The "Virtual Format Y/N" choice appeared when I used the Format command on the Dos 3.3 floppy disks i received.
How to install DOS 3.1 from 5-1/4 floppies onto Hard Drive of original PC XT clone?
-
-
That's odd.
I had only run into that question with the WD SuperBIOS formatter...
-
See attached photo of screen showing this.
-
IBM DOS Version 3.30 ... from the Reference Manual:
-
Here is the screen showing 910 cylinders being written to the drive, even though there were only 615 cylinders (and 4 heads) entered as parameters. This happens with the Virtual Format chosen or NOT chosen. Then, when the formatting hits a few more cylinders, the program fails and I get the "Format Failure" and the system track never gets written.
-
Please use the SELECT command.
-
I think I will leave the hard drive alone for a while and see if it runs properly (no corruption of files). I can live with a boot from a floppy. If the drive starts failing, I have big problems anyway. I see there is a company in the USA that make an IDE drive controller board that is supposed to work in the original XT ISA slots. I may have to look into that, because all the RLL drives from 30 years ago will probably be in the same condition as mine.
-
I think I will leave the hard drive alone for a while and see if it runs properly (no corruption of files). I can live with a boot from a floppy.
You can also go for a IBM DOS Version lower than 3.30 in order to circumvent the SELECT command and make your HDD bootable with format c: /s /v
-
Thanks. I think I will replace the bad hard drive with a solid state drive replacement board for the ISA bus that Stephan referred me to. It looks like a great solution, and I don't have to worry about running on only 3 of 4 heads, and the drive gradually dying on me!