HD floppies won’t format on SE Superdrive

[onabeach]

Whenever I try to format a number of different 1.44 HD floppies, the initialization fails on all three drives. The Mac is a SE dual internal floppy Superdrive model, with a third external floppy drive. I have been able to format a double sided disk. It boots up ok (a bit slow) using a DD or HD sys 6.08 floppy. Tried different 6.08 systems. Could I have incorrect/defective floppy drives, cables (red or yellow), ROM, etc? Should I reset the PRAM (how)? Thanks for your help.

 

[Realitystorm]

Whenever I try to format a number of different 1.44 HD floppies, the initialization fails on all three drives. The Mac is a SE dual internal floppy Superdrive model, with a third external floppy drive. I have been able to format a double sided disk. It boots up ok (a bit slow) using a DD or HD sys 6.08 floppy. Tried different 6.08 systems. Could I have incorrect/defective floppy drives, cables (red or yellow), ROM, etc? Should I reset the PRAM (how)? Thanks for your help.

The SE only supports 800k, the SE FDHD support 1.44, which do you have?

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_classic/specs/mac_se.html

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/mac_classic/specs/mac_se_fdhd.html

 

[onabeach]

Solved? I reset the PRAM (shift-option-command then open control pannel) and it seamed to fix the formating problems.

The two internal drives are 1.44k drives; the external is an 800k drive.

 

[cheesestraws]

The SE only supports 800k, the SE FDHD support 1.44, which do you have?

The FDHD was rebranded as the 'SuperDrive' in some places/at some times...

The two internal drives are 1.44k drives

... but I didn't realise there was a dual floppy version!

 

[ScutBoy]

I think all SE boards have the headers for two floppy drives. If the board has the FDHD ROMs and SWIM, there's no reason you can't have two 1.44 drives in there, and shoehorn a hard drive in as well.

 

[bibilit]

Yes, IIRC, all of them had twin connectors. 

Giving the opportunity to offer a low budget SE if required (without hard drive) or upgrade afterwards (external hard drive)

yes, a twin floppy can have also an internal hard drive, but only if you can find a thin unit and bracket to suit. 

 

[cheesestraws]

Sorry, yes, I knew they had both connectors.  I just didn't know the FDHD had shipped with two floppies.  Though the amount I don't know about compact mac specs is vast, so

 

[onabeach]

UPDATE: looks like resetting the PRAM was not the solution to my floppy formatting failure frustration. I believe now it was several bad system disks that I was using. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[LaPorta]

Sorry, yes, I knew they had both connectors.  I just didn't know the FDHD had shipped with two floppies.  Though the amount I don't know about compact mac specs is vast, so

A few months ago, a member here showed photos he had of an SE FDHD with dual 1.4s internally, AND a box that clearly had a sticker stating that it had dual 1.4s. I was unaware of this as well, but it appears to have been a legit option from the factory.