Software Title: FormatMaster for Windows Version 1.3
Author or Company: New-Ware
8050 Camino Kiosco
San Diego, CA 92122
(619) 455-6225
Registration Fee: $25.00
Availability: Windows Forum Software Library (AOL)
Filename: FMW13.ZIP
Filesize(ZIPped): 77,257 bytes
Filesize (unZIPped): 235,722 bytes
Requirements: Windows 3.1
Rating (1-10): 7
Date of Review: 5/15/95
Installation
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Installation Rating: (Manual Installation)
Description of Installation Process:
You need to create a permanent directory for you to copy the program files (you unZIP) from the downloaded FMW13.ZIP file. Once this is done add its icon to an existing Program Manager group (or create a new group for it). No files need to go into any other directory except its own.
Features
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Listing/Description of Features:
FormatMaster has action buttons that lets you Format, Quick Format, perform CHKDSK, view a disk's Directory, Label a disk, Save the programs Configuration, Abort a Format, call up Help and Exit the program.
It has a Status Bar which shows the active drive, the number of tracks for that drive and the disk's capacity.
Options include Add Label, Add Serial #, Transfer System Files, Force a Full Format, No Format Warning issued, Incremental Serial #'s and Format Both Drives.
FormatMaster can also create a non-system disk that will pass the boot sequence to your hard drive even though it does not have any system files on it and it is in Drive A when you boot up your computer.
Help/Documentation Rating: 7
Program comes with "readme" text and Windows format Help files.
Summary
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This is a utility program for formatting your floppy diskettes. It is simple to operate (point and click all the way) and has a decent looking interface. The greatest benefit is that you do not have to call up File Manager whenever you want to format a disk. FormatMaster has some very nice added features, however, due to the problem listed below and its rather high (for what you get) registration fee of $25.00 I cannot give this program my full endorsement. I will say it IS worth downloading for you to try out for yourself (the added features may be worth it to you).
Problems and Suggestions
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List of Problems found:
There were no conflicts or General Protection Faults (GPF's) detected in my evaluation of this software.
PROBLEM: Once you format a diskette FormatMaster will not reformat the disk in any way other than the original format (i.e. If you format a disk as a 1.4m diskette and then later want to reformat it as a 720k disk FormatMaster will not let you do this. The disk is reformatted as a 1.4m diskette The same goes in reverse). Also if you want to format an unformatted diskette FormatMaster ignores your settings and formats the disk at its highest capacity. This is fine but, there are times when you want to format a disk in a way other than its maximum capacity.
Suggestions for improvements:
A correction of the above mentioned problem. If this was corrected I would have no problem giving this utility my full endorsement and a higher overall rating.
(DISCLAIMER: This review is provided for information/entertainment purposes only. The author will not be held responsible or liable for any problems which may occur in the use of any of the reviewed software. The author will also not be held responsible if the program reviewed does not operate, in the way stated. With there being so many system configurations possible confilcts/problems can arise which may prevent the reviewed software from operating in the way indicated. This is not the responsibility of the reviewer.)
