cek@princeton.UUCP (Craig Kolb) (11/09/86)
(Sorry if you see this twice -- I tried canceling the previous article, but who knows...) I have a standard, boring IBM XT with a standard, boring 10M hard disk that is in desperate need of low-level formatting. I know that there is a way to do this via 'debug' and the controller, but this doesn't seem to work with my "old-style" controller. I keep seeing references to 'hdformat', however. Could somebody enlighten me/send me a copy of 'hdformat' or the equivalent? My ailing hard disk would greatly appreciate it! I'll post a followup if appropriate blahblahblah. Thanks... -- Craig Kolb UUCP: princeton!cek BITNET: 6085716@PUCC.BITNET (if you must) "Today must be thursday. I never could get the hang of thursdays."
uffe@log-hb.UUCP (Ulf Hallgren) (09/15/87)
HI, I own a Compaq portable computer with a 20MB Seagate drive. The controler is a Xebec. My question is: How do you low level format the disk. Do you have to enter debug and set up som registers and jump to a secret address ?!! Ulf Hallgren
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (09/17/87)
I just posted some info on this for a response to the posting by mechgam (C: not a valid drive). It might work for your controller as well. Just check my response to tha message. - - - - - - - - - Steve Creps on the VAX 8650 running Ultrix 2.0-1 at Indiana University. creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu Cowhand: "How 'bout some more beans, Mr. Taggert?" Taggert (Slim Pickens): "Hell, I'd say you boys have had enough already!"
jons@islenet.UUCP (Jonathan Spangler) (09/20/87)
try this:
A>debug
-g=c800:5 <--- this works for most controllers
*OR*
-g=c800:ccc <--- this works for Adaptec controllers
Your other choice here is to look at a hard disk utility called
"Disk Manager", which I've used on a number of different configurations,
including XT's, AT's, 386's; 20meg, 40meg, 80meg; RLL-AT controllers,
standard WD-16 bit controllers, Konan, DTC, etc.
I like it alot!
Aloha,
--
Jonathan Spangler
UUCP: {ihnp4,vortex,dual}!islenet!jons
OPUS/FIDONET: Sysop@(12/6) HTCS BBS (808)531-2659, 24 hrs., Honolulumartin@iris.ucdavis.edu (Bruce K. Martin Jr.) (09/25/87)
I'm using a 'true blue' IBM PC XT that has developed some bad sectors on the
hard disk. (10Mb disk, IBM controller). Does anyone know where I can get
a program to do a low level format on the disk (don't say format c: -- it
doesn't do a real format). If someone has such a program, do you think you
could uuencode it and mail it to me? (assuming it is public domain...)
Thanks a million!
...bruce
Bruce K. Martin, UC. Davis, Div. of Computer Science
martin@iris.ucdavis.edu --or-- {ucbvax | lll-crg}!ucdavis!iris!martinalexande@drivax.UUCP (Mark Alexander) (09/28/87)
Several people have asked for something like this, so here's
a program to do a low-level format for the hard disk on a PC/XT.
It tells you what the drive parameters appear to be, then asks
you a couple of times if you're really sure you want to destroy
the disk, so it's safe to use.
The program definitely works on PC/XTs with the Xebec/IBM controller.
It was also tested four years ago with some WD and Adaptec controllers,
but may not work with current models. It doesn't work on ATs
because they took out the Format Drive command from the BIOS,
for some reason.
Please ignore the copyright notice. I wrote this years ago for
a company that no longer exists. Sorry, I've lost the source,
but it's a MASM program that's easy to disassemble. The core
of the program could be restated by the following four lines of code:
mov dx,80h ; drive c, use 81 for drive d
mov cx,1 ; start track 0, sector 1
mov ax,706h ; format drive (AH), interleave 6 (AL)
int 13h ; call the Fixed Disk BIOS
In fact, you could just use DEBUG and enter this program without
all the frills.
------------------------------ Cut here ------------------------------
begin 664 fdfmt.com
MNN\!Z+T#N```CL"[!`&,R([8)HM7`B:+/X/Z`'4#Z<,`CL*Z'`+HF@/HG`,L
M,#P"<@/IM`"B[@$\`+HB`^QU!-#HT.@D`[0`T>#1X-'@T>`#^+I@`B:+!>B`
M`[J$`B:*10*T`.AT`[JH`B:+10/H:@.ZS`(FBT4%Z&`#NO`")HI%![0`Z%0#
MNA0#)HI%"+0`Z$@#NC@#Z"H#Z"P#/%FZ?`-U/+K!`^@:`^@<`SQ9NK($=2RZ
M"@3H"@.X`,B.P+L``(H6[@&V`(#*@+@`#\T3N0$`N`8'S1.Z901S`[J?!.CA
M`LT@NC$$Z_:Z00+K\0!&1$9-5"!6,2XQ("`H0RD@0T]065))1TA4(%)/34]8
M+"!)3D,N(#$Y.#,-"B1$;R!Y;W4@=VES:"!T;R!F;W)M870@9')I=F4@,"!O
M<B`Q/R`D#0I$<FEV92!N=6UB97(@;75S="!B92`P(&]R(#$N)`T*5&]T86P@
M;G5M8F5R(&]F(&-Y;&EN9&5R<R`@("`@(#T@)`T*5&]T86P@;G5M8F5R(&]F
M(&AE861S("`@("`@("`@(#T@)`T*4F5D=6-E9"!W<FET92!C=7)R96YT(&-Y
M;&EN9&5R(#T@)`T*5W)I=&4@<')E8V]M<&5N<V%T:6]N(&-Y;&EN9&5R(#T@
M)`T*36%X:6UU;2!%0T,@8G5R<W0@;&5N9W1H("`@("`@(#T@)`T*0V]N=')O
M;"!B>71E("AS=&5P(&]P=&EO;BD@("`@(#T@)`T*#0I)<R!T:&ES(&-O<G)E
M8W0@9F]R('1H92!M;V1E;"!O9B!H87)D(&1I<VL@>6]U(&%R92!F;W)M871T
M:6YG/R`D#0I#:&5C:R!T:&4@9')I=F4@='EP92!J=6UP97)S(&]N('1H92!D
M:7-K(&-O;G1R;VQL97(@86YD('1R>2!A9V%I;BXD#0I!;&P@9&%T82!O;B!T
M:&4@:&%R9"!D:7-K('=I;&P@;F]W(&)E(&5R87-E9"X-"DES('1H:7,@=VAA
M="!Y;W4@=V%N=#\@)`T*1F]R;6%T=&EN9R!T:&4@9&ES:R`M('!L96%S92!W
M86ET+BXN)$AA<F0@9&ES:R!C;VYT<F]L;&5R(&YO="!P<F5S96YT(&]R(&YO
M="!I;FET:6%L:7IE9"0'#0I&;W)M870@8V]M<&QE=&5D("T@<F5A9'D@9F]R
M($9$25-+(&%N9"!&3U)-050@8V]M;6%N9',D!PT*2&%R9"!D:7-K(&5R<F]R
M+@T*1F]R;6%T(&%B;W)T960DM`G-(<.T!K+_S2%U^+0!S2$\87("+"##4.CD
M_UCH`0##4+`@HB(%HB,%HB0%HB4%HB8%HB<%Q@8H!2206+L%`$N9N0H`]_&`
=PC"(ER(%@_L`=`4]``!UZ+HB!>BB_\,`````````
`
end
--
Mark Alexander ...{hplabs,seismo,sun,ihnp4}!amdahl!drivax!alexande
"Bob-ism: the Faith that changes to meet YOUR needs." -- Bobpeter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) (10/07/87)
I am running a Compaq Deskpro 286 which is an AT compatable. I would like
to cjange the interleave on my hard drive from 2:1 to 1:1. I have a
Miniscribe 20MB and a Compaq HD controler installed. Does anyone have
some software for the AT that will allow me to LOW LEVEL format
my HD with the new interleave.
Much Thanks
Peter
==============================================================================
ARPA: dpeter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu USMAIL: Peter J. Diaz de Leon
peter@uwm-cs.milw.wisc.edu 7411 W. Warnimont Ave.
Milwaukee, WI. 53220
UUCP: ihnp4!uwmcsd1!uwm-evax!peter ICBM: 43 4 58 N / 87 55 52 W
==============================================================================enchant@oliveb.UUCP (Dan Crocker) (10/08/87)
In article <3104@uwmcsd1.UUCP>, peter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) writes: > I am running a Compaq Deskpro 286 which is an AT compatable. I would like > to cjange the interleave on my hard drive from 2:1 to 1:1. I have a > Miniscribe 20MB and a Compaq HD controler installed. Does anyone have > some software for the AT that will allow me to LOW LEVEL format > my HD with the new interleave. > I don't think you really want to do this. Unless the controller is specifically designed to allow 1:1 (I don't think this one is), then using 1:1 will kill your disk performance. If you are using the compaq controller that I think you are, then 2:1 is the best you can do. The capability to run 1:1 is a big deal (from a marketing point of view) and is usually very heavily advertised in the system documentation. If 1:1 is not mentioned, then you proabaly need to stay with 2:1. dan -- Here comes the supernatural anesthetist If he wants you to snuff it All he has to do is puff it He's such a fine dancer
peter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) (10/09/87)
I would like to thank all the people who respondeod to my question
regarding changing my interleave from 2:1 to 1:1 on my Compaq 286.
The info I received was very helpful.
Thanks to everyone
Peter
==============================================================================
ARPA: dpeter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu USMAIL: Peter J. Diaz de Leon
peter@uwm-cs.milw.wisc.edu 7411 W. Warnimont Ave.
Milwaukee, WI. 53220
UUCP: ihnp4!uwmcsd1!uwm-evax!peter ICBM: 43 4 58 N / 87 55 52 W
==============================================================================hollen@mana.megatek.uucp (Dion Hollenbeck) (10/09/87)
In article <6582@oliveb.UUCP> enchant@oliveb.UUCP (Dan Crocker) writes: >In article <3104@uwmcsd1.UUCP>, peter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) writes: >> I am running a Compaq Deskpro 286 which is an AT compatable. I would like >> to cjange the interleave on my hard drive from 2:1 to 1:1. I have a >> Miniscribe 20MB and a Compaq HD controler installed. Does anyone have >> some software for the AT that will allow me to LOW LEVEL format >> my HD with the new interleave. >> > >I don't think you really want to do this. >Unless the controller is specifically designed to allow 1:1 (I don't think >this one is), then using 1:1 will kill your disk performance. If you are >using the compaq controller that I think you are, then 2:1 is the best you >can do. Sorry Dan, but he should at least try it, you never know. Documentation on my hard disk/controller suggested 4:1 was the best I could expect. After trying successively closer interleaves, disk performance went to s--t at 1:1 but was super at 2:1. Peter, try successively closer interleave formats followed with a test of disk performance such as included with Norton Utils. When you have gone one too far, it will be immediately apparent, then go back up one. It may take a lot of time, but it sure is worth it. Dion Hollenbeck (619) 455-5590 x2814 Megatek Corporation, 9645 Scranton Road, San Diego, CA 92121 ames!scubed! {sdcsvax,hplabs}!hp-sdd!megatek!hollen sdcsvax!esosun!
alexande@drivax.UUCP (Mark Alexander) (10/14/87)
In article <3104@uwmcsd1.UUCP> peter@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Peter J Diaz de Leon) writes: >I am running a Compaq Deskpro 286 which is an AT compatable. I would like >to change the interleave on my hard drive from 2:1 to 1:1. I have a >Miniscribe 20MB and a Compaq HD controler installed. Does anyone have >some software for the AT that will allow me to LOW LEVEL format >my HD with the new interleave. This question seems to come up quite a bit, so I am enclosing here a program that can be adapted to do what you want. It does a 2:1 interleave format, but the interleave table could easily be changed to do 1:1. Warning: this is a quick and dirty program. It's smart enough to query the BIOS for the disk parameters it needs; it asks you if you're really sure you want to zap the disk; and it prints a dot at every cylinder to show you progress. But error handling is wretched (i.e. a disk error aborts the program). ------------------------------ Cut Here ------------------------------ ; ATFMT.ASM - low level hard disk format for PC-AT. ; Create DOSFM.COM as follows: ; masm atfmt; ; link atfmt; ; exe2bin atfmt.exe atfmt.com ; del atfmt.exe cgroup group code code segment assume cs:cgroup,ds:cgroup,es:cgroup org 100h start: jmp init ; Data maxhead db ? maxcyl dw ? head db 0 cyl dw 0 warn db 'Low-level hard disk format for AT.',13,10 db 'Are you sure you want to destroy your disk (y/n)? $' crlf db 13,10,'$' diskerr db 13,10,'Disk error, format aborted',13,10,'$' init: mov dx,offset warn ; print warning message mov ah,9 int 21h mov ah,1 ; wait for key to be hit int 21h push ax ; save the key mov dx,offset crlf ; print new line mov ah,9 int 21h pop ax ; get back the key cmp al,'y' ; if Y or y, continue je continue cmp al,'Y' jne done continue: mov ah,8 ; get drive parameters mov dl,80h ; for drive c: int 13h jc error and cl,0c0h ; mask off max sector mov maxcyl,cx mov maxhead,dh dotrack: mov dh,head ; get head number mov cx,cyl ; get cylinder number mov bx,offset buff ; track interleave table address mov dl,80h ; drive C mov ah,5 ; format track int 13h ; call bios jc error ; Check for head overrun mov dh,head cmp dh,maxhead ; done all heads on one cylinder? je nextcyl ; yes - go to next cylinder inc dh ; no - go to next head mov head,dh jmp dotrack ; and format next track ; Check for cylinder overrun. This is tricky since ch contains ; the low eight bits, and bits <7:6> of cl contain the high two bits. nextcyl: mov head,dh mov head,0 mov cx,cyl cmp cx,maxcyl ; done all cylinders? je done ; yes - we're done inc ch ; low byte wrapped around? jnz nowrap ; no, skip incrementing high byte add cl,40h ; increment high two bits nowrap: mov cyl,cx ; save new cylinder number mov dl,'.' ; write a dot to screen mov ah,2 ; to let them know we're int 21h ; doing something jmp dotrack ; go do next cylinder error: mov dx,offset diskerr ; print error message mov ah,9 int 21h mov ax,4c01h ; error return int 21h done: mov ax,4c00h ; normal return int 21h ; Track interleave table. Quoting from the COMPAQ 386 Technical ; Reference, page 9-14: ; "The table contains 2 bytes per sector on the track. ; The first byte is 0 if the sector is to be formatted ; normally, or 80h if the sector is to be formatted bad. ; The second byte is the logical sector number of the ; sector..."dd" is a "don't care" byte used to make up a ; total of 512 bytes." ; The table shown here is for an interleave factor of 2. ; Tables for other interleaves are left as an exercise for the reader. buff db 0,1,0,0ah,0,2,0,0bh,0,3,0,0ch db 0,4,0,0dh,0,5,0,0eh,0,6,0,0fh db 0,7,0,10h,0,8,0,11h,0,9 dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh dw 0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh,0ddddh code ends end start -- Mark Alexander ...{hplabs,seismo,sun,ihnp4}!amdahl!drivax!alexande "Bob-ism: the Faith that changes to meet YOUR needs." -- Bob
mcormick@unm-la.UUCP (Patrick McCormick) (03/24/89)
Hi, I've been trying to write some code to do a low level format of a hard disk on an XT but, I haven't been able to tell if has worked correctly or not. (I'm running a developmental operating system and the disk got trashed and I want to make sure I start with a clean setup.) Does someone out there have some code that does the job? How do I tell if the disk has been formatted correctly. (Other than the return value in AX for int 13?) Any help would be appreicated. Thanks, Pat McCormick ------------------------------------------- mcormick@unm-la.LANL.GOV lanl!unm-la!mcormick@uunet.uu.net --or-- uunet.UU.NET!unm-la!mcormick@cs.utexas.edu ------------------------------------------
ross@mscf.med.upenn.edu (10/25/89)
Does anybody know the code for doing a low level format on the original
Seagate 20 meg hard drive that was supplied with the IBM XT.
Thanks for your assistance.
--
--- Andy Ross ---
University of Pennsylvania
Medical School Computer Facilityphil@diablo.amd.com (12/08/89)
I'm looking for some suggestions on low level formatters and bad block
handling. My WD1006 does have a formatter in its controller BIOS but
some of my other machines don't have this feature. Also I'm not very
impressed with the WD's formatter. On some disks it gets an error
after doing a verify or defect scan for a while (reading an IO
register?) and quits. (so I don't use those disks but I wish I could.)
Spinrite II is neat but it only does REformatting. It also sometimes
gets stuck handling a bad block and never goes on or stops for ESC. I
got Disk Technician Advanced only to find it can't deal with
partitions > 32 megabytes. (what bozos!) I had trouble with dm also.
I wasn't sure that the bad blocks it found were being seen by DOS.
(I'm pretty sure Spinrite II didn't cooperate with it anyway.) Any
other ideas?
Just how do/should bad blocks be handled?
--
Phil Ngai, phil@diablo.amd.com {uunet,decwrl,ucbvax}!amdcad!phil
AT&T Unix System V.4: Berkeley Unix for 386 PCs!karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) (12/09/89)
>Item 7338 (0 resps) by phil at diablo.amd.com on Fri 08 Dec 89 11:21 >[<No Identification>] Subject: low level format >(20 lines) > > >I'm looking for some suggestions on low level formatters and bad block >handling. My WD1006 does have a formatter in its controller BIOS but >some of my other machines don't have this feature. Also I'm not very >impressed with the WD's formatter. On some disks it gets an error >after doing a verify or defect scan for a while (reading an IO >register?) and quits. (so I don't use those disks but I wish I could.) Yuck. Your disk has some >serious< problems with retaining information if you get an I/O error in the registers. I've seen this too, and if you get a list of the codes (call WD or get a manual for details) you'll find that most of them are of the ilk "seek not completed" or "no data address mark" on disk (!) >Spinrite II is neat but it only does REformatting. It also sometimes >gets stuck handling a bad block and never goes on or stops for ESC. I >got Disk Technician Advanced only to find it can't deal with >partitions > 32 megabytes. (what bozos!) I had trouble with dm also. >I wasn't sure that the bad blocks it found were being seen by DOS. >(I'm pretty sure Spinrite II didn't cooperate with it anyway.) Any >other ideas? DM should work IF it is the full (not just "one manufacturer") version. So should Speedstor (Storage Dimensions). We use both. Bad blocks should just be marked as defective (the data address mark is changed to do this). An attempted read on that sector then returns "deleted data record" in the flags, which DOS will catch during the high level format and mark the block as unavailable. -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 708 566-8911], Voice: [+1 708 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"