Re: No HDs on my //e?

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <37mn1f$9uu@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>,
John L. Graham <fl332@cleveland.Freenet.Edu> wrote:
> 
> Hmmm, sounds like the disks are hard sectored for MS-DOS. Soft
> sectored disks can be reformatted, but hard sectored disks are
> fixed.

Hard sectored disks have multiple index holes, with each index hole
indicating the start position for a sector.  Soft sectored disks have
a single index hole.

This is a moot point: MS-DOS machines don't use hard sectored disks,
and might not work with them.  The Apple II doesn't care - it
completely ignores the index hole (or holes).


Nathan had it right - you cannot format a high density 5.25" disk in a
low density drive, because of the difference in the flux requirements
(I don't know the exact details).

High density 3.5" and 5.25" drives are able to vary the signal
strength and sensitivity of their heads, allowing them to work with
low and high density disks.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand