From:	MERC::"uunet!CRVAX.SRI.COM!RELAY-INFO-VAX"  6-MAY-1992 20:47:27.99
To:	info-vax@kl.sri.com
CC:	
Subj:	Re: How to format a floopy while VMS is running?

Path: umiami!dweisman
From: dweisman@umiami.ir.miami.edu
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: How to format a floopy while VMS is running?
Message-ID: <1992May5.214025.13478@umiami.ir.miami.edu>
Date: 5 May 92 21:40:25 EDT
References: <1992Apr29.210614.13438@umiami.ir.miami.edu> <1992May2.154958.2458@didymus.rmi.de>
Organization: Univ of Miami IR
Lines: 34

In article <1992May2.154958.2458@didymus.rmi.de>, andreas@didymus.rmi.de (Andreas Fassl) writes:
> In <1992Apr29.210614.13438@umiami.ir.miami.edu> dweisman@umiami.ir.miami.edu writes:
> 
>>	Is there a way to format an extended density disk for an RX26 while VMS 
>>is running? I know there is a way on some systems to format after halting the 
>>system but I don't know how to format a disk while the operating system is 
>>running. If there isn't a way, how would you do it after halting the system? 
>>The system we are currently running is a VAXStation 4000 VLC. Thanks,
> 
> Hi, 
> use
> $ format <disk_device> <label> /erase /density=extra
>                                                ^^^^^ or ED
> $ format <disk_device> <label> /erase /density=double will do 1.44 MB-Disk.
> 
> The question and the (corrected?) answer should be added to FAQ.

Thanks for the help. The command is not "format" but "initialize" but 
the other information allowed us to format our floppies. I also think that it's 
density=ed because 'extra' didn't work and so we shortened it to just 'e'. 
'Double' worked fine for HD disks (1.44 meg).

Thanks again,

Dan
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