply. You know, one of those 'not my employer ...' ==========================================================================
price@vlsiws.unl.edu (Chad Price) (10/19/90)
In <40931@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (James Sonnenmeier) writes: >I wonder if anyone can answer a question. I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want >to install in an origional PC. It had two 5.25" drives so I simply replaced >one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed then the mother board switches were set >already for 2 drives etc ... ) but the machine thinks the 720K drive is >still a 360K drive! ... Like I said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983) >if I replace the disk controller with a more modern piece will that let me >use the drive as 720K?? ( It can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a >new disk ... that is it thinks its 360K) >Anyone have any ideas?? Thanks Most 3.5's come with device drivers which allow them to be used. I installed a 3.5 in an old Zenith 158 (an 8088 machine ) as an external drive. It took a special device driver in config.sys and a card which may (or may not) have been a separate controler card. One thing is sure - it is not just plug & play. so - 1) try for a device driver - call the source of the drive and ask them if it needs a device driver &/or a different floppy drive controller. Chad Price price@fergvax.unl.edu
ariel@seer.UUCP (Catherine Hampton) (10/21/90)
In article <40931@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu writes: >I wonder if anyone can answer a question. I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want >to install in an origional PC. It had two 5.25" drives so I simply replaced >one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed then the mother board switches were set >already for 2 drives etc ... ) but the machine thinks the 720K drive is >still a 360K drive! ... Like I said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983) >if I replace the disk controller with a more modern piece will that let me >use the drive as 720K?? ( It can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a >new disk ... that is it thinks its 360K) You have to be running DOS 3.2 or later to access 3.5 inch drives correctly. You might check on this before you spend money on a new controller card. Cathy _________________________________________________________________ Catherine A. Hampton BITNET: hampton@reed.BITNET CIS: 71601,3130 Fidonet: Cathy H. @ 1:125/32 GEnie: C.HAMPTON3 Internet: hampton@reed.EDU / ariel@seer.COM
jagrogan@vax1.tcd.ie (10/22/90)
In article <40931@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (James Sonnenmeier) writes: > I wonder if anyone can answer a question. I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want > to install in an origional PC. It had two 5.25" drives so I simply replaced > one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed then the mother board switches were set > already for 2 drives etc ... ) but the machine thinks the 720K drive is > still a 360K drive! ... Like I said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983) > if I replace the disk controller with a more modern piece will that let me > use the drive as 720K?? ( It can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a > new disk ... that is it thinks its 360K) > > > Anyone have any ideas?? Thanks I had a similar problem with a clone that I bought. Although it was a new machine (1988), the 3.5" drive could read 720K but not format. I got around this by installing it as an external drive (d:) in the config.sys. I could then use drive d: as a 720K drive, and drive b: as a 360K drive, although they were the same physical drive. If this doesn't work then you'll probably have to replace the controller card. Hope this helps. John. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- jagrogan@vax1.tcd.ie@cunyvm.cuny.edu ----------- --- jagrogan@vax1.tcd.ie / / / / jagrogan@unix1.tcd.ie ---- ---- / / jagrogan@maths.tcd.ie / / ------ / / jagrogan@tcdmath.uucp / / / / / ------- /--------- jagrogan@lanczos.tcd.ie -- / / / / / ---- / / ---- / --------------------------- / / / / / / / / / / / / 3rd Year Computer Science ------ ------ --- --- --- --- Trinity College, Dublin. --------------------------- "I haven't lost my mind.....I'm sure it's backed up here somewhere!"
vojta@powdermilk.berkeley.edu (Paul Vojta) (10/23/90)
In article <7074.2722cd8f@vax1.tcd.ie> jagrogan@vax1.tcd.ie writes: >In article <40931@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>, trljim@ubvmsa.cc.buffalo.edu (James Sonnenmeier) writes: >> I wonder if anyone can answer a question. I have a 720K 3.5" drive I want >> to install in an origional PC. It had two 5.25" drives so I simply replaced >> one with the 3.5" drive ( I assumed then the mother board switches were set >> already for 2 drives etc ... ) but the machine thinks the 720K drive is >> still a 360K drive! ... Like I said this is an origional PC ( circa 1983) >> if I replace the disk controller with a more modern piece will that let me >> use the drive as 720K?? ( It can *read* a 720K disk but cannot format a >> new disk ... that is it thinks its 360K) >> >> >> Anyone have any ideas?? Thanks >I had a similar problem with a clone that I bought. Although it was a new >machine (1988), the 3.5" drive could read 720K but not format. >I got around this by installing it as an external drive (d:) in the >config.sys. I could then use drive d: as a 720K drive, and drive b: as >a 360K drive, although they were the same physical drive. >If this doesn't work then you'll probably have to replace the controller >card. Nothing so drastic is necessary. I use SDF.ZIP (available via anonymous ftp from wsmr-simtel20.army.mil, file pd1:<msdos.dskutl>sdf2.zip) to format the disks. I can even still use DOS 2.1. --Paul Vojta, vojta@math.berkeley.edu