Date   : Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:57:15 +0100 (BST)
From   : Pete Turnbull <pete@...>
Subject: Re: Floppy woes

On Aug 29 2006, 16:04, David Harper wrote:
> Charlie Robson wrote:
>
> > I have 6 x 5.25 drives on my desk, and nearly all the ones that
spin up
> > all
> > report disk fault 18 at 00/00. I suspect they're all 40T.
>
> This is the common fault when disks are not formatted, or have been
formated
> in DD (such as by ADFS or on a PC). It is worth trying with disks
that you
> know are DFS formatted ones.

Indeed.  If the disk is DFS-formatted, you'll get an error somewhere
other than track 0, even if the track density (ie 40/80) is mismatched
to the drive.

> > I don't have the DFS utils disk so therefore can't format any
floppies :(
>
> DFS did not come with a utilities disk. All the commands you need are
in the
> ROM. Syntax for formatting is:
>
>     *FORM <40 | 80> <Drive no>

Not necessarily.  There are some utility ROMs that use syntax like that
-- Disc Doctor, for example -- but the original Acorn DFS has no
built-in formatter or verifier, and *does* come with a utilities disc
-- the Welcome Disc, in fact.  That contains FORM40, FORM80, and VERIFY
utilities.  Only the later 1770DFS had built-ins as you describe, and
it too came with a disk, AFAIR.

-- 
Pete                                           Peter Turnbull
                                               Network Manager
                                               University of York