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- SF (Safe Format)
-
- Description: Formats a disk. This command provides options that let you
- format a disk without destroying information you can later use
- to recover files.
-
- Syntax: Version 4.5: SF [(drive:)] [/A] [/B | /S] [/BW] [/C] [/D]
- [/D0 | /D1] [/NOSNOW] [/Q] [/V:(label)] [/1 |
- /4 | /8 | /(size) | [ /N:(n) /T:(n)]]
-
- Parameters:
-
- (drive:) The single-letter specifier (A:, B:, C:, etc.) for the drive
- you want to format. Follow the letter with a colon. If you do
- not specify a drive on the command line, a menu appears that
- prompts you to select a drive.
-
- /A Indicates automatic mode. To use this switch, you must specify
- the (drive:) parameter. If you include this switch, SF begins
- formatting without presenting you with a menu you use to
- change options. Use this switch if you run the command from a
- batch file. If you use this switch, /BW, /D0, /D1, and /NOSNOW
- are functional because SF displays a work-in-progress screen.
-
-
- /B Leaves space for system files but does not copy them.
-
- /BW Specifies a black-and-white display.
-
- /C Performs a Complete Format, which includes reformatting
- unusable sectors. You can use this switch only when running SF
- against a floppy drive.
-
- /D Performs a standard MS-DOS format. Note that when you include
- this switch, data on a floppy drive is erased and cannot be
- recovered.
-
- /D0 Requests the standard screen driver (default) for a fully
- IBM-compatible computer system. This switch also sets the /D
- switch.
-
- /D1 Requests the screen driver for a BIOS-compatible computer
- system. This switch also sets the /D switch.
-
- /N:(n) Specifies the number of sectors per track. The values that are
- valid for (n) are 8, 9, 15, and 18. If you use /N:(n), you
- must also use the /T:(n) switch.
-
-
-
-
- /NOSNOW Prevents screen flicker if your system has an older CGA card.
-
- /Q Performs a Quick Format, which rewrites only the system area
- and does not erase any part of the data area.
-
- /S Copies the system files to the disk. This makes the disk
- bootable.
-
- /T:(n) Specifies the number of tracks for a floppy disk. The values
- that are valid for (n) are 40 and 80. If you use /T:(n), you
- must also use the /N:(n) switch.
-
- /V:(label) Specifies the 1-to-11-character string SF writes as the volume
- label when the format is complete.
-
- /1 Specifies single-sided floppy disk format.
-
- /4 Formats a 360-KB floppy disk in a 1.2-MB drive.
-
- /8 Formats eight sectors per track.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- /(size) Specifies the amount of data you can put on a floppy disk. The
- sizes that are valid for a 5-1/4-inch disk include 160, 180,
- 320, 360, and 1200. The sizes that are valid for a 3-1/2-inch
- disk are 720 and 1440.
-
- Notes:
-
- If you use either the Safe Format mode or the Complete Format mode, the
- information the FR (Format Recover) command needs is saved on the disk before
- SF begins formatting. If the disk you want to format contains data, SF
- prompts you to verify that you want to format the disk before proceeding.
-
- If you did not use command line switches to set the format options or if you
- used the switches to set incorrect options, use the menu selections to set
- the options before you select Begin Format from the left side of the menu.
-
- See <NUFR>, <NUNU>, <NUQU>+,<NUUD>.
-
-