Re: [tlug] DD floppies

[Tobias Diedrich <ranma@example.com>]

Brett Robson wrote:

> > >I need 3 1/2 inch, 2DD discs.
> > >
> > As someone mentioned, I think that "dime-a-dozen" HD disks work fine.
>
> Yes, as Tobias mentioned I think that is right. I've done some
> experimenting today and several different machines and OSes can format
> at double density but my home Windows XP (spit) machine can't and won't
> read them either. My guess is the disc drive is the problem. I think I
> need to do exhaustive experimenting to work this out.

Some drives may use a photoelectric sensor to detect the density
hole, but most use a mechanical AFAIK.  Thus transparent tape may
not work.  Maybe the one in you XP machine is still detecting a HD
disk?
IIRC in old IBM PS/2 machines it was possible to reformat HD
disks as DD even without fooling the hole detection, but normally
you have to make sure you fool the drive, because either the drive
or the controller will change its behaviour for HD disks (not sure
which one).

-- 
Tobias						PGP: http://9ac7e0bc.uguu.de