daver@ECE.ORST.EDU (Dave Rabinowitz) (01/26/91)
I purchased some inexpensive 3-1/2" DSDD floppy disks and when I try to format them on a PC I get the message: Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable Format failure The same thing happens when I try to format a disk which has been used in a non-IBM system such as a Macintosh or a computerized theater lighting system. Is there any software available which can format a disk in this condition? I tried PCFORMAT and got the same general message. The disks work just fine in a Macintosh and the theater lighting system after failing on a PC.
wilken@plains.NoDak.edu (Scott Wilken) (01/28/91)
In article <1005@ra.MsState.Edu> it1@ra.MsState.Edu (Tim Tsai) writes: >In article <1991Jan26.015628.15182@usenet@scion.CS.ORST.EDU> daver@ECE.ORST.EDU (Dave Rabinowitz) writes: >> Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable >> Format failure > > I usually just toss those disks. I haven't tried this but one of >those magnetic media erasers from Radio Shack (essentially a very No, this isnt your problem (at least from what I get out of context, I didnt see the original message). That is the message you get when you try to format a Double Density disk on a High density drive.. To format these disks correctly, using DOS 4.0 or higher, type "format b:/f:720" (of course this assumes that you have your 3.5 drive in b:. It is done differently with earlier versions of DOS, but offhand I dont remember the command. Im sure someone on the net can tell us.. Scott -- Internet: wilken@plains.nodak.edu UUCP: ..!uunet!plains!wilken Bitnet: WILKEN@PLAINS
rschmidt@copper.ucs.indiana.edu (roy schmidt) (01/28/91)
In article <1991Jan27.101629.1@cbrown.claremont.edu> dhosek@cbrown.claremont.edu (Don Hosek) writes: >In article <1005@ra.MsState.Edu>, it1@ra.MsState.Edu (Tim Tsai) writes: >> In article <1991Jan26.015628.15182@usenet@scion.CS.ORST.EDU> daver@ECE.ORST.EDU (Dave Rabinowitz) writes: >>> Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable >>> Format failure >> I usually just toss those disks. I haven't tried this but one of >Silly boy. The problem is with certain versions of DOS and 1.44M >drives. I'm not sure whether DOS or the drive is at fault, but >the error simply means that it's trying to format the disk HD and >can't. Use FORMAT A: /t:80/n:9 and all will be well. > Yep, it is actually "pilot error". Your CMOS setup designates the drive as HD, but you are trying to format DD disks. DOS will try to format with the default form according to setup. So neither the drive nor the DOS version is at fault. IF you have DOS 4.0/4.01, just use the command FORMAT A: /f:720. Don's switches are for DOS 3.3. DOS 3.2 only handles 720K drives, so you wouldn't have this problem ... :-) -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roy Schmidt | #include <disclaimer.h> Indiana University | /* They are _my_ thoughts, and you can't Graduate School of Business | have them, so there! */
ICFLR@ASUACAD.BITNET (Frank Reeves) (01/29/91)
Most likely you're using a high density drive to format a low density disk. The thing to do is to format the disk specifically for 720k. You can either type PCFORMAT A: /F:720 or FORMAT A: /N:9 /T:80. Don't throw away perfectly good disks...
jc58+@andrew.cmu.edu (Johnny J. Chin) (01/29/91)
Okay ... let me see if I can clear the confusion:
DSHD 3.5" disks have two square holes on them. One for the HD sensor on some
drives (Teac is one). NOTE: IBM PS/2 drives DO NOT have a sensor!
And one for the usual write-protection.
DSDD 3.5" disks have only one square hole for the write-protection.
To format a 720kb, DSDD 3.5" disk in a HD drive, all you have to type is:
FORMAT d: /N:09
where d: is the drive letter.
It is ESPECIALLY NECESSARY to use this command on IBM PS/2s since they
don't have a disk sensor and will format a 720kb disk to 1.44mb (if its a
cheap disk ... lots of bad sectors ... if you're lucky).
I hope this helps.
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