                              SF (Safe Format)

Description:   Formats a disk. This command provides options that let you
               format a disk without destroying information you can later use
               to recover files.

Syntax:        Version 4.5:   SF [(drive:)] [/A] [/B | /S] [/BW] [/C] [/D]
                              [/D0 | /D1] [/NOSNOW] [/Q] [/V:(label)] [/1 |
                              /4 | /8 | /(size) | [ /N:(n) /T:(n)]]

                                 Parameters:

(drive:)       The single-letter specifier (A:, B:, C:, etc.) for the drive
               you want to format. Follow the letter with a colon. If you do
               not specify a drive on the command line, a menu appears that
               prompts you to select a drive.

/A             Indicates automatic mode. To use this switch, you must specify
               the (drive:) parameter. If you include this switch, SF begins
               formatting without presenting you with a menu you use to
               change options. Use this switch if you run the command from a
               batch file. If you use this switch, /BW, /D0, /D1, and /NOSNOW
               are functional because SF displays a work-in-progress screen.


/B             Leaves space for system files but does not copy them.

/BW            Specifies a black-and-white display.

/C             Performs a Complete Format, which includes reformatting
               unusable sectors. You can use this switch only when running SF
               against a floppy drive.

/D             Performs a standard MS-DOS format. Note that when you include
               this switch, data on a floppy drive is erased and cannot be
               recovered.

/D0            Requests the standard screen driver (default) for a fully
               IBM-compatible computer system. This switch also sets the /D
               switch.

/D1            Requests the screen driver for a BIOS-compatible computer
               system. This switch also sets the /D switch.

/N:(n)         Specifies the number of sectors per track. The values that are
               valid for (n) are 8, 9, 15, and 18. If you use /N:(n), you
               must also use the /T:(n) switch.




/NOSNOW        Prevents screen flicker if your system has an older CGA card.

/Q             Performs a Quick Format, which rewrites only the system area
               and does not erase any part of the data area.

/S             Copies the system files to the disk. This makes the disk
               bootable.

/T:(n)         Specifies the number of tracks for a floppy disk. The values
               that are valid for (n) are 40 and 80. If you use /T:(n), you
               must also use the /N:(n) switch.

/V:(label)     Specifies the 1-to-11-character string SF writes as the volume
               label when the format is complete.

/1             Specifies single-sided floppy disk format.

/4             Formats a 360-KB floppy disk in a 1.2-MB drive.

/8             Formats eight sectors per track.







/(size)        Specifies the amount of data you can put on a floppy disk. The
               sizes that are valid for a 5-1/4-inch disk include 160, 180,
               320, 360, and 1200. The sizes that are valid for a 3-1/2-inch
               disk are 720 and 1440.

                                   Notes:

If you use either the Safe Format mode or the Complete Format mode, the
information the FR (Format Recover) command needs is saved on the disk before
SF begins formatting. If the disk you want to format contains data, SF
prompts you to verify that you want to format the disk before proceeding.

If you did not use command line switches to set the format options or if you
used the switches to set incorrect options, use the menu selections to set
the options before you select Begin Format from the left side of the menu.

See <NUFR>, <NUNU>, <NUQU>+,<NUUD>.

