formatting a pc-amiga disk

[rednova]

Dear Friends:

I did this a long time ago..but forgot how to do it.
I want to format a pc disk (on the pc)so that it can also be read on my amiga HD floppy drive. I remember I could do this on DOS (pc)with a special command...so that it will format just with enough capacity to be read on both systems, both pc and amiga.
Pls help me...how do I do this?

rednova
-mobilis in mobile-

[Matt_H]

If using an HD Amiga floppy drive there's nothing special to do whatsoever. Just make sure PC0: is mounted and it'll work.

[weirdami]

Yeah, I think that's pretty much all there is to it. If you were going to make a disk that has the proper Amiga amount of space on it, you'd be making an Amiga disk. Just format your disk like normal, stick it into your Amiga and rock on. :-)

[banzai]

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but here goes...

A PC disk should be readable on the HD Amigas (4K/1200) without any modifications, since this is what the HD mode switch is for. If you're having problems with a standard 1.44MB format, try turning off the unformat feature with:

C:\> format a: /u

Now, if you're asking how to use the 1.44MB disk as a 720K, or using an actual 720K, then you'll need to cover the HD detect hole on the disk (to fool the drive into thinking it's low density), and issue the following:

C:\> format a: /f:720 /u

Both these commands assume your floppy is in a:.

If you're trying this on the Amiga side, then you'll just use the device name of PC0: or PC1:, like so:

WorkBench:> format PC0: NAME whatever NOICONS

You can also click on the PC0: icon and use the drop-down menu to format it.

HTH...

banzai

[Thomas]

C:\> format a: /f:720 /u

This does not work on WinXP. XP does not know the 720k format any more. You have to use these options:

format a: /t:80 /n:9

Bye,
Thomas

[weirdami]

Oh, I see, he was asking how to get an HD drive to format a DD disk. If all that codes up there don't work, I'll jump in here and be the first to jump in and tell you to install a DD drive in your computer and use that to format the disk.  :-D

[rkauer]

To format a DD disk in a XP box, you need to use this in a command (DOS) window:

 format a: t:80 n:9 (be sure to cover the HD hole in the floppy);


 The correct syntax to format a floppy as M$ disk (in the Amiga) is:


 format drive PC0: name anyoneyoulike noicons

[Piru]

@rkauer

format a: t:80 n:9

That is wrong.

[pan1k]

Piru wrote:
@rkauer

format a: t:80 n:9

That is wrong.

Well... it will be DOS Compatible.. thats the command to make an Atari/DOS compatible disk.. it will probably work with CrossDOS too...

[Piru]

@pan1k

The command is still wrong. It won't format anything.

[DrDekker]

Although you cannot format a 720K floppy from WinXP's desktop, I'm pretty sure I've formatted a number of floppies from WinXP's command prompt using:

C:\>format a: /f:720

[pan1k]

Sometimes tho... the floppy drive won't support it! It's probably the controller, but our machines at work from 2000 and earlier have no problem formatting 720K, while newer machines 2005 and up won't format a 720K disk.

[hardlink]

pan1k wrote:
... while newer machines 2005 and up won't format a 720K disk.

Ha! Yet another reason to keep using obsolete hardware!

[Homer]

rednova: Are you asking how to use a pc formatted floppy on the Miggy, or how to format it on the pc  :-?
Two very different questions  :lol:

[A4000_Mad]

I want to format a pc disk (on the pc)so that it can also be read on my amiga

:huh: Any chance you mean that you want to put an Amiga floppy disk in your WindozeXP computer and format it so that both your PC and Amiga can read it?

If so the correct command is:-

Format A: /t:80 /n:9





Just used the command on an Amiga disk then put it in an A1200 Desktop and it works fine :pint:


On the Amiga you have to double click on PC0 which is usually in Workbench:Storage/DOSDrivers.

If using a 1.44MB PC disk in a HD drive on the Amiga, see the post by Matt_H above :-)