🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov17.191809.18769@prism.poly.edu> ssnyder@prism.poly.edu (Sharon Snyder) writes:
>To format a 3.5 HD disk as DD (720k) cover up the extra hole (not
>the write protect stuff) and format it as 720K (I forget the
>command line right now).  It should work.
...

It will sort-of work.  The problem is, the drive will be using the
reduced write current suitable for the magnetic coating on a real DD
diskette, and not the higher current required for reliable writing on
the magnetically "harder" media of the HD diskette that you are using.

(The disaster potential is not quite as insideous here as it is for
people who try to get cheap HD disks by punching the extra hole.  They
have to contend with data that will decay away over time (6 months to a
year, perhaps).  Taping over the hole in a HD diskette will just cause
somewhat marginal writes -- whatever data actually makes it onto the
disk should be stable.)

Bob Nichols
AT&T Bell Laboratories
rnichols@ihlpm.ih.att.com