[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] Don't low-level format an IDE drive

knotts@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com (Tom Knotts) (01/03/91)

I am posting this to possibly save others from repeating the same mistake
that I made.

I bought an IDE disk drive for my AT system from Maxtor (was Miniscribe).
I then proceeded to do a low-level format. Seemed like the thing to do.
Then I found out that these drives are formatted at the factory, and
using standard formatters destroys the defect table. Sure enough, I got
write errors when I tried to use it. The fix is to re-format it using
Maxtor formatting software. This costs $60. 

So... Beware before you do a low-level format on your drives!

tom

johnm@cory.Berkeley.EDU (01/05/91)

In article <80330006@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com> 
	knotts@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com (Tom Knotts) writes:

>I am posting this to possibly save others from repeating the same mistake
>that I made.
>
>I bought an IDE disk drive for my AT system from Maxtor (was Miniscribe).
>I then proceeded to do a low-level format. Seemed like the thing to do.
>Then I found out that these drives are formatted at the factory, and
>using standard formatters destroys the defect table. Sure enough, I got
>write errors when I tried to use it. The fix is to re-format it using
>Maxtor formatting software. This costs $60. 
>
>So... Beware before you do a low-level format on your drives!

This sounds like poor design on Maxtor (or Miniscribe's) part.  I
use Conner IDE drives and haven't had any trouble doing low-level
formats.  If they require a special formatting program to do low-
level formats then that should be included when you purchase the
drive.

Good luck,
	John D. Mitchell
	johnm@cory.Berkeley.EDU

#include <std/disclaimer.h>

kms@pro-dallas.cts.com (Kevin M. Smallwood) (01/06/91)

In-Reply-To: message from knotts@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com

Tom,

        Did your instructions that came with the drive mention that a
low-level format would blow your defect table? If not, I'd make Maxtor foot
the $60.00 for the Maxtor software. Why pay for "their" mistake?


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knotts@hpl-opus.hpl.hp.com (Tom Knotts) (01/08/91)

>This sounds like poor design on Maxtor (or Miniscribe's) part.  I
>use Conner IDE drives and haven't had any trouble doing low-level
>formats.  If they require a special formatting program to do low-
>level formats then that should be included when you purchase the
>drive.

Yes, it does require a special formatter that I had to buy from Maxtor
(to fix it). Normally one doesn't have to do a format, as they come
pre-formatted (although someone sent me email letting me know that he
has a need to do low-level formats after disks get trashed by viruses).

I was under the impression that the special formatting software was for
all IDE drives. Are you sure that your drives are formatted OK? When I
did the format with the standard low-level formatter, it formatted, and
verified OK. Fdisk and high-level formatting worked as well. But because
the location of the bad sectors of the drive were lost, eventually I
got a fatal read/write error.

I hope your disk is OK. In the meantime, does anyone know if this is a
problem with all IDE drives, or just Maxtor/Miniscribe? The low-level
formatting software I used was from Seagate (which I thought at the time
was the standard all-in-one formatter). Does each drive require its own
special formatter, or is there a standard formatter that everyone uses?

thanks,

tom

pgt@hpfcso.HP.COM (Paul G. Tobin) (01/09/91)

* This sounds like poor design on Maxtor (or Miniscribe's) part.  I
* use Conner IDE drives and haven't had any trouble doing low-level
* formats.  If they require a special formatting program to do low-
* level formats then that should be included when you purchase the
* drive.

Interesting - the documentation for my Connor 3104 states specifically
that Connor IDE drives should not be low level formatted.  I'm not
taking any chances..

		Paul Tobin

tbrown@lehi3b15.csee.Lehigh.EDU (Thomas Brown [901015]) (01/22/91)

IDE drives (typically) come pre-low-level-formatted from the factory
and, therefore, only require partitioning and high-level formatting.
However, a (very small) few from certain manufacturers may have not
been low-leveled or may have lost format due to magnetic fields in
shipment.  There is *no* danger in low-level formatting these drives
provided you do it correctly.  There are versions of Disk Manager for
IDE drives which work very well.  Just be sure the correct parameters
(and, optionally, sector translation scheme) are used and all will be
well.

Regards,
Tom
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haverlan@tramp.Colorado.EDU (HAVERLAND MARC BRADLEY) (01/24/91)

Regarding ll-formatting and IDE drives....

What about programs like Spinrite, that do "non-destructive" low-level
formatting?  Are there any special considerations here?

Marc Haverland		haverlan@tramp.colorado.edu