Unable to Format Floppy Without a Local Hard Drive on Networks

Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
Article ID: Q69973

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

SYMPTOMS

If you are on a network and do not have a hard drive, you cannot format a floppy disk from Microsoft Windows File Manager.

File Manager returns the error message:

   Format Diskette Error

   Unable to format diskette

CAUSE

File Manager requires that a hard drive formatted with 512 bytes per sector be present to be able to format a floppy disk.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem issue the FORMAT command from the MS-DOS command prompt.

KBCategory: kbnetwork kbusage kbtool
KBSubcategory: win30 win31
Additional reference words: 3.00 3.0 3.0a 3.00a 3.10 3.11 win30
diskless workstation

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Last reviewed: November 21, 1994
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