mbadblocks(1)

Name
mbadblocks - tests a floppy disk, and marks the bad blocks in the FAT

Note
This manpage has been automatically generated from mtools's texinfo documentation. However, this process is only approximative, and some items, such as crossreferences, footnotes and indices are lost in this translation process. Indeed, this items have no appropriate representation in the manpage format. Moreover, only the items specific to each command have been translated, and the general information about mtools has been dropped in the manpage version. Thus I strongly advise you to use the original texinfo doc.

*   To generate a printable copy from the texinfo doc, run the following commands:

        ./configure; make dvi; dvips mtools.dvi

*   To generate a html copy, run:

        ./configure; make html

    A premade html can be found at: `http://linux.wauug.org/pub/knaff/mtools'

*   To generate an info copy (browsable using emacs' info mode), run:

        ./configure; make info

The texinfo doc looks most pretty when printed or as html. Indeed, in the info version certain examples are difficult to read due to the quoting conventions used in info.

Description

The mbadblocks command is used to scan an MS-DOS floppy and mark its unused bad blocks as bad. It uses the following syntax:

mbadblocks drive:

Mbadblocks scans an MS-DOS floppy for bad blocks. All unused bad blocks are marked as such in the FAT. This is intended to be used right after mformat. It is not intended to salvage bad disks.

Bugs
Mbadblocks should (but doesn't yet :-( ) also try to salvage bad blocks which are in use by reading them repeatedly, and then mark them bad.

See Also
Mtools' texinfo doc