v16 is not formatting floppy disks

[dstter]

I can not format a floppy disk create in blank by pcem on my emulator machine. V15 works fine

gameblaster = 0
gus = 0
ssi2001 = 0
voodoo = 0
model = win486
cpu_manufacturer = 0
cpu = 4
fpu = none
cpu_use_dynarec = 0
cpu_waitstates = 0
gfxcard = tvga8900d
video_speed = -1
sndcard = none
cpu_speed = 5
disc_a = C:\Users\myname\Desktop\colors.img
disc_b =
hdd_controller = ide
mem_size = 65536
cdrom_drive = 200
cdrom_channel = 2
cdrom_path = X:\Work\hdexterno2\Microsoft Office 4.2 (ISO)\OFFS420US.iso
zip_channel = -1
hdc_sectors = 63
hdc_heads = 16
hdc_cylinders = 4096
hdc_fn = X:\Work\PCem_v16\hdi\486_w31.img
hdd_sectors = 0
hdd_heads = 0
hdd_cylinders = 0
hdd_fn =
hde_sectors = 0
hde_heads = 0
hde_cylinders = 0
hde_fn =
hdf_sectors = 0
hdf_heads = 0
hdf_cylinders = 0
hdf_fn =
hdg_sectors = 0
hdg_heads = 0
hdg_cylinders = 0
hdg_fn =
hdh_sectors = 0
hdh_heads = 0
hdh_cylinders = 0
hdh_fn =
hdi_sectors = 0
hdi_heads = 0
hdi_cylinders = 0
hdi_fn =
drive_a_type = 5
drive_b_type = 0
bpb_disable = 0
cd_speed = 8
cd_model = pcemcd
joystick_type = 0
mouse_type = 0
enable_sync = 1
netcard =
lpt1_device = none
vid_resize = 0
video_fullscreen_scale = 1
video_fullscreen_first = 1

[Joysticks]
joystick_0_nr = 0
joystick_1_nr = 0

[SDL2]
screenshot_format = png
screenshot_flash = 1
custom_width = 640
custom_height = 480
fullscreen = 0
fullscreen_mode = 0
scale = 2
scale_mode = 1
vsync = 0
focus_dim = 0
alternative_update_lock = 0
render_driver = auto

[GL3]
input_scale = 1.000000
input_stretch = 0
shader_refresh_rate = 0.000000

[GL3 Shaders]
shaders = 0

[dstter]

works fine in socket 7 shuttle hot 557.. bizarre

edit: windows 95 did same thing

[dns2kv2]

yep, same happen

[ruben_balea]

That seems to happen only on ali1429 machines

[ruben_balea]

That seems to happen only on ali1429 machines

Format fails sometimes on MR386DX too so I guess it can fail on any machine under appropriate circumstances, which of course I am unaware of.

Also after wiping an old image with hex editor I found that when image file is filled with 0xFF instead of default 0x00 format a:/u fails but format a:/u/q continues but formats a 1.44M floppy as a 320K floppy

/u parameter is to force unconditional format and wipe all disc data, on MS-DOS 6.22* it prevents format from saving UNFORMAT data which is basically storing a copy of the FAT somewhere in the free space (if any) and verifying the disc surface instead of erasing all data, that made accidentally formatted discs easily and correctly recoverable with UNFORMAT utility, of course only if nothing was wrote on such discs after being formatted.
* I don't remember on which version was that feature introduced, maybe already on MS-DOS 5.00

Screenshot from 2020-05-07 00-16-40.png (8 KiB) Viewed 4150 times

Screenshot from 2020-05-07 00-16-58.png (8.13 KiB) Viewed 4150 times