README.TXT                                Last UpDate: 22.11.1993

Some names and terms,  may be  registered  trade  marks  of  some
corporations.

NOTE: This program distributed "AS IS".  I have no responsibility
for  possible  losing  of  data or  broken  equipment  and others
problems which may  take a place while you using this program. Of
course,  I  want  that  you will not have  a  problems  with this
product. Please, report me about any bugs and  problems of manual
or executable code!

Basic capabilities
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  - from 180 Kb to 1.74 Mb floppy formats support
  - increasing floppy pefomance up to 1.5 times
  - bootable disks on any formats
  - rebuilding damaged track
  - full compatibility with PU_1700 and 800
  - work under Windows in DOS Box
  - DESQView support
  - alternative language support
  - special bootstrup code (BOOT sector)

System requiments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  - IBM PC XT/AT
  - CGA, EGA, VGA, Hercules video display adapter
  - MS DOS 3.30 or higher
  - 200 Kb of RAM, 300 Kb recomended
  - Floppy drives from 360 Kb to 1.44 Mb (sorry, 2.88 Mb now not
    supported)

Package:
~~~~~~~~
  FFORMAT.EXE - executable module
  FFORMAT.DOC - russian documentation
  FFORMAT.PIF - .PIF file for Windows
  FFORMAT.ICO - icon for Windows
  FF_OLD.ICO  - old icon
  README.TXT  - english documentation
  REGFORM.RUS - registration form (russian)
  REGFORM.ENG - registration form (english)
  FDS.EXE     - Floppy Drives Setup

Command line options are:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    /DR  - do not load font with EGA or VGA
    /BW  - use black-and-white display mode
    /ZO  - disable exploading windows
    /SW  - enable swapping by DOS's Task Swaper
    /REG - registration menu of FFORMAT

These options may be used if you use a bad diskettes:

    /R0  - rebuild only 0 track, others damaged tracks will be
           marked as bad.
    /MT  - FF will mark track if one or more sectors on  track are
           bad. In normal mode FF will mark only damaged sectors.
           This option will decrease available space on disk, but
           may be a good adea if you havn't another way.

Discription of available formats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     360 Kb drive
     +      180 Kb  40 tracks  9 sectors 1 side
            200 Kb  40 tracks 10 sectors 1 side
     +      320 Kb  40 tracks  8 sectors
     +      360 Kb  40 tracks  9 sectors
            400 Kb  40 tracks 10 sectors
            420 Kb  42 tracks 10 sectors -
            430 Kb  43 tracks 10 sectors -

     720 Kb drive (3'5" and 5'25")
     +      720 Kb  80 tracks  9 sectors
     +      747 Kb  83 tracks  9 sectors
            800 Kb  80 tracks 10 sectors
            820 Kb  82 tracks 10 sectors -
            830 Kb  83 tracks 10 sectors -

     1.2 Mb drive
     +      180 Kb  40 tracks  9 sectors 1 side
            200 Kb  40 tracks 10 sectors 1 side
     +      320 Kb  40 tracks  8 sectors
     +      360 Kb  40 tracks  9 sectors
            400 Kb  40 tracks 10 sectors
            420 Kb  42 tracks 10 sectors
            430 Kb  43 tracks 10 sectors -
     +      720 Kb  80 tracks  9 sectors
     +      747 Kb  83 tracks  9 sectors -
            800 Kb  80 tracks 10 sectors
            820 Kb  82 tracks 10 sectors -
            830 Kb  83 tracks 10 sectors -
     +      1.2 Mb  80 tracks 15 sectors
           1.36 Mb  80 tracks 17 sectors
           1.44 Mb  80 tracks 18 sectors (*)
           1.47 Mb  82 tracks 18 sectors (*) -
           1.49 Mb  83 tracks 18 sectors (*) -

    1.44 Mb drive
    +       720 Kb  80 tracks  9 sectors
            800 Kb  80 tracks 10 sectors
            820 Kb  82 tracks 10 sectors -
            830 Kb  83 tracks 10 sectors -
    +      1.44 Mb  80 tracks 18 sectors
    +      1.52 Mb  80 tracks 19 sectors
           1.6  Mb  80 tracks 20 sectors
           1.68 Mb  80 tracks 21 sectors (*)
           1.72 Mb  82 tracks 21 sectors (*) -
           1.74 Mb  83 tracks 21 sectors (*) -


    (*) - 800 does not support these formats, but can read and
          write it
    "+" - FFORMAT support "track rebuilding"
    "-" - some disk drive does not support these formats

Registration for FFORMAT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
     FFORMAT is a ShareWare product. You are granted the right to
use  it for the  two  weeks  evaluation  period. If you find this
program of value, please complete then registration form and sent
2000   roubles  (for   Russia)  or  US   $15   (for  others)  for
registration. You will receive  a personal registration  (serial)
number.  Then you  must  run  FFORMAT  /REG  and  answer on  some
questions  -  after  it  you  will have  a  registered version of
FFORMAT.

     Please, support the ShareWare concept and you will  help the
development of FFORMAT and others product.

How you can contact with as...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     Just write a FIDO netmail to 2:5020/205.8 Alexey Shamarokov
     Send money to: Russia, 117465, Moscow, Tuleneva 29-4-165,
     Shamarokov Alexey Borisovich.

     Best regards ...
                      Alexey Shamarokov.

Copyright (C) 1992-93 by Shamarokov A.
Portions Copyright (c) 1983,90 by Borland
