> Alas, neither SamDsk nor SamDisk seem to want to work on my shiney new PC > (running Windows XP). > > Is it just me? > Is there another tool out there I'm missing that'll do the job?
No, due to extra controls excerted, including DOS programs, by NT/2000/XP the direct hardware access that these programs use will not work. But the situation is worse than that - Microsoft have included no method to directly access the sectors on floppy discs in anything other than the DOS sizes and shapes, which means it is impossible to get at the SAM's tenth sector. Although smart people, including Simon Owen, are working on ways to patch various parts of the OS to enable that sort of access, at the minute no tool for NT/2000/XP is technically possible. But the moral is that it almost certainly isn't a hardware problem, so if you can get a DOS boot disc you should still be okay. http:://www.freedos.org may be some help. While I'm here, does SAMDSK work in a DOS box in Windows 95 for anyone here? For me it crashes instantly with the usual DJGPP shape trace info, but works fine from vanilla DOS. Is there a work around for this? -Thomas ______________________________________________________ Free Email - http://www.lycos.co.uk/service/lycosmail/ The funniest email attachments on the web - http://viral.lycos.co.uk
