Q81283: Replacement Utilities for MS-DOS FORMAT
Article: Q81283
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:1.x,2.x,3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s):
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 1.x, 2.11, 3.1, 3.2, 3.21, 3.3, 3.3a, 4.0, 4.01, 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY
=======
Third-party utilities, such as Norton Utilities by Symantec and PC Tools by
Central Point Software, give you the option of choosing an alternative method of
formatting hard disks and floppy disks.
These utilities rename the FORMAT utility that comes with MS-DOS. If you are
using one of these third-party utilities and you invoke the FORMAT command, you
are probably formatting with that third-party utility.
To use the MS-DOS FORMAT utility, change to the MS-DOS directory and use the
XXFORMAT or FORMAT! command.
MORE INFORMATION
================
Both Norton Utilities version 6.0 and PC Tools version 7.0 open a graphical
dialog box that gives you formatting options, in contrast to MS-DOS, where
options are text based. Other utilities and versions of these products may or
may not produce graphical dialog boxes, but the messages displayed differ from
those that MS-DOS displays.
Norton Utilities renames the MS-DOS FORMAT utility to XXFORMAT.*., and PC Tools
changes the name to FORMAT!.*. For example, if your version of MS-DOS has a
FORMAT.EXE file, it is renamed to XXFORMAT.EXE or FORMAT!.EXE; if you have a
FORMAT.COM file, it is renamed to XXFORMAT.COM or FORMAT!.COM.)
If you want all future FORMAT commands to be the MS-DOS version of FORMAT, you
can rename it to FORMAT.* from its present name, or retrieve it from the
original MS-DOS floppy disk set. Microsoft also recommends that the MS-DOS
directory be placed in the path before any other utility, or the alternative
(third-party) FORMAT utility may be inadvertently used.
If PC Tools is installed after Norton Utilities, PC Tools also renames the FORMAT
utility associated with Norton Utilities, and any other FORMAT program on the
hard drive(s) to FORMAT!.*.
The products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft;
we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance
or reliability.
Additional query words: 6.22 Safe Format, PCFormat 1.00 1.10 2.10 2.11 3.00 3.10 3.20 3.21 3.30 4.00 4.01 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20 PCTools 3rdparty
======================================================================
Keywords :
Technology : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS1xSearch kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS401 kbMSDOS500a kbMSDOS211
Version : MS-DOS:1.x,2.x,3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22
=============================================================================
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.