Re: Apple II 3.5" Controller and SuperDrive problems...

[mkelsey@spam.eecs.wsu.edu]

In article <1d691fc.vt9a3itd7ud4N@dempson.actrix.gen.nz>,
	dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) writes:
>> Now this must be some characteristic of the Apple IIgs operating
>> system.  If I attempt to erase (not format) an MS-DOS 1.44MB disk
>> with Copy II+ it reports "not a ProDOS disk," and quits.
> 
> That would be a limitation of Copy II+, not the "IIgs operating system"

I would like to point out that I didn't state there was a limitation
of the "IIgs operating system" but that the outstanding characteristic
of the IIgs operating system is that it doesn't bother checking what
data is currently on the disk and will still provide a quick format,
a.k.a. an erase.  I don't have an Apple IIgs so I wouldn't have 
assumed the IIgs operating system to be a limitation.  

Copy II+ on the other hand will search the volume before attempting an
erase to make sure it's a ProDOS volume, perhaps because it does nothing
more than clear out the block-use tables.

If I copy over the first few blocks from any ProDOS volume onto the
disk to be erased, Copy II+ happily sees a ProDOS formatted volume
and will erase the disk into the size based on a query from ProDOS.
In short, if I copy the blocks from a 140K volume onto an MS-DOS
720K diskette, a subsequent disk erasure of the 720K disk will
yield a 720K ProDOS volume.

> (which isn't even being used when Copy II+ goes to format a disk).  It
> checks the volume, doesn't recognise the file system (and possibly the
> volume size), and refuses to do anything with it.

Volume size isn't the issue, so I've discovered, but you are correct
in stating that it doesn't recognize the file system and quickly
cancels the erasure.

	-/\/\ichael-

replyto: mkelsey at eecs.wsu.edu