Date: Wed, 23 Oct 1996 10:09:22 +0200 (IST)
From: Eli Zaretskii <eliz AT is DOT elta DOT co DOT il>
To: Simon Oke <simon AT loony DOT demon DOT co DOT uk>
Cc: djgpp AT delorie DOT com
Subject: Re: Drive Help
In-Reply-To: <199610210944.KAA00198@loony.demon.co.uk>
Message-Id: <Pine.SUN.3.91.961023100429.6813V-100000@is>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII


On Mon, 21 Oct 1996, Simon Oke wrote:

> c:\>a:
> Drive not ready--close door
> R(etry), I(gnore), F(ail), or A(bort)? f
> Invalid drive "A:"
> 
> So, the hard disk is C:, the (non-existent) floppy is A:.
> DOS still has the support loaded for it, even though the
> drive is not there. Like I said, it still boots fine.

Well, that's exactly what I meant.  This thread was started by somebody
who wanted to know about all the drives DOS knows about, even if they
aren't ready (or otherwise cannot be accessed), like when the floppy drive
is empty.  To that I replied, that if there is C:, then DOS always thinks
that A: and B: are there, because it allocates the block devices in a
linear consecutive array of structures.  So if there is C:, you don't need
to do anything to check if A: and B: are known to DOS; they always are. 
Your case just confirms what I thought.