Date   : Fri, 31 Aug 2007 16:18:28 +0100
From   : RS432@... (Mick Champion)
Subject: Acorn Winchester formatting...

Jonathan Graham Harston wrote:
>
> Drives 4, 5, 6, 7 are always the floppy drives under ADFS. If
> there is no hard drive present, then drives 0 to 3 map onto
> drives 4 to 7. The hard drive doesn't "become" drive 0, It /is/
> drive zero.
>  
>   
Does ADFS reserve and hide drive 6 and 7 to pair with the opposite side 
of  each disc in drive 4 and 5 then? I realise that a single ADFS drive 
number will access both sides of a disc so unless there was a slot left 
open for an extra disc controller, what the actual or intended purpose 
of reserving 6 and 7. Certainly typing *MOUNT 6 or 7 instantly shows 
"Not Found" The fact that this error message is instant implies to it 
hasn't looked externally, but still different to the error received 
("Bad Name") if trying to mount 8.

With regard to formatting a Winchester on a BBC B, I had a similar 
problem a several years back. IIRC?? (not 100% sure - going senile!) I 
loaded Superform 1.6 using a DFS disc with ADFS installed in a lower 
priority ROM slot so not to allow ADFS to kick in and lock up. I can't 
remember if I needed to have the Winchester unit switched On or Off  
before turning on the BEEB on though. - Probably not much help - Sorry.


Mick