07.001 How many tracks can I use on a 5.25" diskette? So far, I've heard 35, 36, and 40. What's the actual number?
Description
This article is from the Apple II Csa2 FAQ, by Jeff Hurlburt with numerous contributions by others.
07.001 How many tracks can I use on a 5.25" diskette? So far, I've heard 35, 36, and 40. What's the actual number?
By: Rubywand
The standard number of tracks on a 5.25" diskette is set by DOS 3.3 and
ProDOS at 35, numbered 0-34 ($00-$22 in hexadecimal).
The original Disk ][ drive can usually handle 36 tracks with no problem.
Newer 5.25" drives can handle 40 tracks.
Various modified versions of DOS 3.3 allow using 36 tracks and a few allow
using 40 tracks. These mods, especially the 36-track versions, were fairly
popular before the advent of 3.5" diskettes when an extra track made a
noticable difference in capacity. However, unless the extra capacity is vital
for some specific application, it is best to stick with 35 tracks in order to
retain full compatibility with disk utilities (such as Copy II Plus) and other
wares.
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