How to format 1.44MB floppy > 1.44MB ?

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In summary, Linux users said they can format the 1.44 floppy with the format of Ex2 and get 1.7 MB capacity. DOS/windows users that still use floppies may be able to do this using a program, but it is not easy and the program may not work properly.
  • #1
Saint
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Linux users said they can format the 1.44 floppy with the format of Ex2 and get 1.7 MB capacity,

can we do this in DOS/windows ?
 
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  • #2
Linux users that still use floppies.. ah.. idk.. about there creidblity. infact anyone that uses a floppy.
 
  • #3
Who Still uses Floppies ?
Anyway ,
I Remember is the last DOS system I Used ( maybe 6.22 ) that there was a program named Diskspace.exe ...
This Program allows you to edit the sectors on the Floppy , but seems useless if the Other OS does not support DiskSpace.exe .

add to that , that program don't work properly , once it told me that I'm albe to make the 1.44MB Floppy , a 10.12MD Floppy ... And this is IMPOSSIBLE!
 
  • #4
Originally posted by Saint
Linux users said they can format the 1.44 floppy with the format of Ex2 and get 1.7 MB capacity,

can we do this in DOS/windows ?
Yes, but you need a program to do it. I have two of them, trialware, and can email you the program or send you a link to download it if you need.
The windows .cab files (win95) were about 1.63 MegaBytes and to fit them on floppies means you need to extend the capacity of the discs to accommodate them. The first one or two win95 floppies are the usual 1.44MB but one of them contains a program (extract, I think it is called) that will enable the computer to deal with the larger capacity floppies that are soon to follow...
 
  • #5
Go easy on floppies guys, they are convenient for transfering small files, making boot disks, etc. In particular many drivers require that you load them from a floppy. For example when loading RAID drivers before the installation of windows, you need a floppy - it won't accept a cd.
 
  • #6


Originally posted by BoulderHead
Yes, but you need a program to do it. I have two of them, trialware, and can email you the program or send you a link to download it if you need.
The windows .cab files (win95) were about 1.63 MegaBytes and to fit them on floppies means you need to extend the capacity of the discs to accommodate them. The first one or two win95 floppies are the usual 1.44MB but one of them contains a program (extract, I think it is called) that will enable the computer to deal with the larger capacity floppies that are soon to follow...
No, you are talking about file compression. Cab files are just compressed. To read and write at > 1.44 mb you need to use a different file system which generally means a change in your operating system.
 
  • #7
...add to that , that program don't work properly , once it told me that I'm albe to make the 1.44MB Floppy , a 10.12MD Floppy ... And this is IMPOSSIBLE!
It is quite possible to go even beyond that figure;

http://www.idg.net/idgns/2001/02/06/Matsu****aCrams32MOntoAStandard.shtml

I just love it when the old guys make a comeback.

[edit]
Part of the link was edited to ****. Go here and click the first option;
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=increase+floppy+capacity
 
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  • #8
http://www.btinternet.com/~robert.bale1/bkup/win95backup.htm

At the above site is some information about putting win95 onto floppies and using maxidisk to increase the capacity of the floppies.

No, you are talking about file compression. Cab files are just compressed. To read and write at > 1.44 mb you need to use a different file system which generally means a change in your operating system.
Russ,
I’m not sure I understand you. I have increased the capacity of floppies for the purpose of putting the ‘oversized’ 1.63MB .cab files on them. I have never until now used the these floppies for any other type of file storage. I deleted the .cab file and copied three files to the floppies that when combined require 1.61MB. I am able to read them without problems, though it seems to take ages to get the data on and off. You can use the program linked at Robert Bale’s site or just click here to get it and experiment;

http://www.herne.com/mdisk1.htm
 
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  • #9
If you want to just get the maximum data on a floppy, you can use "dd" in Linux or "rawrite" in DOS/Windows with a tar/zip file... that sends the data raw to the disk with *no* formatting. I don't believe there are ext2 filesystem drivers for Windows -- at least not free ones.
 
  • #10
Floppies are still very useful. That's why they are still included in most p.c's.
I use them almost every week to transfer sourcecode, small graphics, patches, text docs, etc.
The only problem is the small file size. But if you use a lot of small files, then they are great. Much more reliable than a cd-rw (to read back in any pc) and you don't have to use a 650MB+ cd-r for a 1MB file.
True, they are a little slow, but it doesn't matter that much because the file size is small.
 
  • #11
Originally posted by BoulderHead
Russ,
I’m not sure I understand you. I have increased the capacity of floppies for the purpose of putting the ‘oversized’ 1.63MB .cab files on them. I have never until now used the these floppies for any other type of file storage. I deleted the .cab file and copied three files to the floppies that when combined require 1.61MB. I am able to read them without problems, though it seems to take ages to get the data on and off.
Ok, I misunderstood. I thought you meant that the CONTENTS of the cab file were 1.63mb and the cab file itself was 1.38. I get it now. I didn't know MS did that.

In any case, a cab file is still just another type of compressed archive like a zip file. Extract.exe is the cab extraction program. The ability to read a 1.63 mb disk must be built into the OS and has nothing to do with whether or not its a cab file - like you said, 3 files (not cab files) copied to the disk totaled 1.61mb.
 
  • #12
I remmember there is a program that used to come with Win9x that automatically compresses files before writting them to the floppy, and automatically uncompress them before readin them, it was called DiskSpace as far as i remmember.
Using that program you were able to make the disk with data up to more than 2.00 MB, and you can normally browse it, you will only need to mount (from the diskspace program) whenever you put it in the drive.
It was very good, interupts each read/write to the disk to compress/uncompress, so it worked with all programs (just like if the disk was actually 2.00 MB in size)
Originally posted by damgo
If you want to just get the maximum data on a floppy, you can use "dd" in Linux or "rawrite" in DOS/Windows with a tar/zip file... that sends the data raw to the disk with *no* formatting. I don't believe there are ext2 filesystem drivers for Windows -- at least not free ones.
Well if your files are EQUATLY 4.00 Kb big (or n*4.00 KB) then you rawwrite will make no change at all (except maybe for the first 512 bytes ...).
 
  • #13
Originally posted by russ_watters
Ok, I misunderstood. I thought you meant that the CONTENTS of the cab file were 1.63mb and the cab file itself was 1.38. I get it now. I didn't know MS did that.

In any case, a cab file is still just another type of compressed archive like a zip file. Extract.exe is the cab extraction program. The ability to read a 1.63 mb disk must be built into the OS and has nothing to do with whether or not its a cab file - like you said, 3 files (not cab files) copied to the disk totaled 1.61mb.
Ah, so that is what Extract.exe does. You see we are all learning things in this thread. Fantastical
 

What is the difference between a 1.44MB floppy and a 1.44MB formatted floppy?

A 1.44MB floppy refers to the physical storage capacity of the disk, while a 1.44MB formatted floppy refers to the amount of usable space on the disk after it has been formatted.

Why is it important to format a 1.44MB floppy to 1.44MB?

Formatting a 1.44MB floppy to 1.44MB ensures that the disk is optimized for storing and retrieving data. It also ensures compatibility with devices that require a specific disk format.

How do I format a 1.44MB floppy to 1.44MB?

To format a 1.44MB floppy to 1.44MB, you will need to use a disk formatting tool. This can typically be found in the operating system's disk utility program or through a third-party disk formatting software.

What happens if I try to store more than 1.44MB of data on a 1.44MB formatted floppy?

If you try to store more than 1.44MB of data on a 1.44MB formatted floppy, the excess data will not be saved and may result in errors. It is important to ensure that the amount of data being stored does not exceed the disk's capacity.

Can I reformat a 1.44MB floppy to a different capacity?

Yes, you can reformat a 1.44MB floppy to a different capacity, but it is important to note that this will erase all data on the disk. It is recommended to backup any important data before reformatting the disk.

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