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- Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
- Path: sparky!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!ferrari.datamark.co.nz!david
- From: david@datamark.co.nz (David Rowland)
- Subject: Re: Format 3.5 DD floppy as a HD, is it reliable?
- Message-ID: <1992Nov11.043814.24722@datamark.co.nz>
- Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 04:38:14 GMT
- References: <82956@ut-emx.uucp> <Bx5w6F.AtJ@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <16883@umd5.umd.edu>
- Organization: Datamark International Ltd.
- Lines: 40
-
- In article <16883@umd5.umd.edu> adhir@cygnus.umd.edu (Alok Dhir) writes:
- >
- >>PS/2's didn't check for the hole because there was a bug in the controller
- >>software for the floppy. Some other computer manufacturers had the same
- >>problem because they built with the same buggy specs. New PS/2's do NOT
- >>allow this anymore, to the best of my knowledge.
- >
- >My Model 90 at work allows it just fine. So do the TEAC drives in my clone.
- >As a matter of fact, I haven't heard of a PC which DOES check for the HD
- >hole.
- >
- >>Do *NOT* format double density disks at high density if you value your data.
- >>I've had several users at my site lose Lotus spreadsheets/databases within
- >>6 months of writing the file because their PS/2's allowed them to mis-format
- >>their disks (the current record for data self-degradation is two weeks).
- >
- >I have had the same experience. I've seen many people end up with trashed
- >data as a result of formatting a DD disk as HD. I advise STRONGLY AGAINST
- >it.
- >--
-
- I had a Compaq laptop which was able to format a DD as a HD with out
- problems. I never had any problems at all with read errors which
- supprised me as I thrashed these diskettes to death.
-
- However, I could not use them to transfer data from my computer to
- either a Wang pc or an AST as these computers would return READ/WRITE
- errors. When I put the same diskettes in my computer, I had no
- problems.
-
- I guess this boils down to the fact that if the diskette drive is a
- good quality drive, it can handle this but if it is not, then this
- practice is definitely one to be avoided.
-
- Cheers.
- --
- | David Rowland | The British are using New Zealanders. They must |
- | Datamark Intl Ltd | really mean business ! |
- | Wellington | - General Rommel During Northern African |
- | NEW ZEALAND | Campaign WWII. |
-