phil@sci.UUCP (Phil Kaufman) (02/13/88)
Having just done a full backup, I decided to experiment with changing interleave factors using one of the programs that is supposed to do so without erasing the disk. Well, as one might expect, it took several hours and wiped the disk clean. Even FDISK won't run. Now I need to do a low level format to get going again but I have never done one and have no programs to do so. HELP What do I need to do? What program do I need? I have heard somewhere that there is code in the disk controller to do low level format but I have no details on how to do it. (It is a WD 16-bit AT type controller.) Thanks
David_T_Lawlor@cup.portal.com (02/15/88)
I see three choices in doing a low level format. 1. Take your Hard Disk to the local Fry's (or equivalent PC fixit shop) and pay $30 - $50 2. Get a hold of IBM's Advanced Diagnostics (available only through dealers) 3. (What I did) Buy "Disk Manager" by "Ontrack" ($30 - $50). I use It to Partition up my Hard disk into many virtual Hard Disks. It will also do a low level format. Best Bet and less headaches: See the dealer you got your disk from.
mrk@gvgspd.UUCP (Michael R. Kesti) (02/18/88)
In article <3232@cup.portal.com> David_T_Lawlor@cup.portal.com writes: >I see three choices in doing a low level format. >1. Take your Hard Disk to the local Fry's (or equivalent PC fixit shop) > and pay $30 - $50 >2. Get a hold of IBM's Advanced Diagnostics (available only through dealers) >3. (What I did) Buy "Disk Manager" by "Ontrack" ($30 - $50). I use It to > Partition up my Hard disk into many virtual Hard Disks. It will also do > a low level format. >Best Bet and less headaches: See the dealer you got your disk from. I disagree on two points. Firstly, the dealer you got the disk from is often unavailable for or not interested in performing this service. Secondly, there is another alternative. I have always used just the code supplied with the products involved. Most hard disk controllers provide a user accessable low level formatter (certainly, all of Western Digitial's do). To start these in ROM programs, one uses DEBUG (supplied with almost all releases of DOS) to transfer execution to them. Exact details, like starting address may vary, but it goes something like: A> debug -g=c800:5 The address given is correct for the WD WX1 controller. One is presented with a series of prompts to input user configurable parameters. You may need to know such things as the number of cylinders and heads used in your drive, though later ROMs may include the feature of determining these parameters by themselves. When this process is complete one is be prompted to reboot the machine. Do so from the floppy and used FDISK (again, supplied with most DOS releases) to install the DOS partition, boot again from the floppy, and finally use FORMAT C: /S to install DOS. Now you are up and running without an extra cent for software, because it was already there. This is, of course, a very thumbnail sketch of the process, and may not be viable for exotic installations, but for installing a Seagate 225 using a Western Digital controller (a quite common thing to do!), it works just fine. Disclaimer: I have no association with any of the companies mentioned. If you fry your machine because I encouraged you to be a do-it-youselfer, I won't be responsible. -- ============================================================================ Michael Kesti Grass Valley Group, Inc. | "Like one and one don't make two, P.O. Box 1114 Grass Valley, CA 95945 | one and one make one." UUCP: ...!tektronix!gvgpsa!gvgspd!mrk | - The Who, Bargain
cwwj@ur-tut.UUCP (Clarence Wilkerson) (02/19/88)
I think that most AT controllers rely on the code in the ROM BIOS rather than having their own addon BIOS chip.