sschnellm@cc.curtin.edu.au (10/09/90)
If the machine is an AT, the disk will have been formatted by the manufacturer before shipping. It is not recommended that you re-format a hard disk in an AY (quite difficult too...)
MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu (Mark Solsman) (10/10/90)
In article <3915.2711b5f6@cc.curtin.edu.au>, sschnellm@cc.curtin.edu.au says: > >If the machine is an AT, the disk will have been formatted by the >manufacturer before shipping. It is not recommended that you re-format >a hard disk in an AY (quite difficult too...) I disagree. Formatting a drive is quite easy on an AT. I recommend it periodically, infact. It may recliam some "bad" sectors. I low-level my drive often(1 to 2 times a year). [of course a tape drive aids me in this task] ---- Mark Solsman The Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Campus, Scranton, Pa. Bitnet : MHS108 at PSUVM Internet : MHS108 at PSUVM.PSU.EDU
kdq@demott.COM (Kevin D. Quitt) (10/10/90)
In article <90282.214529MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu> MHS108@psuvm.psu.edu (Mark Solsman) writes: > >In article <3915.2711b5f6@cc.curtin.edu.au>, sschnellm@cc.curtin.edu.au says: >> >>If the machine is an AT, the disk will have been formatted by the >>manufacturer before shipping. It is not recommended that you re-format >>a hard disk in an AY (quite difficult too...) > >I disagree. Formatting a drive is quite easy on an AT. I recommend it >periodically, infact. It may recliam some "bad" sectors. >I low-level my drive often(1 to 2 times a year). >[of course a tape drive aids me in this task] A drive should also be low-level formatted if its orientation is changed, (e.g. from desk to upright). -- _ Kevin D. Quitt demott!kdq kdq@demott.com DeMott Electronics Co. 14707 Keswick St. Van Nuys, CA 91405-1266 VOICE (818) 988-4975 FAX (818) 997-1190 MODEM (818) 997-4496 PEP last 96.37% of all statistics are made up.
brim@cbmvax.commodore.com (Mike Brim - Product Assurance) (10/11/90)
In article <3915.2711b5f6@cc.curtin.edu.au> sschnellm@cc.curtin.edu.au writes: > > If the machine is an AT, the disk will have been formatted by the > manufacturer before shipping. It is not recommended that you re-format > a hard disk in an AY (quite difficult too...) As most netters know this is not true! Yes most HD are formatted by the manufacturer (some by dealers) before shipping, but it is possible to format (low-level or DOS format) a drive. And yes most AT interfaced IDE drives do not require a LL but almost all ST506 interfaced drives can be LL either by a controller BIOS (Adaptecs...) or by LL programs (Spin Rite, Disk Manager...). -- ******************************************************************************** Disclaimer: My company knows not what I say (or do). Mike Brim | Commodore Electronics Limited PC Analyst - System Evaluation Group | West Chester, PA 19380 Product Assurance | InterNet: brim@cbmvax.commodore.com ********************************************************************************
davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (10/14/90)
In article <3915.2711b5f6@cc.curtin.edu.au> sschnellm@cc.curtin.edu.au writes: | | If the machine is an AT, the disk will have been formatted by the | manufacturer before shipping. It is not recommended that you re-format | a hard disk in an AY (quite difficult too...) If the controller has a recent boot ROM, it will have LL format in the ROM. Look in location c000:5, d000:5, or e000:5 for a jmp and code at the destination. If it's a WD controller you can use the wdfmt program from the WD BBS. It was also posted to cbip a few months ago. If you have access to the IBM advanced diagnostics that will do it, too. A simple and easy process, I don't know why you think it's not recommended. You should back up the disk first, though. -- bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen) sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list "Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me
pnl@hpfinote.HP.COM (Peter Lim) (10/14/90)
Well ! Don't know about you guys, but I've low level formatted every hard disk I've used. Which range from MFM (Seagate, Miniscribe),
ESDI (Micropolis) to SCSI (CAST, SyQuest). So, what's the big deal ?
Regards, ## Life is fast enough as it is ........
Peter Lim. ## .... DON'T PUSH IT !! >>>-------,
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