Copyright: Copyright 1993 by New-Ware


Introduction

This is the FormatMaster for Windows (FMW) help file.  It is designed to assist you in the operation of FMW by providing explanatory text for each FMW function.

FMW is a Windows 3.1 utility that is designed to make formatting 5 1/4" and 3«" disks fast and easy.

The main display contains all the options settings and controls necessary to rapidly format a disk.  Most floppy disk drives today support both low and hig capacity diskettes.

Each of the two supported drives, A and B, are represented by a radio button [image].

FMW has a check box  [image]  for each of the two supported drives.

Formatting options are controlled by a series of seven check boxes.  An option is active if it is checked when the formatting operation commences.  Click on the boxes below for specific information on each option.

  Add Label

 Add Serial

 Transfer System

 Force Full

  No Fmt Warning

 Incr Serial Num

 Both Drives

FMW commands are activated by pressing one of the nine Action Buttons or through the FMW menu system.  Click on one of the following Action Buttons for help on how that button operates:

  Format Button

 Quick Button

 Check Disk Button

 View Button

 Lbl Button

 Cfg Button

 Abort Button

 Help Button

 Exit Button

The FMW.INI File

The FMW.INI file is a standard Windows initialization file that can be edited with any text editor.  This file is read when FMW is started and thus the individual settings in the file control the FMW options and default drive settings.  FMW.INI may be located in the same directory with FMW.EXE or in you Windows directory.

Most of the FMW.INI file settings are self-explanatory.  One that might not be is the Foreground= item.  FMW can be use to format disks in the background while you are operating in another task.  If the value for this setting is too low, your foreground program operation will be to slow.  Making the setting higher gives more time to the foreground task and making it smaller gives less time.  The default setting is 40.

Forcing a Full Format

When called upon to format a previously formatted diskette, FMW (like DOS) does not perform an actual format as is performed on a fresh unformatted diskette.  Instead, it verifies the diskette track-by-track and then initializes the diskette by clearing the file allocation table (FAT) and root directory area.  Check the [image] Force Full box to force FMW to perform a full format/verify operation.

Making a Bootable Diskette

There are two ways FMW will make a bootable diskette for you.  One is the standard method of transferring the DOS system files to the target diskette.  Check the [image] Transfer System box to do that.  The other method results in a non-system diskette that will pass the boot sequence on to Drive C: even though it has no system files and is in drive A: with the door closed when the boot sequence starts.  Use the Make Bootable Floppy item on the Extra menu to do this.

Copyright 1993, all rights reserved:

New-Ware

8050 Camino Kiosco

San Diego, CA 92122

(619) 455-6225


Check this box to add the label that is currently in the Volume Label line editor.  The label will be added to the disk after a format operations.


Checking this box automatically checks the Add Label box because FMW uses the volume label for the serial number.  The number in the b serial Number line editor will be added to the label.  For example, if the label is set to "NUM-" and the serial Number editor contains 112, FMW will add "NUM-112" as the target disk label.


Check this box if you wish FMW to make a system bootable disk of the target diskette.  This will result in the system files IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM being transferred to the target diskette.


You may elect to fully format a previously formatted diskette by checking this box.  FMW will format each track instead of verifying it. In this case, all diskette data will be lost.


If this box is not checked, FMW will warn you if a disk you are about to format contains data.


Check this box if you wish to increment (add 1) to the defined serial number each time a diskette is formatted.


If you desire to alternately format both of your drives (A & B), check this box.  FMW will format one and then the other.  You MUST change disks in the non-active drive while the active drive is formatting because FMW will give you no warning.


This button activates the FMW standard format operation on the target drive.


FMW offers a quick format option that formats a previoulsy formatted diskette somewhat faster than normal.  Instead of formatting/verifying the target diskette, FMW clears the system data area of the diskette, thus essentially erasing all directories/files on the diskette very quickly.


This command is similar to the DOS ChkDsk command.  A window appears that contains the disk information pertinent to the target drive.


This button allows you to view the contents of the target diskette. You may use this button to examine the directory and/or file structure of the target diskette.


You may elect to use this button to add a volume label to the target diskette.  This function does no formatting and thus requires that the target diskette be formatted.


This button will cause FMW to update the FMW.INI file to reflect all the current options settings.


Use the Abort Button to halt the format of a diskette anywhere during the format process.


Either the F1 Key or the Help Button may be used to pop-up this help window.


Press the Exit Button to end your session with FMW.


If the Hi Cap box adjacent to the target drive is checked, FMW will format the disk in that drive in the drive's high capacity format. If the box is not checked, then the disk will be formatted as a low capacity disk.


The target disk for all AMW operations is set by pushing one of the two radio buttons.  The disk capacity will be set according to the state of of the corresponding Hi Cap check box.