FORMAT
Utility
FORMAT [:drive [(parameters)]]
Prepares a blank or old disk for use by defining the tracks and
sectors and writing system information onto
it.
(For more information,
see "Diskette Organization"
in
the Technical Reference Manual (Cat.
No. 26-2110).)
You can use FORMAT to organize a disk so you can store
information
on
it.
drive specifies the drive
in
which the blank or old disk is to be
formatted.
If
you omit the drive, TRSDOS prompts you for
it.
The parameters are:
ABS overwrites any existing data without prompting. The ABS
parameter is used primarily when you execute a FORMAT
from a JCL file. See the JCL section for more information.
NAME
= "disk name" assigns a name to the disk being
formatted.
MPW
= "password" assigns the master password to the disk.
The master password allows limited access to all user files.
SDEN specifies the density of the disk as single.
DDEN specifies the density of the disk as double.
CYL=number
specifies the number of cylinders (tracks) for the
disk. number can
be
35
to
96.
QUERY = NO turns off the prompts for density, number of
cylinders, name, and password.
QUERY is the only parameter that can
be
abbreviated.
When
to
Format
To prepare a new disk. Before you can use a new disk, you must
format
it.
After formatting, record the disk name, date of creation, and
password. Store this information
in
a safe place.
It
helps you estimate
how long a diskette has been
in
use. And, if you forget the master
password, it ensures continued access.
To erase all data from a disk. To "start over" with a disk, you can
reformat
it.
This erases
all
old information and locks out all flawed
sectors which have developed.
It
puts the system information back on
the disk and leaves the "good" sectors available for information
storage.
The
Format
Prompts
If the destination drive
is
not ready, the following message is
displayed:
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