Guest Umma Gumma Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP?
Guest M.I.5¾ Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? > I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on the floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at this.
Guest Helge Haensel Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5¾ <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: > > "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message > news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >> > > I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this > question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on > the > floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: > > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us > > I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at > this. > Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 Good luck! Helge >
Guest Bob I Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... Use format A: /t:80 /n:9 Umma Gumma wrote: > Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? > > >
Guest Bob I Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... M.I.5¾ wrote: > "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message > news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > >>Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >> > > > I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this > question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on the > floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: > > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us > > I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at this. Piece of cake, see my reply to OP. Want to play? Take a 1.44 and tape over the other hole, the one opposite the write protect tab, and have a go at it.
Guest Umma Gumma Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... "Helge Haensel" <dj1wm@nurfuerspam.de> wrote in message news:op.tv0w6fdasjedh2@hhh... > Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5¾ <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: > >> >> "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >> news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>> >> >> I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >> question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on >> the >> floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >> >> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >> >> I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >> this. >> > Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK > Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 > Good luck! > Helge >> I thought of that. Thanks. However, with a floppy in the drive the drive hung/hanged. (Was suspended). And to abort I had to reboot for fear of burning out the drive.
Guest Umma Gumma Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... "Bob I" <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:uBjQCjszHHA.4276@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > > > M.I.5¾ wrote: > >> "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >> news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> >>>Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>> >> >> >> I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >> question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on >> the floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >> >> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >> >> I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >> this. > > Piece of cake, see my reply to OP. Want to play? Take a 1.44 and tape over > the other hole, the one opposite the write protect tab, and have a go at > it. Yeah, and I hear tell you can punch a hole opposite to the write protect tab and turn a small one into a 1.44.
Guest Bob I Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... Umma Gumma wrote: > "Helge Haensel" <dj1wm@nurfuerspam.de> wrote in message > news:op.tv0w6fdasjedh2@hhh... > >>Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5¾ <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: >> >> >>>"Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >>>news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> >>>>Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>>> >>> >>>I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >>>question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on >>>the >>>floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >>> >>>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >>> >>>I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >>>this. >>> >> >>Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK >>Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 >>Good luck! >>Helge >> > > I thought of that. Thanks. However, with a floppy in the drive the drive > hung/hanged. (Was suspended). And to abort I had to reboot for fear of > burning out the drive. > > the /F:720 won't work, not supported.
Guest Bob I Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... Umma Gumma wrote: > "Bob I" <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote in message > news:uBjQCjszHHA.4276@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... > >> >>M.I.5¾ wrote: >> >> >>>"Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >>>news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> >>> >>>>Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>>> >>> >>> >>>I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >>>question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on >>>the floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >>> >>>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >>> >>>I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >>>this. >> >>Piece of cake, see my reply to OP. Want to play? Take a 1.44 and tape over >>the other hole, the one opposite the write protect tab, and have a go at >>it. > > > Yeah, and I hear tell you can punch a hole opposite to the write protect tab > and turn a small one into a 1.44. > > I wouldn't bother, the 720k disks are usually junk. But, actually we did something similar back when we had only 5 1/4 SS floppy drives. You would notch the DS floppy disks so you could flip them over and write to both sides that way. But you wouldn't want to do it with the SS floppy disks as only one side was intended to be written to.
Guest Ken Blake, MVP Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:00:05 +0200, "Helge Haensel" <dj1wm@nurfuerspam.de> wrote: > Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5Ÿ <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: > > > > > "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message > > news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > >> Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? > >> > > > > I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this > > question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on > > the > > floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: > > > > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us > > > > I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at > > this. > > > Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK > Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 Nope. Read here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302113 -- Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User Please Reply to the Newsgroup
Guest Umma Gumma Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message news:qurea3hp2lcmdl13mpmc6tird69e8k702k@4ax.com... > On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:00:05 +0200, "Helge Haensel" > <dj1wm@nurfuerspam.de> wrote: > >> Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5Y <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: >> >> > >> > "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >> > news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> >> Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >> >> >> > >> > I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >> > question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on >> > the >> > floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >> > >> > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >> > >> > I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >> > this. >> > >> Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK >> Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 > > > Nope. Read here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302113 > > -- > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User > Please Reply to the Newsgroup Oh well. It was an interesting exercise. I get this error message when I try this command... C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>format A: /t:80 /n:9 Insert new disk for drive A: and press ENTER when ready... The type of the file system is RAW. The new file system is FAT. Formatting 720K Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N) y Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use. It's not really that important. I realized this morning I did a dumb thing. Hindsight always better than .... etc. I through out what had to be 100 floppies. Never used them. Years old. But I retained some. All low density. Stupid me.
Guest RalfG Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... Is the file protection tab set to the unlocked position? Some program diskettes were made without one so were always locked, to prevent the software from being accidentally erased by the users. IIRC blocking the hole with electrical tape worked for both mechanical and optical diskette sensors. "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message news:%23vTw$avzHHA.5772@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... > "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message > news:qurea3hp2lcmdl13mpmc6tird69e8k702k@4ax.com... >> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:00:05 +0200, "Helge Haensel" >> <dj1wm@nurfuerspam.de> wrote: >> >>> Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5Y >>> <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: >>> >>> > >>> > "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >>> > news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> >> Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>> >> >>> > >>> > I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >>> > question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option >>> > on >>> > the >>> > floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >>> > >>> > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >>> > >>> > I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >>> > this. >>> > >>> Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK >>> Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 >> >> >> Nope. Read here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302113 >> >> -- >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup > > Oh well. It was an interesting exercise. I get this error message when I > try this command... > > C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>format A: /t:80 /n:9 > Insert new disk for drive A: > and press ENTER when ready... > The type of the file system is RAW. > The new file system is FAT. > Formatting 720K > > Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another > process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. > ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. > Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N) y > Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use. > > It's not really that important. I realized this morning I did a dumb > thing. Hindsight always better than .... etc. I through out what had to be > 100 floppies. Never used them. Years old. But I retained some. All low > density. Stupid me. >
Guest Umma Gumma Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... Oh yeah. I would have noticed that immediately. "RalfG" <itsnotme@bin-wieder-da.de> wrote in message news:usFHqGxzHHA.1484@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl... > Is the file protection tab set to the unlocked position? > Some program diskettes were made without one so were always locked, to > prevent the software from being accidentally erased by the users. IIRC > blocking the hole with electrical tape worked for both mechanical and > optical diskette sensors. > > > "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message > news:%23vTw$avzHHA.5772@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message >> news:qurea3hp2lcmdl13mpmc6tird69e8k702k@4ax.com... >>> On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:00:05 +0200, "Helge Haensel" >>> <dj1wm@nurfuerspam.de> wrote: >>> >>>> Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5Y >>>> <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: >>>> >>>> > >>>> > "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >>>> > news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>>> >> Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>>> >> >>>> > >>>> > I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >>>> > question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option >>>> > on >>>> > the >>>> > floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >>>> > >>>> > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >>>> > >>>> > I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked >>>> > at >>>> > this. >>>> > >>>> Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK >>>> Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 >>> >>> >>> Nope. Read here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302113 >>> >>> -- >>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup >> >> Oh well. It was an interesting exercise. I get this error message when I >> try this command... >> >> C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>format A: /t:80 /n:9 >> Insert new disk for drive A: >> and press ENTER when ready... >> The type of the file system is RAW. >> The new file system is FAT. >> Formatting 720K >> >> Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another >> process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. >> ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. >> Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N) y >> Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use. >> >> It's not really that important. I realized this morning I did a dumb >> thing. Hindsight always better than .... etc. I through out what had to >> be 100 floppies. Never used them. Years old. But I retained some. All low >> density. Stupid me. >> > >
Guest M.I.5¾ Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message news:OWX$mnszHHA.3448@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl... > "Bob I" <birelan@yahoo.com> wrote in message > news:uBjQCjszHHA.4276@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl... >> >> >> M.I.5¾ wrote: >> >>> "Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >>> news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>> >>>>Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>>> >>> >>> >>> I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >>> question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on >>> the floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >>> >>> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >>> >>> I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >>> this. >> >> Piece of cake, see my reply to OP. Want to play? Take a 1.44 and tape >> over the other hole, the one opposite the write protect tab, and have a >> go at it. > > Yeah, and I hear tell you can punch a hole opposite to the write protect > tab and turn a small one into a 1.44. There used to be lots of advice like this floating around about a decade ago. The advice failed to mention that the magnetic characteristics of the disc material used for 1.4M floppies was very different to that used for 720k. Basically, the 1.4M material had a higher coercivity, which the drive expected to find when it read the disc back. Because of the lower coercivity of the 720k material, the signal read back is weaker than the drive expects and this can give read errors. It is further not helped because the write current is much higher and this tends to 'blur' the written data. However, having said that, many users carried on without problems. There was a rumour that later 720k discs from the cheaper (unbranded) end of the market, in fact, had the magnetic media designed for 1.4M discs, but although I never substantiated this, there were a lot of 720k discs around that were unreliable in 720k drives and yet performed well in 1.4M drives.
Guest Bob I Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Re: Formatting old 3.5 floppies in XP.... Umma Gumma wrote: > "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message > news:qurea3hp2lcmdl13mpmc6tird69e8k702k@4ax.com... > >>On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:00:05 +0200, "Helge Haensel" >><dj1wm@nurfuerspam.de> wrote: >> >> >>>Am 25.07.2007, 15:37 Uhr, schrieb M.I.5Y <no.one@no.where.NO_SPAM.co.uk>: >>> >>> >>>>"Umma Gumma" <Itstotallyinvalid@invalid.ca> wrote in message >>>>news:uPh6qQrzHHA.4824@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl... >>>> >>>>>Is it possible to format and use an older 720K floppy in XP? >>>>> >>>> >>>>I was about to say, 'yes', but then I thought, "Why is he asking this >>>>question". So I checked and indeed 720k is not offered as an option on >>>>the >>>>floppy disk format screen. I can only suggest having a look at: >>>> >>>>http://support.microsoft.com/kb/140060/en-us >>>> >>>>I should add that I didn't have a 720k floppy to hand when I looked at >>>>this. >>>> >>> >>>Hi, try Start/Run, type cmd.exe, OK >>>Enter: format /?, format /F:720 or .../F1.44 >> >> >>Nope. Read here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/302113 >> >>-- >>Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User >>Please Reply to the Newsgroup > > > Oh well. It was an interesting exercise. I get this error message when I try > this command... > > C:\Documents and Settings\Owner>format A: /t:80 /n:9 > Insert new disk for drive A: > and press ENTER when ready... > The type of the file system is RAW. > The new file system is FAT. > Formatting 720K > > Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another > process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first. > ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID. > Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N) y > Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use. > > It's not really that important. I realized this morning I did a dumb thing. > Hindsight always better than .... etc. I through out what had to be 100 > floppies. Never used them. Years old. But I retained some. All low density. > Stupid me. > > Please try command prompt from CMD.EXE, not COMMAND.COM, and you may also use format A: /t:80 /n:9 /x as the command line.
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