Formatting and duplicate floppy disks

[Jack_95]

Hi, i'm new in OpenVSM
I'm using a Digital Alpha 500au and would like to make a safe copy of my floppy disks.
I've try to do "mount /foreign dva0:" or "init dva0: MyLabel /Erase" but each time i get this error message "INIT-F-FORMAT Invalid file format"
The devive dva0: (my floppy disk) is online when i do a "sh dev dv"
Is my floppy drive out of order or the way i use is not correct?
In fact, how can i do duplication of my floppy disks ?
Thank for help.

[Martin P.J. Zinser]

Hello,

welcome around here. You first need to init the device and then mount it.

I just did a init dva0: test/erase on my AS 800 and that worked fine. Make sure the label you want to use is within the length limits. Also if you want to read the floppy on a PC you might be better of using a tool like MGPCX (see

http://zinser.no-ip.info/vms/sw/mgpcx.htmlx

for further information.

HTH,

Martin

[Antoniov.]

Hello,
as Martin posted you need format disk using INIT command; but init doen't format physically disk (as msdos format) so you could do as follow:
Solution a)
1.Format a disk using msdos or windows any;
2.Initialize disk using INIT command.
This solution sometime doesn't work because floppy drivers are critical and a floppy written by a drive colud not read from another drive.
Solution b)
If you have pathwork installed, you can use PCDISK utility.
$ MCR PCDISK
$ USE B: DVA0:
$ FORMAT B:
PCDISK allow read and write DOS formatted disk (without NTFS or similar). Read help inside PCDISK.

H.T.H.
Antoniov

[Jack_95]

First, thanx for help, i do appreciate !
Sorry, but i use then "init dva0: test /erase" whith no result.
The drive doesn't light any time : i think i've a problem with the drive itself.
This machine have been moved recently, then i think a cable on the floppy is off.

[Martin P.J. Zinser]

Hello Jack,

ok, lets first establish the basics. Here is
how my device looks (hope that comes through not to garbled), please post the same output for yours:

$ sh dev dva0/full

Disk KORONA$DVA0:, device type RX26, is online, file-oriented device, shareable,
available to cluster, error logging is enabled.

Error count 0 Operations completed 115
Owner process "" Owner UIC [SYSTEM]
Owner process ID 00000000 Dev Prot S:RWPL,O:RWPL,G:R,W
Reference count 0 Default buffer size 512
Total blocks 2880 Sectors per track 18
Total cylinders 80 Tracks per cylinder 2

Greetings, Martin

[Jack_95]

Ok, thancks again.
That what i can read with the sh dev dv /fu

Disk LIMONADE$DVA0:, device type RX26, is online, file-oriented device, shareable,
error logging is enabled.

Error count 9 Operations completed 0
Owner process "" Owner UIC [SYSTEM]
Owner process ID 00000000 Dev Prot S:RWPL,O:RWPL,G:R,W
Reference count 0 Default buffer size 512
Total blocks 2880 Sectors per track 18
Total cylinders 80 Tracks per cylinder 2

and the Error count grows with trying jobs.

[Martin P.J. Zinser]

Hello Jack,

besides of the errors this looks ok. Since you do report that the LED indicator on your floppy drive does not light at all I agree that it is a good idea to check if the cabeling is in correctly.

Greetings, Martin

[Willem Grooters]

Jack,

Check the error log on these errors. It may indicate your problem.


Be sure the is fit well in it's sockets (and the right ones. But given that SHO DEV DVA0 actually shows the device, I think that's ok.) I have a PWS500au myself, I know it's pretty easy to have the cale loosed from it's socket - without noticing it.
Another common problem is that the cable is fitted the wrong way in either the socket on the motherboard OR the diskdrive.

IF you already have an ODS-2 formmatted floppydisk you could do some checks.

Can you read it? (DIR DVA0: will do). If not, your drive is gone.
If you can read, try to create a file. If that fails, your drive is bad in writing.

In both cases: replace the floppy drive.