Fastest way to format disks w/ verify
 

Hi.

I am looking for the fastest way to format a bunch of disks. It's because i've got some crates full of used disks, but some (maybe most?) of them were stored unter bad conditions (cold, moist). So i want to format them to check if they are working.

I've tested so far Workbench 1.3, Action Replay MK III, Siegfried Copy, D-Copy and X-Copy. From this list D-Copy 3.1 is with a duration of 1:11 the fastest way.

Does anybody know a faster way to format a disk with verify?

Best Regards

Guido

No idea, D-Copy was my favourite.

Super Duper is quite fast at format and verify, I use it to format 2 or 3 disks at once with external and internal drives.

Hi Guido,

If a large number of those disks were stored in cold, moist conditions for any length of time, then the chances are high that some of them could be afflicted with mould growth.

If you hear a squealing noise when any of those disks spin up in your floppy drive, eject them immediately and throw them away.

Quite apart from the deposits they will leave behind on the drive heads, the vibration which causes the squealing noise may damage the heads permanently.

Before you format them, just visually check each side of the disk in good daylight! Slide the shutter open and look at the disk while turning the hub with a thin object like the point of a pen/pencil and seeing if there is any residue or bits on the surface. The disk surface should be clean and shiny, if it's got dull patches or bits on the surface then chances are it's mould, dried up moisture or other contaminants and will likely cause the symptoms prowler describes.

If in doubt, chuck them out! It's better than knackering up your disk drive!!