Commodore PC Ms-Dos 3.2 User's Manual page 130

58 MS-DOS User's Reference
Format
Format
Purpose:
Formats the disk in the specified drive to accept ms-dos files.
Syntax:
format drive:[/l][/4][/S] [/n-jxx][/t:yy][/v][/s]
or
format drive:[/l][/b][/n.xx] [lt\yy]
Comments:
The format command initializes the directory and the file alloca
tion tables on a disk. You must use this command to format all
new disks before ms-dos can use them.
When using the commands, you must specify the drive that you
want to format. Format then uses the drive type to determine the
default format for a disk.
When you format a hard disk, format prompts you to verily the
volume label:
Enter current Volume Label for drive x:
If your hard disk does not have a volume label, press the return
key. (Note: If your hard disk has never been formatted before, or
if it has a bad boot sector, format will not prompt you for a
volume label.)
If the volume label that you enter does not match the label on the
hard disk, format displays the following message:
Invalid Volume ID Format failure
U
u
KJ
Otherwise, it continues:
WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE
DRIVE x NILL BE LOST!
Proceed with Format (Y/N)?_
DISK
Using the Format
switches
If you want to format your hard disk, type Y and press the return
key. If not, type TV and press the return key.
The /I switch formats a disk for single-sided use, even if the disk
or drive is double-sided. If the drive is double-sided and you don't
specify this switch, you won't be able to use the formatted disk in
a single-sided drive.