Head on ! Tony.
I tried it but could'nt find the right words
Thanx
Sipke
----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 8:57 PM
Subject: Re: Parallel port hard drives?
<snip>
>
> So, to sum up :
>
> HD disks formated for anything other than 1.2Mbytes (no matter what
> drive) -> doesn't work properly.
>
> Bulk-erased DD disks formatted in a 96 tpi drive (including a 1.2M drive
> set to use 'normal' disks), but with only 40 cylinders (every alternate
> cylinder of such a drive) and then written in such a drive should be
> readable in a 48 tpi drive (assuming a correctly set up drive and good
> disks, since the read amplitude _is_ lower). They will also (obviously)
> be readable in 96tpi drives.
>
> Such disks then written in the 48tpi drive should be readable on both 48
> tpi and 96 tpi drives.
>
> Such disks, written on 48 tpi drives (including being formatted on 48 tpi
> drives) and then written on a 96 tpi drive (including being reformatted
> on such a drive) will _not_ be read reliably on 48 tpi drives.
>
> The is one last point to add to the confusion. Towards the end of the
> common use of 5.25" drives, some manufacturers were putting the same
> (narrow) heads in both 360K and 1.2Mbyte drives. Such '360K' drives would
> write narrow tracks, and would cause no end of problems for people who
> took a 360K disk formatted on a 'real' 48tpi drive (wide head), wrote
> some files to it with the 'narrow head drive) and then took it back to
> a drive with the wider head. Don't ask how I found this out...
>
> -tony
>
Received on Mon Mar 27 2000 - 14:53:50 BST