ydist@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Yijun Ding) (08/28/90)
I recent got a 386sx compatible with 40MB (IDE) hard disk. The harddisk is formatted with Disk Manager so that a non-dos partition is there. I would like to do a low level format. The saleman knows nothing about the drive. I used debug to look the usual address c800:5, cc00:5 etc. All memory there are filled with 0xFF. I know little about the IDE. Anyone knows how the IDE work? How can I do a low level format? Thanks in advance.
stecz@hotwheel.dell.com (John Steczkowski) (08/29/90)
In article <32531@unix.cis.pitt.edu>, ydist@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Yijun Ding) writes: > I recent got a 386sx compatible with 40MB (IDE) hard disk. > > The harddisk is formatted with Disk Manager so that a non-dos partition > is there. I would like to do a low level format. The saleman knows nothing > about the drive. > > I used debug to look the usual address c800:5, cc00:5 etc. All memory there > are filled with 0xFF. I know little about the IDE. > > Anyone knows how the IDE work? How can I do a low level format? You can't do a low level of an IDE drive, but to remove the non-dos partition, try this debug routine... -f cs:00 l1000 0 <ENTER> -w 0 2 ffef 11 <ENTER> <Ctrl>-<Alt>-<Del> John Steczkowski Dell Unix Customer Support P#: (512) 343-3571 9505 Arboretum Blvd. !s: uunet!dell!hotwheel!stecz Austin, Texas 78759 @s: stecz@hotwheel.dell.com
mjlst3@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Mikes Magik Shoppe) (08/29/90)
In article <8960@uudell.dell.com> stecz@hotwheel.dell.com (John Steczkowski) writes: > >You can't do a low level of an IDE drive, but to remove the non-dos >partition, try this debug routine... Funny, about a month ago I did a low level format of a dell 386 sx, I think it was their 320s model. BE CAREFUL about the advice you give, especially since your are in customer support!!!!! > >John Steczkowski >Dell Unix Customer Support P#: (512) 343-3571 To the original sender, you can also use disk manager in manual mode: DM/m to remove the non standard partition. Just follow the menus carefully. Michael J. LeWinter -- All email, no cute messages to mankind : mjl@vms.cis.pitt.edu mjl@pittvms.bitnet
scjones@thor.UUCP (Larry Jones) (08/31/90)
In article <33052@unix.cis.pitt.edu>, mjlst3@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Mikes Magik Shoppe) writes: > In article <8960@uudell.dell.com> stecz@hotwheel.dell.com (John Steczkowski) writes: > > > >You can't do a low level of an IDE drive, but to remove the non-dos > >partition, try this debug routine... > > Funny, about a month ago I did a low level format of a dell 386 sx, I think > it was their 320s model. BE CAREFUL about the advice you give, especially > since your are in customer support!!!!! The correct answer is that some IDE drives can be low level formatted in the field and some can't. To my knowledge, >ALL< IDE manufacturers recommend against it. Of the drives that can be reformatted, some manufacturers recommed against it simply because they are afraid of confusing end users. Others do it because they have bad sector info recorded on the drive that gets lost when you redo the LLF. Of the drives that can't be reformatted, sometimes it's simply for one of the above reasons and the manufacturer has chosen to enforce the recommendation. Other times it's because the format is non- standard and requires a special piece of equipment. For example, some IDE drives use a format that has more sectors on the outer tracks than on the inner tracks -- this is a fairly cheap way of increasing the capacity of the drive. ---- Larry Jones UUCP: uunet!sdrc!thor!scjones SDRC scjones@thor.UUCP 2000 Eastman Dr. BIX: ltl Milford, OH 45150-2789 AT&T: (513) 576-2070 Nobody knows how to pamper like a Mom. -- Calvin
kleonard@gvlv1.gvl.unisys.com (Ken Leonard) (09/05/90)
In article <148@thor.UUCP> scjones@thor.UUCP (Larry Jones) writes:
*
* Of the [IDE] drives that can't be reformatted...
* ... For example,
* some IDE drives use a format that has more sectors on the outer
* tracks than on the inner tracks -- this is a fairly cheap way of
* increasing the capacity of the drive.
-----
So, If I make a small partition on the outer tracks, and a small
partition on the inner tracks, and run a decent disk-speed tester on
each partition, I may see a difference(s)? Hummm.... Another
widget to snoop.
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Ken