Microsoft KB Archive/106141

= FORMAT and DISKCOPY Errors with Stacker 3.x =

Article ID: 106141

Article Last Modified on 5/6/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 3.3 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 4.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 5.0a
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.21 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft MS-DOS 6.22 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q106141



SYMPTOMS
If you are running STAC Electronics Stacker version 3.0 or 3.1 on your computer, you may receive the following errors when you use the MS-DOS DISKCOPY and FORMAT commands on floppy disks:

With DISKCOPY:

Formatting while copying

Drive types or diskette types not compatible

Copy process ended

Copy another diskette (Y/N)?

With FORMAT:

Existing format differs from that specified

This disk cannot be unformatted.

Proceed with format (Y,N)?

-or-

Parameter not compatible with fixed disk.

Format terminated.

-or-

Error reading partition table. Format terminated.

-or-

Extended error 21. Format terminated.



CAUSE
According to STAC Electronics, these problems are caused by Stacker's AutoMount feature. If you remove a Stacker-compressed floppy disk and insert an uncompressed disk in the same drive, you may be unable to use the MS-DOS DISKCOPY and FORMAT commands on the uncompressed disk until the drive is unmounted. In addition, a Stacker-compressed disk must first be unmounted before it can be formatted with the MS-DOS FORMAT command.



WORKAROUND
To work around these problems, first unmount the disk drive. This can be done by typing stacker -x: at the MS-DOS command prompt (where  is the letter of the floppy disk drive) or by removing the compressed floppy disk from the drive and rebooting the computer.



MORE INFORMATION
Stacker 3.0 and 3.1 are manufactured by STAC Electronics, a vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

