🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <C14oB0.Fps@hfglobe.intel.com> kumarr@hfglobe.intel.com (Kumar Ranganathan) writes:
->Can any low-level format utility be used to format an IDE disk ? Or does
      ^^^
No.  Many tools are specific.  I've accessed some, on Winchester
controllers, thru debug (PC platform, obviously).  Many commercial disk
tools disallow this type access when they recognize an IDE drive.  It's a
situation with any possible number of solutions.

->every disk come with a specific Low-level format utility ?

Most of the time, I would imagine that it doesn't come with it.  Since
you're dealing with some pretty low-level (no pun intended) stuff, they
don't want every Tom-Dick-and-Harry messing with it.

>(I also remember reading somewhere that IDE drives are Low-Level formatted
>once during manufacture, but cannot be low-level formatted again - is this
>true ?).
>
I read an article recently that said something about whether the drive was
of fairly late mfr or not having something to do with it.  On my personal
system, I have a Seagate drive on a Winchester controller, and I've done it
thru debug, and everything worked fine.  However, it appears that one can
make no broad, all encompassing statements as to whether this can or cannot
be done.  It would probably be best to contact the mfr of the computer, or
the drive, or the controller, and ask them specifically.

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