Couldnt Format Cylinder 0

videofx · 10 March 2013, 00:13

I have installed an HD floppy drive (FB-374A, Amiga HD floppy) in my 4000T and went and bought a brand new box of HD floppies preformatted as 1.44 PC disks.

I can format an 800K floppy no problem and is recognized as an 800K floppy. Put in an HD floppy and is recognized as a 1.76MB floppy, click format, then the DF0: icon on the desktop changes to busy. Then after a few seconds I get the error "COULDNT FORMAT CYLINDER 0"

I have tried 5 different disks with the same results.

Anyone know whats wrong?

Thanks!

Loedown · 10 March 2013, 03:34

I've had this issue with floppies on PC, I think it occurs when the original format or disk geometry is very close to what it needs to be. If you use X-Copy to zero the disk prior to formatting that may cure the problem. It could still be a hard error on the disk, 3.5" disks aren't nearly as reliable as the old 5.25"

I stopped using floppies and started using HxC, not a perfect solution but certainly far more reliable.

Jope · 11 March 2013, 19:54

Hmm, which drive did you have again? The FB/FZ-357A is the HD mechanism.

The FB/FZ-354 are the DD mechanisms.

mark_k · 11 March 2013, 20:57

Have you checked you have your motherboard jumpers set correctly for the high-density DF1: drive? Apparently J250 on the disk module board needs to be set like this:
OFF: No second internal floppy or second floppy (DF1:) is High Density 1.76MB
ON: Second internal floppy (DF1:) is Double Density (880K)

So you'd need to set it in the OFF position. (Info from amiga-hardware.com.)

videofx · 12 March 2013, 01:13

Yup, jumper is set correctly. I am giving up. I am going to just sell the drive and forget about HD

Sandro · 12 March 2013, 08:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by videofx

I have installed an HD floppy drive (FB-374A, Amiga HD floppy) in my 4000T and went and bought a brand new box of HD floppies preformatted as 1.44 PC disks.

I can format an 800K floppy no problem and is recognized as an 800K floppy. Put in an HD floppy and is recognized as a 1.76MB floppy, click format, then the DF0: icon on the desktop changes to busy. Then after a few seconds I get the error "COULDNT FORMAT CYLINDER 0"

I have tried 5 different disks with the same results.

Anyone know whats wrong?

Thanks!

the normal format program in workbench is very buggy and not works because ur disks are pre-formated for PC
you must use a another tool to format them...ex xcopy TNG( have support to HD floppies)

videofx · 13 March 2013, 04:29

thanks Sandro!

I will give Xcopy TNG a go and let you know!

videofx · 25 March 2013, 20:51

thanks Sandro!

I finally got it to work

After formatting the 1.76mb floppy in Xcopy TNG, then I was able to go to the desktop and use Workbench to quick format the floppy and I copied data to the floppy without a problem!

prowler · 25 March 2013, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by videofx

I finally got it to work

After formatting the 1.76mb floppy in Xcopy TNG, then I was able to go to the desktop and use Workbench to quick format the floppy and I copied data to the floppy without a problem!

Thanks for confirming the solution to your problem, videofx!

It is my belief that Loedown hit the nail on the head with his description of the likely cause:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loedown

I've had this issue with floppies on PC, I think it occurs when the original format or disk geometry is very close to what it needs to be. If you use X-Copy to zero the disk prior to formatting that may cure the problem.

I had the same problem with floppy disks on the PC when using disks which had previously been given non-standard formatting for reasons of higher capacity (with more sectors per track) or faster speed (with interleaved tracks). The usual solution was to use a disk formatter other than MS-DOS Format, such as FDFormat, to restore the disk to standard format.

TenLeftFingers · 06 March 2016, 22:00

I can only find adf copies of X-Copy - which is problematic since I can't write to my disks! I've tried mounting the adf and dragging the disk/program to the HD but it crashes.

Eventually I made a bootable partition and copied the ADF to it - but if anyone knows of a version of X-Copy TNG that works from the HD without all the acrobatics, I'd love to know!

idrougge · 07 March 2016, 02:13

Unadf it.

TenLeftFingers · 07 March 2016, 18:41

That got it to load, thanks.

10 March 2013, 00:13	#1
videofx Registered User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 585	Couldnt Format Cylinder 0 I have installed an HD floppy drive (FB-374A, Amiga HD floppy) in my 4000T and went and bought a brand new box of HD floppies preformatted as 1.44 PC disks. I can format an 800K floppy no problem and is recognized as an 800K floppy. Put in an HD floppy and is recognized as a 1.76MB floppy, click format, then the DF0: icon on the desktop changes to busy. Then after a few seconds I get the error "COULDNT FORMAT CYLINDER 0" I have tried 5 different disks with the same results. Anyone know whats wrong? Thanks!

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10 March 2013, 03:34	#2
Loedown Precious & fragile things Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Victoria, Australia Posts: 1,946	I've had this issue with floppies on PC, I think it occurs when the original format or disk geometry is very close to what it needs to be. If you use X-Copy to zero the disk prior to formatting that may cure the problem. It could still be a hard error on the disk, 3.5" disks aren't nearly as reliable as the old 5.25" I stopped using floppies and started using HxC, not a perfect solution but certainly far more reliable.

11 March 2013, 19:54	#3
Jope - Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Helsinki / Finland Age: 43 Posts: 9,862	Hmm, which drive did you have again? The FB/FZ-357A is the HD mechanism. The FB/FZ-354 are the DD mechanisms.

11 March 2013, 20:57	#4
mark_k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Posts: 3,340	Have you checked you have your motherboard jumpers set correctly for the high-density DF1: drive? Apparently J250 on the disk module board needs to be set like this: OFF: No second internal floppy or second floppy (DF1:) is High Density 1.76MB ON: Second internal floppy (DF1:) is Double Density (880K) So you'd need to set it in the OFF position. (Info from amiga-hardware.com.)

12 March 2013, 01:13	#5
videofx Registered User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 585	Yup, jumper is set correctly. I am giving up. I am going to just sell the drive and forget about HD

13 March 2013, 04:29	#7
videofx Registered User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 585	thanks Sandro! I will give Xcopy TNG a go and let you know!

25 March 2013, 20:51	#8
videofx Registered User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 585	thanks Sandro! I finally got it to work After formatting the 1.76mb floppy in Xcopy TNG, then I was able to go to the desktop and use Workbench to quick format the floppy and I copied data to the floppy without a problem!

06 March 2016, 22:00	#10
TenLeftFingers Registered User Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Ireland Posts: 800	I can only find adf copies of X-Copy - which is problematic since I can't write to my disks! I've tried mounting the adf and dragging the disk/program to the HD but it crashes. Eventually I made a bootable partition and copied the ADF to it - but if anyone knows of a version of X-Copy TNG that works from the HD without all the acrobatics, I'd love to know!

07 March 2016, 02:13	#11
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,332	Unadf it.

07 March 2016, 18:41	#12
TenLeftFingers Registered User Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Ireland Posts: 800	That got it to load, thanks.

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