> Another member here recently described the issue in detail (maybe you missed > it?), but starting with some sub-version of Mac OS8, it stopped supporting > the 800K format. So, I'm guessing that if you're using OS8.1 or later, the > Operating System doesn't have the ability to read 800K disks
Not true. I'm running OS 9.1 and can read/write 800k floppies fine. Maybe it's the 400k floppies that lost support? The OP said: > I keep all my vintage stuff really > clean, including internal components, such a disk drives. There's a detailed article about cleaning floppy drives here: http://chrislawson.net/writing/macdaniel/2k0314.shtml Many, many years ago someone on UseNet posted about this problem and I clipped the text. Here it is: =================== SUPERDRIVE WON'T RECOGNISE 800k DISKS QUESTION: My SE with Superdrive tries to read an 800k disk as a high- density 1.4MB disk -- which means it thinks the 800k disk needs to be intialized as a high-density one. ANSWER: Some of the early Superdrives in the late-model SEs have problems. Losing the ability to recognize 800k disks is not uncommon -- I've seen it myself. The floppies themselves are probably fine; it's the drive that's screwed up. The sensor that is supposed to feel whether the disk has the extra hole (that indicates HD) fails to come into full contact with the disk and so it doesn't work. Sometimes if you repeatedly insert the disk you'll get lucky and it will read it. Also you can try to stick your finger in the drive to apply downward pressure on the disk just after it is inserted. The pressure helps the sensor detect that the disk does not have the HD hole -- I think it's like a button that needs to get pressed. If you can get the disk mounted then the drive should have no more trouble reading it, until it gets ejected and you try to mount it again. =================== But none of this really explains why *all* your floppy drives bar one have this same problem. Good luck, Chris. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Vintage Macs group. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/vintagemacs.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/vintage-macs?hl=en Low End Mac RSS feed at feed://lowendmac.com/feed.xml -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
