Format Finish (PC World September 1985 Star-Dot-Star) FORMAT.COM can be made to beep each time it finishes formatting a disk. To create FMATBEEP.COM, follow the DEBUG routine below. This replaces the prompt "Format another (Y/N)?" with the word "Another?" and a beep. A>copy a:format.com a:fmatbeep.com A>debug fmatbeep.com s 100 2000 "Format another" xxxx:0F71 xxxx:0F71 46 6F 72 6D 61 74 20 61 6E 6F 74 68 65 72 20 xxxx:0F80 28 59 2F 4E 29 3F 24 0D 0A 24 49 6E 76 61 6C 69 e 0f71 "Another (Y/N)?" 07 24 -w Writing 1B00 bytes -q ----------------------------------------------------------------- Switch On (PC World Star-Dot-Star March 1985) When you format a disk with DOS 2.0 or later, you can use the /V optional parameter to have FORMAT.COM prompt you for a volume name to assign to the disk. If you use one of the patches shown below (for your particular version of DOS), FORMAT.COM will always ask for a volume name. DOS 2.0: DOS 2.1: A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM -E7C7 75 -E647 EB 08 90 90 90 90 -W -W Writing xxxx bytes Writing xxxx bytes -Q -Q DOS 3.0: A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM -EB4D EB 08 90 90 90 90 -W Writing xxxx bytes -Q ----------------------------------------------------------------- Format Fix (PC World Star-Dot-Star December 1984) The FORMAT.COM program included on the DOS disk makes it all too easy to format the hard disk inadvertently on an IBM PC/XT. The patches shown below are changes to DOS 2.0 and DOS 2.1 that will cause a return to the system prompt if any attempt is made to format a disk in a drive other than drive A: or drive B:. When making these patches, use a copy of FORMAT.COM, and insure that the display on your screen matches the listing shown here except for the "xxxx", which will be replaced by different numbers depending on the configuration of the machine. DOS 2.0: A>debug format.com -u585 xxxx:0585 BA340C MOV DX,0C34 xxxx:0588 803E3D1400 CMP BYTE PTR [143D],00 xxxx:058D 7403 JZ 0592 xxxx:058F BA740C MOV CX,0C74 xxxx:0592 E888FF CALL 051D xxxx:0595 E8A0FF CALL 0538 xxxx:0598 E893FF CALL 0531 xxxx:059B E893FF CALL 0531 xxxx:059E C3 RET xxxx:059F 8A164509 MOV DL,[0945] xxxx:05A3 FEC2 INC DL -a58f xxxx:058F int 20 xxxx:0591 nop xxxx:0592 -w Writing 1780 bytes -q DOS 2.1: A>debug format.com -u548 xxxx:0548 BAF60E MOV DX,0EF6 xxxx:054B 803EE51700 CMP BYTE PTR [17E5],00 xxxx:0550 7403 JZ 0555 xxxx:0552 BA360F MOV DX,0F36 xxxx:0555 E888FF CALL 04E0 xxxx:0558 E80700 CALL 0562 xxxx:055B E896FF CALL 04F4 xxxx:055E E893FF CALL 04F4 xxxx:0561 C3 RET xxxx:0562 B8080C MOV AX,0C08 xxxx:0565 CD21 INT 21 xxxx:0567 B8000C MOV AX,0C00 -a552 xxxx:0552 int 20 xxxx:0554 nop xxxx:0555 -w Writing 1800 bytes -q ----------------------------------------------------------------- Drive A: or Else (PC World Star-Dot-Star March 1985) Another patch to FORMAT.COM ...with this patch, FORMAT will always default to drive A: unless you specify otherwise when you execute the FORMAT command. Change the date to 12-12-2012 (which is displayed as 12-12-12) or some other easily recognizable value before you modify FORMAT.COM. That way you can look at the directory to easily determine that the original version of FORMAT.COM has not accidentally been copied onto the hard disk. DOS 2.0: DOS 2.1: A>DATE 12/12/2012 A>DATE 12/12/2012 A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM -E169 B0 00 90 90 -E174 B0 00 90 90 -W -W Writing xxxx bytes Writing xxxx bytes -Q -Q DOS 3.0: A>DATE 12/12/2012 A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM -E648 B0 00 90 90 -W Writing xxxx bytes -Q ----------------------------------------------------------------- Say What You Mean (PC World Star-Dot-Star March 1985) The following patches to FORMAT.COM require that a drive be specified before the FORMAT formats. If you type the command FORMAT without specifying a drive, the program terminates with the message "Invalid Drive Specification." DOS 2.0: DOS 2.1: A>DATE 12/12/2012 A>DATE 12/12/2012 A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM -E169 EB F5 90 90 -E191 EB D8 90 90 90 -W -W Writing xxxx bytes Writing xxxx bytes -Q -Q DOS 3.0: A>DATE 12/12/2012 A>DEBUG FORMAT.COM -E648 EB D5 90 90 -W Writing xxxx bytes -Q