User`s guide

Apple II Csa2 FAQs: Diskettes, Part 7/25 Note from archiver<at>cs.uu.nl: This
page is part of a big collection of Usenet postings, archived here for your
convenience. For matters concerning the content of this page, please contact its
author(s); use the source, if all else fails. For matters concerning the archive
as a whole, please refer to the archive description or contact the archiver.
Subject: Apple II Csa2 FAQs: Diskettes, Part 7/25
This article was archived around: 07 Jun 2009 08:31:47 GMT
All FAQs in Directory: apple2/faq
All FAQs posted in: comp.sys.apple2
Source: Usenet Version
Archive-name: apple2/faq/part7
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 2009/06/01
URL: http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs1START.html
The comp.sys.apple2 Usenet newsgroup Apple II FAQs originate from
the II Computing Apple II site, 1997-2009.
Csa2 FAQs file ref: Csa2DSKETTE.txt rev135 June 2009
Diskettes
001- How many tracks can I use on a 5.25" diskette?
002- Can I use high-density 3.5" and 5.25" diskettes on my A2?
003- How can I tell DD from HD diskettes if they are not labeled?
004- Some old 5.25" disks with splotches don't boot. What gives?
005- How can I defragment a diskette and what is the speed gain?
006- Why aren't my old diskettes recognized by GS/OS?
007- Can I read Apple II diskettes on my PC?
008- Where the heck can I buy double density 3.5" & 5.25" diskettes?
009- Where can I find out about different floppy disk formats?
010- How can I copy disks?
011- How can I read Apple II 5.25" floppies on a Mac?
012- Can I create standard 3.5" IIgs diskettes on a Mac?
013- Can I transfer files on MS-DOS disks to my IIgs?
From: Rubywand
001- How many tracks can I use on a 5.25" diskette? So
far, I've heard 35, 36, and 40. What's the actual number?
The standard number of tracks on a 5.25" diskette is set by DOS 3.3 and
ProDOS at 35, numbered 0-34 ($00-$22 in hexadecimal).
The original Disk ][ drive can usually handle 36 tracks with no problem.
Newer 5.25" drives can handle 40 tracks.
Various modified versions of DOS 3.3 allow using 36 tracks and a few allow
using 40 tracks. These mods, especially the 36-track versions, were fairly
popular before the advent of 3.5" diskettes when an extra track made a noticable
difference in capacity. However, unless the extra capacity is vital for some