Article: Q75131Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating SystemVersion(s): MS-DOS:1.x,2.x,3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22Operating 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=======By using DRIVER.SYS and/or the DRIVPARM command in the CONFIG.SYS file, you canselect a variety of floppy disk formats for use with MS-DOS. The tables belowdescribe the standard floppy disk formats supported by various versions ofMS-DOS and show the switches used for DRIVER.SYS and FORMAT.EXE.MORE INFORMATION================The tables below include information on the following:  Number of heads (sides)  Number of cylinders (tracks)  Number of sectors per track  Total number of sectors  Number of free sectors  Number of sectors per cluster  Total number of clusters  Number of sectors per FAT (file allocation table)  Number of FAT copies  Number of root directory sectors  Number of reserved sectors  Number of hidden sectors  Number of bytes per sector  Number of bytes per cluster  Number of root directory entries  The media descriptor byte for each format  What recording density was used to create the floppy disk  Under what MS-DOS version this format was first supported  What parameter to use with DRIVER.SYS for this format  What parameter to use with FORMAT.EXE for this format  Whether or not the changed-diskette line is supportedNOTES-----1. The switches shown for DRIVER.SYS can also be used for DRIVPARM. Example: The  line "Device=C:\DOS\DRIVER.SYS /D:1 /F:9 /C" in the CONFIG.SYS file specifies  that floppy disk drive B is a 2.88-megabyte (MB) 3.5-inch floppy disk drive  that supports the changed-diskette line.  Example: The line "DRIVPARM=/D:1 /F:9 /C" in the CONFIG.SYS file specifies  that the floppy disk drive B is a 2.88-MB 3.5-inch floppy disk drive that  supports the Change line.  Example: The command "FORMAT B: /F:720" formats a double-sided double-density  720K floppy disk in a 1.44-MB or 2.88-MB 3.5-inch floppy disk drive that is  installed in the computer as floppy disk drive B.2. The following charts refer to "Clusters," whereas MS-DOS 5.0 and later refer  to "Allocation Units." These two terms are equivalent and describe the same  data structure.3. Multiple formats with the same DRIVER.SYS switch is NOT an error.4. Multiple formats with the same media descriptor byte does NOT indicate an  error.5. Valid media descriptor bytes for MS-DOS are listed below:     Byte   Capacity   Media Size and Type     ---------------------------------------------------     F0     2.88 MB    3.5-inch, 2-sided, 36-sector     F0     1.44 MB    3.5-inch, 2-sided, 18-sector     F9     720K       3.5-inch, 2-sided, 9-sector     F9     1.2 MB     5.25-inch, 2-sided, 15-sector     FD     360K       5.25-inch, 2-sided, 9-sector     FF     320K       5.25-inch, 2-sided, 8-sector     FC     180K       5.25-inch, 1-sided, 9-sector     FE     160K       5.25-inch, 1-sided, 8-sector     FE     250K       8-inch, 1-sided, single-density     FD     500K       8-inch, 2-sided, single-density     FE     1.2 MB     8-inch, 2-sided, double-density     F8     -----      Fixed disk6. Both track and cylinder numbers are zero-based. For example, 360K 5.25-inch  floppy disks have 40 tracks numbered 0 through 39. Similarly, head numbers  and side numbers are also zero-based. For example, 360K 5.25-inch floppy  disks have sides 0 and 1 (corresponding to heads 0 and 1). However sectors  are one-based. For example, 360K 5.25-inch floppy disks have sectors numbered  1 through 9.Standard Floppy Disk Formats Supported by MS-DOS------------------------------------------------3.5 InchFormatted Capacity      720K    1.44 MB   2.88 MB-------------------------------------------------# of Heads (Sides)         2         2         2# of Cyls (Tracks)        80        80        80# of Sectors/Track         9        18        36Total # of Sectors      1440      2880      5760# of Free Sectors       1426      2847      5726# Sectors/Cluster          2         1         2Total # of Clusters      713      2847      2863# Sectors/FAT              3         9         9# of FAT Copies            2         2         2# of Root Dir Sectors      7        14        15# Reserved Sectors         1         1         1# of Hidden Sectors        0         0         0# of Bytes/Sector        512       512       512# of Bytes/Cluster      1024       512      1024# Root Dir Entries       112       224       240Media Descriptor          F9        F0        F0Recorded Density      Double      High      HighMS-DOS Version Began    3.20      3.30      5.00DRIVER.SYS Switch       /F:2      /F:7      /F:9FORMAT.EXE Switch     /F:720   /F:1.44   /F:2.88Change-Line Support      YES       YES       YES5.25 InchFormatted Capacity      160K     180K     320K     360K   1.2 MB----------------------------------------------------------------# of Heads (Sides)         1        1        2        2         2# of Cyls (Tracks)        40       40       40       40        80# of Sectors/Track         8        9        8        9        15Total # of Sectors       320      360      640      720      2400# of Free Sectors        313      351      630      708      2371# Sectors/Cluster          1        1        2        2         1Total # of Clusters      313      351      315      354      2371# of Sectors/FAT           1        2        1        2         7# of FAT Copies            2        2        2        2         2# of Root Dir Sectors      4        4        7        7        14# Reserved Sectors         1        1        1        1         1# of Hidden Sectors        0        0        0        0         0# of Bytes/Sector        512      512      512      512       512# of Bytes/Cluster       512      512     1024     1024       512# Root Dir Entries        64       64      112      112       224Media Descriptor          FE       FC       FF       FD        F9Recorded Density      Double   Double   Double   Double      HighMS-DOS Version Began    1.00     2.00     1.10     2.00      3.00DRIVER.SYS Switch       /F:0     /F:0     /F:0     /F:0      /F:1FORMAT.EXE Switch     /F:160   /F:180   /F:320   /F:360    /F:1.2Change-Line Support       NO       NO       NO       NO       YES8-InchFormatted Capacity      250K     500K    1.2 MB-----------------------------------------------# of Heads (Sides)         1        2        2# of Cyls (Tracks)        77       77       77# of Sectors/Track        26       26        8Total # of Sectors      2002     4004     1232# of Bytes/Sector        128      128     1024# of Bytes/Cluster       512      512     1024# Sectors/Cluster          4        4        1Total # of Clusters      497      997     1227# Reserved Sectors         1        4        1# of Hidden Sectors        3        0        0# Sectors/FAT              6        6        2# of FAT Copies            2        2        2# Root Dir Entries        68       68      192Media Descriptor          FE       FD       FERecorded Density      Single   Single   DoubleMS-DOS Version Began    1.00     2.00     2.00Change-Line Support       NO       NO       NOAdditional query words: 6.22 1.00 1.10 2.00 3.00 3.20 3.21 3.30 3.30a 4.00 4.01 4.01a 5.00 5.00a 6.00 6.20======================================================================Keywords          :  Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS321 kbMSDOS400 kbMSDOS1xSearch kbMSDOS320 kbMSDOS330a kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS310 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS330 kbMSDOS401 kbMSDOS500a kbMSDOS211Version           : MS-DOS:1.x,2.x,3.x,4.x,5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22=============================================================================