Trouble formating 360K 5.25" disks on new build

[KLund1]

Hi,

  I have built a win98se machine to be able to get files from the internet to C/pm, MS-dos machines.

Parts I am using :

Biostar M7VKQ MB (not Pro) (new never opened), 1gb mem(ya I know it is over kill) Sony CD-rom, 80gb mator HD.  AMD Athon 2000 xp+

Everything seems to be working great. Win 98se boots up, no errors. No '!' in device manager. Programs run fine. But I need to be able to format 360K disks.

I have several 1/2 height 360K 5.25" drives.  None of them can format a disk from win98se.

They can boot to DOS from a known working floppy DOS 5.25" disk (dos2.1)I can then format a disk. WIn98se can then read and write the disk, even reformat it. 

I reset all bios setting to manufacture defaults, after I was first messing with them. (turn off serial, parallel ports, no splash screen) I believe I have the latest Bios version. I have the MB Bios set a drive" A" 5.25 360K.

I know I am missing something simple, but it has been a long time since I installed win98. Oh, same thing while in safe mode. I have also tried removing FD from device mange,and have win98se re-detect the FD, no luck.

Why can't win98se format blank disks?

Any suggestions, help, links?

Many Thanks

 

[jaclaz]

What format command do you run?

What happens when you run it?

Are you sure that the drive is 360 Kb? (and not 1.2 Mb)?

Usually the /4 switch to format.com is needed to format 360Kb floppies, I believe that most BIOSes don't really support "real" 360 Kb floppy drives.  

If the motherboard supports 1 Gb it would be unusual that its BIOS has a actually a 360 Kb floppy setting.

There are however several third party tools usually capable of dealing with those ancient floppy drives.

A number of them have been cited here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/136856-how-to-archive-old-floppies-for-access-under-win98/

namely dcopy can also format with various formats:

http://www.msfn.org/board/topic/136856-how-to-archive-old-floppies-for-access-under-win98/?do=findComment&comment=880320

but it has to be seen if the issue is with the way the BIOS (or the OS actually "sees" the device).

jaclaz

 

 

[98SE]

10 hours ago, KLund1 said:

Hi,

  I have built a win98se machine to be able to get files from the internet to C/pm, MS-dos machines.

Parts I am using :

Biostar M7VKQ MB (not Pro) (new never opened), 1gb mem(ya I know it is over kill) Sony CD-rom, 80gb mator HD.  AMD Athon 2000 xp+

Everything seems to be working great. Win 98se boots up, no errors. No '!' in device manager. Programs run fine. But I need to be able to format 360K disks.

I have several 1/2 height 360K 5.25" drives.  None of them can format a disk from win98se.

They can boot to DOS from a known working floppy DOS 5.25" disk (dos2.1)I can then format a disk. WIn98se can then read and write the disk, even reformat it. 

I reset all bios setting to manufacture defaults, after I was first messing with them. (turn off serial, parallel ports, no splash screen) I believe I have the latest Bios version. I have the MB Bios set a drive" A" 5.25 360K.

I know I am missing something simple, but it has been a long time since I installed win98. Oh, same thing while in safe mode. I have also tried removing FD from device mange,and have win98se re-detect the FD, no luck.

Why can't win98se format blank disks?

Any suggestions, help, links?

Many Thanks

 

Is it necessary to format within 98SE?  Copying from 360KB, 720KB, 1.2MB, 1.44MB, and 2.88MB floppies should be fine.

Instead of using DOS 2.10, use at least MS-DOS 5.0 since you are using a pretty modern system and are experiencing problems.  DOS 2.1 is better suited for low memory under 640KB systems like the IBM PCjr or the IBM PC.

Make sure you confirm you have a TEAC 360KB 5 1/4 Floppy drive and not a 1.2MB for best compatibility.

Hook up Floppy Cable (Dual Drive) using the end of the ribbon cable connector to the 360KB Floppy drive and Molex power connector.  Do not use the center cable connector or it will not detect this drive.  Only use the middle connector for the 2nd Floppy drive but for the purpose of this test do not hook a 2nd floppy disk drive.  Make sure the floppy connector to the floppy drive is correctly oriented Red stripe for Pin 1.  Double check The Floppy Drive Ribbon cable connected to the motherboard is correctly plugged in.  Some Floppy Cables don't have a notch and you could plug it in the wrong orientation.  I know 3.5" drives have fried from this but I think 5.25" drives might be a little sturdier if plugged in wrong and turned off.

Check BIOS and set the Floppy Disk Drive #1 to 360KB 5 1/4" setting, not 720KB, not 1.2MB, not 1.44MB, and not 2.88MB.

Set Floppy Disk Drive #2 to None.

If there is an option for Swap Floppy Drives set to No.

Make sure the BIOS is set to Boot Priority #1

Set BIOS to do Floppy seek test if present.

Save BIOS settings and reboot.

Insert a DOS 5.0 Bootable 5 1/4" disk fully and turn the locking mechanism solid.

 

Once rebooting there should be a Floppy seeking light on and you could hear the floppy drive motor moving briefly.

It should load the DOS 5.0 disk get to the date and time prompt, Enter twice to skip those.

Format A:/U

It should load and ask you to insert a disk to be formatted.

Make sure the 5 1/4" diskette is DS DD for 360KB and nod DS HD which is for 1.2MB and look almost identical.

When the disk is inserted hit Enter to begin formatting.

Format another diskette enter N for No.

DIR

just to check the Floppy is formatted readable and empty.

If you need a DOS bootable disk replace

FORMAT A:/U

with

FORMAT A:/U/S

That's as low level as you can go.  This should work and if it doesn't the Floppy Drive could be defective.

 

If this worked then you can try it inside Windows 98 by clicking the

Start Button

Run

Type "Command" without quotes.

Enter

FORMAT A:/U

It should work as long as everything previously configured is the same.

But it is better to Restart to MS-DOS Prompt from 98SE (exiting out of 98SE).  I hardly format 5 1/4" diskettes within that OS and prefer Pure DOS level or use a Bootable MS-DOS 5.0 disk.  1.44MB diskettes should be fine inside 98SE and shouldn't experience any problems.  720KB I haven't tested formatting in 98SE in some time but I'd go with MS-DOS 5.0 or 98SE Pure DOS mode and you'll need to use the Format parameters for forcing 720KB if the 3 1/2 drive is not a 720KB floppy drive.

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by 98SE