* An ongoing debate between Mike Luther and All rages on ...

 ML: > Does anyone here have a copy of a utility that will run in MS-DOS or
 ML: > in a DOS-VDM in OS/2 which will read the older Heath MS-DOS 5-1/4"
 ML: > floppy disks that were formatted to 729K?  That's the ones which were

I've only worked with Tandy (TRSDOS) and IBM compatible (DOS) diskettes, but
originally designed for formatting high density diskettes, I've found the 2M
package will read anything:

 N004904.ZIP      261,509  05-04-95    04:25:02
         2M formats all types of floppies to sizes

Holler if want it (supply an address and whether you want the whole package or
just the driver, of course one can FReq anytime). I added this to Config.Sys:

DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\2M\2M.SYS

(transparent, just copy/move files from/to any floppy)

 ML: > I used to have a copy of UNIFORM which is a DOS device driver that
 ML: > you could over-install in CONFIG.SYS in MS-DOS

MS-DOS 6.22 has a built-in "override" for Block Devices called
DRIVEPARM but
you would NOT need this with the 2M package, if it works. Your 729 kB diskettes
probably used 81 tracks at 9 sec/trk (the only combination where the math works
out, assuming 2 sides & 512 byte sectors) so try adding the following to
Config.Sys to define a 729 kB A: drive:

DRIVEPARM=/d:0 /c /f:1 /h:2 /s:9 /t:81

        or, for B:

DRIVEPARM=/d:1 /c /f:1 /h:2 /s:9 /t:81


You might have to play with the /f:n parameter (/f:0 ?):

        0 = 180/360k, 5.25"
        1 = 1.2M, 5.25"
        2 = 720k, 3.5"
        5 = HD
        6 = Tape
        7 = 1.44M, 3.5"
        8 = R/W Optical
        9 = 2.88M, 3.5"


Notes:  729 kB = 746,496 bytes

        Assuming 2 Sides/Heads and 512 Bytes per Sector, you need a
        combination of Tracks & Sectors that equals 729. Common Track
        sizes are 40 & 80, common Sectors/Trk are 8, 9, 15, 18 & 36.
        Utilities commonly add 1 or 2 extra tracks and/or custom sector
        counts. The 2M program uses sliding sectors, varying the density
        as the physical disk/track size changes, when it Creates anyway.

        Only 81 Tracks x 9 Sectors/Trk = 729 using common values , so
        I'm obviously making a best guess above.

--
Be well,

 : Ben   aka cMech    http://bellsouthpwp.net/c/m/cmech617/
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