Can 1.2M/1.6M 5.25inch floppy disk format to 360K and use for IBM XT 5160?

[pcfans]

Can 1.2M/1.6M 5.25inch floppy disk format to 360K capacity and use for IBM XT 5160 original floppy drive?

Please tell me, thanks.

 

[modem7]

Read the information that is [here].

 

[Springbok]

Yes,

BUT.... the floppy MUST be a 360KB floppy, NOT a 1.2/1.6MB.

You must also format with the /4 param, i.e. "format a: /4". /4 tells it that it is formatting a 360KB floppy

 

[barythrin]

I can't remember but I also thought that newer versions of Windows format don't support the format argument (/F?). Pretty sure up to 98 still supported it though. Computerhope has it listed as up to ME still supporting the /4 btw so perhaps not as much of an issue as I thought.

 

[Chuck(G)]

Use use the /N:xx and /T:xx arguments. They were still good on XP and Win7--haven't tried Win8--nor do I intend to.

 

[Stone]

The OP asked:

Can 1.2M/1.6M 5.25inch floppy disk format to 360K capacity and use for IBM XT 5160 original floppy drive?

The answer to that question is yes with qualifications. A High Density 5¼" floppy disk can be formatted to 360K successfully but whether all 360K floppy drives will be able to read and write correctly with that disk is not certain. My guess is some will and some won't, YMMV.

 

[Chuck(G)]

I'd add that some DSHD media can be formatted to DS2D densities, but results are variable, depending on the brand and what was on the floppy beforehand. I've seen fast (over days) degradation of the recorded information, being unable to read inner tracks and complete success on the same drive.

My best advice is to use 3.5" drives and media if you can't get what you need in 5.25" size. 3.5" DS2D media converted from DSHD (by covering the density-sense aperture) is relatively stable.