need 720k 3 1/2" disks

From: Fred Cisin <cisin_at_xenosoft.com>
Date: Mon Jun 9 21:51:00 2003

> > I I need a couple 3 1/2" diskette for an old 8086 six laptop too boot
On Mon, 9 Jun 2003, Stuart Johnson wrote:
> Have you tried using a HD floppy and putting tape over BOTH sides of the
> hole that marks the disk as HD? I should think that you could then format
> the floppy as a 720 easily. I haven't tried this myself, but "Logic is the
> art of going wrong - with confidence". I write enable factory-made read-only
> 1.44 floppies in this manner, and I use ordinary frosted "scotch" tape with
> great success.

1) Many drives use a light and photocell to sense that hole. At least use
an opaque tape!

2) Many 720K drives have no sensor for the "media ID" hole, so tape, etc
might turn out to be unnecessary unless/until you try to transfer files by
putting that diskette into your 1.4M drive. However, there were some
drives (THANKS, Tony!) that use that same location for the "is there a
disk in the drive" sensor.

3) The magnetic coercivity is slightly different (600 for 720K, about 750
for 1.4M), so the result is not as reliable as using the right diskettes.
If it works OK, you should still keep looking for some of the correct
diskettes.
Received on Mon Jun 09 2003 - 21:51:00 BST