Unable to Format Floppy Without a Local Hard Drive on Networks (69973)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 3.0
  • Microsoft Windows 3.0a
  • Microsoft Windows 3.1
  • Microsoft Windows 3.11
This article was previously published under Q69973

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.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:7/7/2005
Keywords:KB69973
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