Re: I can't format 3.5 floppies!

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Bruce Fancher writes ...
> 
> I just bought a //gs in order to access some of my old DOS 3.3. files and
> I'm trying to format some DS,HD 3.5 floppies and copy files to them, but
> with no success.  I keep getting and error message that the disks are not
> ProDos or DOS 3.3 disk.
> 
> Anyone have any ideas and/or suggestions?
>

     Evidently, you are saying that the 5.25" diskettes are not
recognized by the GS. (In case you mean the 3.5" diskettes, when you get
the message, select the Initialize option and Init the 3.5" as ProDOS
with a 2:1 interleave. Try to stick with DS, DD 3.5" diskettes. You can
use DS, HD; but, Apple 3.5" 800k drives are optimized for DD and there
is some question about how long the HD diskettes will retain data.
Alltech sells DD diskettes.)


     Back to the 5.25" diskettes ...  There are three high-prob reasons
a GS may not recognize your 5.25" diskettes as either "ProDOS or DOS
3.3":

 1. The R/W heads of your 5.25" drives are dirty and need to be cleaned
using a Radio Shack Head Cleaner Kit or similar method.

 2. Some of your 5.25" diskettes are 'regular DOS 3.3' or standard
variant (like Prontodos) diskettes but they employ a mod to allow
formatting for 36 tracks. The DOS 3.3 File System Translator (FST) used
by GS System 6 will accept Prontodos and EsDOS-II diskettes so long as
they are 35-track diskettes. It will not recognize 36-track or 40-track
'DOS 3.3' diskettes as valid.

 3. Some of your 5.25" diskettes are copy-protected or employ some weird
DOS. System 6 will not recognize these as valid DOS 3.3 diskettes.  



> Please respond through email to bruce@iterative.com
 ....

     Okay. A copy of this response will be emailed. The Apple II
comp.sys.apple2 FAQs maintained on Ground at

ftp://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/Faqs

go into more detail; I'll attach a copy of the relevant file
(F003FDISK.TXT) to the email.



Rubywand