How does my XP manage for format a floppy?

[wumply]

I needed to format a floppy today. I did the usual, inserted the floppy, right-clicked the A drive, selected 'format' and up came the Format window. The only FORMAT option was FAT (as far as file system options presented) and XP is NTFS. There were 3 check boxes: Quick Format, Enable Compression (which in this instance was grayed out) and Create a MS-DOS start up disc. (You don't have start-up discs with XP and DOS ain't part of XP!!!) Well, I realized too late I had failed to put a check in the Quick Format checkbox...I just clicked OK and XP appeared to go ahead and do its thing...the blue progress bar filled up and I got a messasge saying "Format complete".

My question: What was (is) going on here? Do you think the floppy WAS formatted--was the TOC at least wiped out or reset? I mean, FAT is Windows 98 but XP is not FAT If that doesn't matter, why doesn't it?

I ask partly out of wanting to understand these things as well as to know if I can consider my floppy formatted.

John

[egghead]

hello wumply:

formatting a floppy disk in xp when let you read it in dos and win 9x

if you make a startup disk you will get a dos prompt

here is more info for ya

http://www.uwec.edu/help/WinXP/exp-disk.htm

your floppy is formatted

i suggest to only use quick format only on newer disc

if you quick format older disks you might get errors




egghead