Hello Everyone,

This is going to be a short Guide for all the users out there who use Commodore 1581 Disk Drives, but are having a difficult time finding usable disks.

Also, I just thought of this. This may also work for Commodore Amiga 3.5 Disk Drives that still use the 720KB/800KB capacity Disks. I don't own an Amiga so I can not test this theory.

I was wondering where I could get more disks for my 1581 when my dad suggested that I cover one of the holes on a standard 1.44MB disk & see if it would Format the Disk. I have a ton of the 1.44 MB Disks & very few of the 720KB/800KB Disks that the 1581 uses normally. So I covered the side of the disk that has No Slider in it & tried to format the disk. Well, what do you know it works. My 1581 formated the disk like it was a normal disk for the drive. Granted I loose half the capacity of the Disk like this. It just doesn't bother me, Like I stated earlier I have tons of these disks (Somewhere around 4 or 5 hundred) & they are still very easy to get even with the Major Computer Makers Phasing them out of their production runs.

I'm sure some people out there have thought of this themselves. I'm also sure there are a few like me that didn't even think about this until someone suggested the idea to them.

BTW, I used a small piece of Alumium tape to cover the hole. It is a good tape that doesn't come off the disk easily & even though it is metal it is not a metal that can be magnetized so it will not mess with the drive that way. It will conduct electricity however. That's why I used just enough tape to cover both sides of the hole. I'm confident in my ability to use this tape without any accidents happening to my drive. However, you may not be, So I would recommend using an alternative tape. (Black Electrical Tape) can be used as it doesn't conduct electricity or get magnetized.

I will not be held responsible for anything that may happen to your drive if you use any of these ideas. That is all they are ideas that may help in a search for more disks for a vintage drive. Granted I have tried these Ideas and they worked for me. So in theory they should work for you. <GRIN>

Good luck to all & Happy Commodoring.