Usually IMD will reformat the track (this alone might be helpful) before writing it but the first sector is always the one after index pulse. Interleave won't change that and I'm also not sure what can be done with the advanced options either.

The problem with floppies, if there really is surface damage on track 0, is that every sector there is used for something and must be good. Unlike on HDDs were the partition table starts at least one track above first sector, so that all other sectors on the first track are in fact unused - and could be for example made to spoof a damaged first sector if only there was an easy way to change the formatted sector IDs by hand. But this is very OT.

Easy with IMGDisk. Use the Erase Disk functionality. Do it a couple of time then go back to DOS and do FORMAT A: /U /F:1.2
If the disk has any life in it, this will make it work. If it's damaged (check the media if it has discoloration or stripes), then it's game over.

keenmaster486 said what i think is reason. Probably You didn't set right type of FDD in BIOS!

wbahnassi wrote on 2024-07-02, 19:41:

Easy with IMGDisk. Use the Erase Disk functionality. Do it a couple of time then go back to DOS and do FORMAT A: /U /F:1.2
If the disk has any life in it, this will make it work. If it's damaged (check the media if it has discoloration or stripes), then it's game over.

Hi how do I go about using the erase disk functionality what is imgdisk I haven’t heard of this before

It's a program called ImageDisk, or IMD in short. While it can do some nice things it's a rather advanced program for creating sector-based floppy images. Frankly I think you'd find it rather frustrating to use, what with all the options that need to be set in it before it can be even used properly. Feel free to try but if you are going to hunt down more software then I think trying FDFORMAT first would be way easier.

Download ImageDisk from here:
http://dunfield.classiccmp.org/img/

Now the steps are from my muscle memory, so I might forget something:

1. Run IMD.COM
2. Dismiss the intro help text (press ESC)
3. Press space to modify options
4. Make sure Cylinders are 80 (1.2MB disks)
5. Set Sides to Two
6. Set Double-Step to False
7. Press ESC to leave the options
8. Navigate to Erase Disk and press Enter
9. Insert your disk in drive A and start the process

Erasing is going to blindly write a full-track single-sector on each cylinder. This will erase metadata in-between the standard IBM format sectors and the disk will basically become in "Unformatted" state.
I personally use this to revive disks which got "soft-damaged". I repeat the erase a few times. Once done, go back to DOS and try formatting again, and force the format using the /F parameter. Hopefully your Track 0 error will go.

wbahnassi wrote on 2024-07-03, 09:03:

Download ImageDisk from here: http://dunfield.classiccmp.org/img/ […]
Show full quote

Download ImageDisk from here:
http://dunfield.classiccmp.org/img/

Now the steps are from my muscle memory, so I might forget something:

1. Run IMD.COM
2. Dismiss the intro help text (press ESC)
3. Press space to modify options
4. Make sure Cylinders are 80 (1.2MB disks)
5. Set Sides to Two
6. Set Double-Step to False
7. Press ESC to leave the options
8. Navigate to Erase Disk and press Enter
9. Insert your disk in drive A and start the process

Erasing is going to blindly write a full-track single-sector on each cylinder. This will erase metadata in-between the standard IBM format sectors and the disk will basically become in "Unformatted" state.
I personally use this to revive disks which got "soft-damaged". I repeat the erase a few times. Once done, go back to DOS and try formatting again, and force the format using the /F parameter. Hopefully your Track 0 error will go.

Hi I downloaded the program I’ve tried following your instructions but when I press space bar it just makes a noise
I’m not Shure how to get to format disc option I have tried a few options and I just get a error message ive sent a picture of the error message I get

Check if you set correct BIOS settings and can still read good know floppies.

kotel wrote on 2024-07-04, 12:56:

Check if you set correct BIOS settings and can still read good know floppies.

Hi in my bios I have 5.25 floppy assignd to a and my 3,14 disc drive assigned to b my 5.25
Floppy disc drive reads disks ok but won’t format blank disks

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-04, 06:54:

Hi I downloaded the program I’ve tried following your instructions but when I press space bar it just makes a noise
I’m not Shure how to get to format disc option I have tried a few options and I just get a error message ive sent a picture of the error message I get

Heh? Seems to me you didn't even get into ImageDisk at all. The program has a red/blue screen similar to this:

You get into this by running IMD.COM. Once there, the rest of my steps should apply.

wbahnassi wrote on 2024-07-05, 10:50:

Heh? Seems to me you didn't even get into ImageDisk at all. The program has a red/blue screen similar to this: https://d4.altern […]
Show full quote

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-04, 06:54:

Hi I downloaded the program I’ve tried following your instructions but when I press space bar it just makes a noise
I’m not Shure how to get to format disc option I have tried a few options and I just get a error message ive sent a picture of the error message I get

Heh? Seems to me you didn't even get into ImageDisk at all. The program has a red/blue screen similar to this:

You get into this by running IMD.COM. Once there, the rest of my steps should apply.

Hi I actually got that screen when I started the program but when I followed your steps and tried pressing space bar it just makes a beeping noise and I can’t seem to change the settings and I’m not Shure what part of the program I use to format
The floppy disc

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-05, 11:17:

wbahnassi wrote on 2024-07-05, 10:50:

Heh? Seems to me you didn't even get into ImageDisk at all. The program has a red/blue screen similar to this: https://d4.altern […]
Show full quote

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-04, 06:54:

Hi I downloaded the program I’ve tried following your instructions but when I press space bar it just makes a noise
I’m not Shure how to get to format disc option I have tried a few options and I just get a error message ive sent a picture of the error message I get

Heh? Seems to me you didn't even get into ImageDisk at all. The program has a red/blue screen similar to this:

You get into this by running IMD.COM. Once there, the rest of my steps should apply.

Hi I actually got that screen when I started the program but when I followed your steps and tried pressing space bar it just makes a beeping noise and I can’t seem to change the settings and I’m not Shure what part of the program I use to format
The floppy disc also I’m running the image disc program from a 3 and a quarter disc is that ok

wbahnassi wrote on 2024-07-05, 10:50:

Heh? Seems to me you didn't even get into ImageDisk at all. The program has a red/blue screen similar to this: https://d4.altern […]
Show full quote

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-04, 06:54:

Hi I downloaded the program I’ve tried following your instructions but when I press space bar it just makes a noise
I’m not Shure how to get to format disc option I have tried a few options and I just get a error message ive sent a picture of the error message I get

Heh? Seems to me you didn't even get into ImageDisk at all. The program has a red/blue screen similar to this:

You get into this by running IMD.COM. Once there, the rest of my steps should apply.

Hi I don’t suppose you would have a link to a video of how to use the program as I’ve looked on YouTube and can’t seem to find any

What was your search query on YT?

wbahnassi wrote on 2024-07-05, 12:04:

What was your search query on YT?

Hi the search query was how to use the disk image program or image disk program video tutorial if there is one

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-05, 10:01:

Hi in my bios I have 5.25 floppy assignd to a and my 3,14 disc drive assigned to b my 5.25
Floppy disc drive reads disks ok but won’t format blank disks

The first drive on the cable (the one connected to the end) is always the A drive. The second (the one connected in the middle) is always the B drive. You cannot assign drive letters in the BIOS. All you can do is tell the BIOS which drive is connected to which connector on the cable. Check which drive is connected where, and update the BIOS to reflect that.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-07-05, 19:44:

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-05, 10:01:

Hi in my bios I have 5.25 floppy assignd to a and my 3,14 disc drive assigned to b my 5.25
Floppy disc drive reads disks ok but won’t format blank disks

The first drive on the cable (the one connected to the end) is always the A drive. The second (the one connected in the middle) is always the B drive. You cannot assign drive letters in the BIOS. All you can do is tell the BIOS which drive is connected to which connector on the cable. Check which drive is connected where, and update the BIOS to reflect that.

And also there is probably more than one option in BIOS on 5.25 FDD in size. Be sure You did check the right size!

butjer1010 wrote on 2024-07-06, 09:43:

keenmaster486 wrote on 2024-07-05, 19:44:

jude1977 wrote on 2024-07-05, 10:01:

Hi in my bios I have 5.25 floppy assignd to a and my 3,14 disc drive assigned to b my 5.25
Floppy disc drive reads disks ok but won’t format blank disks

The first drive on the cable (the one connected to the end) is always the A drive. The second (the one connected in the middle) is always the B drive. You cannot assign drive letters in the BIOS. All you can do is tell the BIOS which drive is connected to which connector on the cable. Check which drive is connected where, and update the BIOS to reflect that.

And also there is probably more than one option in BIOS on 5.25 FDD in size. Be sure You did check the right size!

Hi I’ve checked both my drives and how they’re connected and the settings in bios are correct according to how the drives are connected as far as I know and the 5.25 fdd size is set to 1.2 my floppy disk drive is a 1.2 size

[/quote]
Hi I’ve checked both my drives and how they’re connected and the settings in bios are correct according to how the drives are connected as far as I know and the 5.25 fdd size is set to 1.2 my floppy disk drive is a 1.2 size
[/quote]

Do You know the model of this FDD? You checked it is 1.2MB? Sorry if i'm boring, but this was my problem once (unable to format, read ok), when i didn't set right option in BIOS. 😀

butjer1010 wrote on 2024-07-06, 16:02:

Hi I’ve checked both my drives and how they’re connected and the settings in bios are correct according to how the drives are connected as far as I know and the 5.25 fdd size is set to 1.2 my floppy disk drive is a 1.2 size
[/quote]

Do You know the model of this FDD? You checked it is 1.2MB? Sorry if i'm boring, but this was my problem once (unable to format, read ok), when i didn't set right option in BIOS. 😀
[/quote]

Hi your not being boring I’m grateful for any help on this topic the brand of fdd is Tandon and the seller I brought it of on eBay
Says it’s a 1.2 model I’ve set it on 1.2 in bios but yes the brand of fdd is definitely Tandon he says