Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 15:14:59 -0300 Message-Id: <1.5.4.16.19961023131121.379f5d18@dmeasc.rc.ipt.br> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: Eli Zaretskii , Simon Oke From: Cesar Scarpini Rabak Subject: Re: Drive Help Cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com At 10:09 23/10/96 +0200, Eli Zaretskii wrote: > >On Mon, 21 Oct 1996, Simon Oke wrote: > >> c:\>a: >> Drive not ready--close door >> R(etry), I(gnore), F(ail), or A(bort)? f >> Invalid drive "A:" >> >> So, the hard disk is C:, the (non-existent) floppy is A:. >> DOS still has the support loaded for it, even though the >> drive is not there. Like I said, it still boots fine. > >Well, that's exactly what I meant. This thread was started by somebody >who wanted to know about all the drives DOS knows about, even if they >aren't ready (or otherwise cannot be accessed), like when the floppy drive >is empty. To that I replied, that if there is C:, then DOS always thinks >that A: and B: are there, because it allocates the block devices in a >linear consecutive array of structures. So if there is C:, you don't need >to do anything to check if A: and B: are known to DOS; they always are. >Your case just confirms what I thought. > SO IMHO we are back to the initial question? What other tricks should we use to know if there is in fact a physical drive for the floppy? The way we used a time ago was to trap int 24h and try to stat the 'nul' file in A:\ (if there is any disk there, them this file exists due MS-DOG way of working. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cesar Scarpini Rabak E-mail: csrabak AT ipt DOT br DME/ASC Phone: 55-11-268-35221Ext.350 IPT - Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas Fax: 55-11-268-5996 Av. Prof. Almeida Prado, 532. Sao Paulo - SP 05508-901 BRAZIL ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~