User`s guide

FORMAT
Checking Foreground Before Formatting
If you try to format a volume while a foreground job is loaded, RT–11 displays the
message:
Foreground Loaded.
<dev:>/FORMAT-Are you sure?
Type Y
RETURN
to continue with the formatting operation. Type N
RETURN
or press
CTRL/C
to abort the operation.
NOTE
Although you can format or verify a volume while a
foreground job is loaded, Digital does not recommend
this. If you format or verify a volume that the
foreground job is using, data on the volume will
be written over and corrupted, which can cause the
foreground job or the system to crash.
Formatting a Volume Containing Protected Files
If you try to format a volume that contains protected files, RT–11 displays the
message:
Volume contains protected files; Are you sure?
Type Y
RETURN
to continue the formatting operation. Type N
RETURN
or press
CTRL/C
to abort the operation.
Formatting RX33 Diskettes
Formatting RX33 diskettes requires an RX33 diskette drive and an RQDX3
controller of at least microcode revision 2.
If you attempt to format an RX33 diskette and your DU controller is not an RQDX3,
FORMAT returns the error message, ?FORMAT-F-Device invalid or not supported
by FORMAT. If you attempt to format an RX33 diskette and your RQDX3 controller
is below microcode revision 2, FORMAT returns the error message, ?FORMAT-
F-Operation unsupported on old micro-code revision. Contact your local Digital
customer services representative to update your RQDX3 controller.
The RQDX3 controller is locked during the formatting and is unavailable to any other
device on that controller. Therefore, you cannot perform I/O to any other device on
that controller while you are formatting an RX33 diskette.
If you attempt to format an RX50 diskette in an RX33 diskette drive, FORMAT
returns the following query <device> is an RX50 volume/FORMAT-Are you sure?
Do not format single-sided quad-density RX50 diskettes in the RX33 diskette drive.
However, you can format double-sided high-density diskettes previously formatted
as RX50s in the RX33 diskette drive.
RX33 and RX50 diskettes are physically similar. Use the color of the metal diskette
oxide surface to distinguish them from each other. RX33 diskettes have a black oxide
RT–11 Command Descriptions 125