Uncreative Labs

Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 274 Location: USA

yep, stuck them in an 8088 laptop, still boots of it!

Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 594 Location: Western NC

Quote:

HD converted to DD are unreliable, they might work for a day or week but not much longer, they have a different magnetic media.

I thought it was more of a problem with DD converted to HD. I remember when 1.44MB drives were taking off in the early 90's, MEI-Microcenter sold mostly media and software. One of the items they sold was the "hole-punch" thing to change 720K's to 1.44M. Seemingly recall a 50% failure on getting them to format in a 1.44MB drive (of course, this was when 1.44's were going for around $0.30/ea and 720's less than half that...). Had to plug them back up and use them as 720's...

Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 261 Location: WisConSin

There have been many threads on the old computer BBS's on this. In reality they are fully reliable if
1. The HD disk is unformatted virgin
-or-
2. The HD disk is deguassed therby erasing the 1st couple of media select bits.

The unreliability comes from the fact that your floppy and software normally don't want to erase the media select bits.

I have had troubles with 1.44mb as 720k's but I have found ways around it but usually its more effort than its worth.

Unknown_K wrote:

HD converted to DD are unreliable, they might work for a day or week but not much longer, they have a different magnetic media.

Trust me if HD to DD was workable nobody would bother buying DD disks at all.

Joined: 03 Feb 2006 Posts: 488 Location: pennsylvanai

ibm ps/2's not the 8086 models thjat were 720k only

the other ps2 s lacked the second sending hole
and thought ANY didk was a 1.44 ( who would ever use a 720- that is last years technolory)
well when you did and many dis, the pseudo 1.44 m really a 720k disk formatted as a 1.44 by the dumb, uncaring ps2 drive, could not be reqd in a clone or other real machine.

how you got arould this was: ( read the whole statementZ)
look underneath the 1.44 drive in the clone. look for 2 solder pads underneath the side where the secone sensor was located on a 1.44 floppy. not the one with the closable plastic block.
tale a led with square leads. clip off the leads so they are the same length
. bent a tinmy 1/16" foot in both leads.
tin both leads with solder,
tack solder the feet to the solder pads on the floppy drive.
clip off the led and discard the led.
leave the soldered leads about 1/4" long
use a jumper block to short the two leads.
not you drive DOES NOT CARE
and will recognize erroniously formatted disks as 1.44. in fact it will see all disks as 1.44.
congratulations you have now converted a real 1.44 drive into an IBM style drive.

to restore normal function remove the jumper

the led leads are about the same as jumper pind on a card or mb. You will have a left-over led with short leads.

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:47 pm

Does anyone have know model/part numbers for 51/4" FDD's that were 360K/1.2M switchable via a jumper?

Also I need a 360K FDD which is less than the standard length of 8" (6.75-7 would be ideal), any thoughts?

Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 274 Location: USA

hmmm, if you were realy despreret, older compaq deskpros floppy drives were some what shorter that regular half hight drives, but were thinner too, so u would have too build your own mounting hardware and face place, i think, let me get some pics later when i get back.

Joined: 27 Jan 2007 Posts: 274 Location: USA

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Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 2

You might want to try Athana for new media. Their stuff is high quality and reasonably priced considering they're the last media producer in the United States.

Athana is at http://www.athana.com

g.

Joined: 14 Jan 2008 Posts: 2

You might want to try Athana for new media. Their stuff is high quality and reasonably priced considering they're the last media producer in the United States.

Athana is at http://www.athana.com

g.