How to low level format a hard drive?

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5 total messages Started by Ron Peterson Tue, 28 Jul 1992 21:29

#109

Author: Ron Peterson
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 21:29

7 lines
733 bytes

Would someone please tell me how to do a low level format on a
harddrive under DOS3.3?  The machine is some sort of 486 I think 
(no labels!) which we normally run Unix on but which can be booted 
as a DOS machine (which no one here knows anything about.)  
The drive is a Quantum 105S.  I think the drive is trashed but
want to try a low level format to be sure.
ron@vicorp.com or uunet!vicorp!ron

Re: How to low level format a hard drive?

#112

Author: David Steinman
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 04:19

14 lines
1016 bytes

ron@vicorp.com (Ron Peterson) writes:

>Would someone please tell me how to do a low level format on a
>harddrive under DOS3.3?  The machine is some sort of 486 I think 
>(no labels!) which we normally run Unix on but which can be booted 
>as a DOS machine (which no one here knows anything about.)  
>The drive is a Quantum 105S.  I think the drive is trashed but
>want to try a low level format to be sure.
>ron@vicorp.com or uunet!vicorp!ron

Try running DOS's debug utility.  At the '-' prompt, type 'g=c800:5'.  This
should start up the low-level format.
--
Dave!

Re: How to low level format a hard drive?

#114

Author: Mike Berger
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 16:57

19 lines
1328 bytes

ron@vicorp.com (Ron Peterson) writes:
>Would someone please tell me how to do a low level format on a
>harddrive under DOS3.3?  The machine is some sort of 486 I think 
>(no labels!) which we normally run Unix on but which can be booted 
>as a DOS machine (which no one here knows anything about.)  
>The drive is a Quantum 105S.  I think the drive is trashed but
>want to try a low level format to be sure.
>ron@vicorp.com or uunet!vicorp!ron
*----
Isn't that a SCSI drive?  First, you probably can't use standard
DOS functions to do anything with it.  Secondly, low-level 
formatting SCSI disks is usually not a good idea, and rarely
helpful.  Start with the diagnostics that came with your
SCSI controller.
--
	Mike Berger
	Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
	AT&TNET     217-244-6067
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu

Re: How to low level format a hard drive?

#117

Author: Paul Potts
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 19:54

16 lines
1252 bytes

In article <Bs5tsH.6xE@news.cso.uiuc.edu> berger@atropa (Mike Berger) writes:
>ron@vicorp.com (Ron Peterson) writes:
...
>Isn't that a SCSI drive?  First, you probably can't use standard
>DOS functions to do anything with it.  Secondly, low-level 
>formatting SCSI disks is usually not a good idea, and rarely
>helpful.  Start with the diagnostics that came with your
>SCSI controller.

It is IDE, and not SCSI, disks that shouldn't be low-level formatted.
(They sure make it difficult too).

-- 
..though I respect that a lot, I'd be fired if that were my job, after 
killing Jason off and countless screaming argonauts... (They Might Be Giants)
Paul R. Potts, Software Designer --- potts@itl.itd.umich.edu <--- me!

Re: How to low level format a hard drive?

#120

Author: Mike Berger
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 15:44

22 lines
1559 bytes

potts@itl.itd.umich.edu (Paul Potts) writes:
>In article <Bs5tsH.6xE@news.cso.uiuc.edu> berger@atropa (Mike Berger) writes:
>>ron@vicorp.com (Ron Peterson) writes:
>...
>>Isn't that a SCSI drive?  First, you probably can't use standard
>>DOS functions to do anything with it.  Secondly, low-level 
>>formatting SCSI disks is usually not a good idea, and rarely
>>helpful.  Start with the diagnostics that came with your
>>SCSI controller.

>It is IDE, and not SCSI, disks that shouldn't be low-level formatted.
>(They sure make it difficult too).
>-- 
For modern drives, neither SCSI nor IDE drives should be low-level
reformatted under most circumstances.  Since formatting is a
high-level SCSI feature, many drives are programmed to ignore a
reformat command (and return a status of ok) anyway.
--
	Mike Berger
	Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
	AT&TNET     217-244-6067
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu

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