🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi all,

I've got a nasty problem with my AT (286-6).  I was trying to create 
a few partitions on my drive 0 (type 2 - 21 meg).  I've also got a 
type 3 installed as drive 1 (31 meg).  Somehow, through, a combination
of running FDISK, hi-level, and low-level format programs, track 0 on
drive 0 is now bad.  Right now, I'm using WDFMT (winchester disk 
formatter - low-level).  It apparently formats drive 0 with no problems.
I then run FDISK.  It allows me to create a 21 meg partition on drive 0.
This would be C:, I guess.  It then reboots the machine from floppy.
When it's done, C: cannot be accessed.  If I then fire up FDISK again,
it reports "Unable to access drive 0".  If I use WDFMT to verify the
disk media, it reports that track 0 and track 1 are damaged.

How the hell could a program irrevocably damage those tracks and not be
able to recover???  Doesn't a low-level format completely wipe out any
garbage that may have been there?

I also tried the "CHECKIT" program to low-level format the disk.  It
tries and reports "BIOS ERROR".  This concerns me a little, since WDFMT
seems to work.

Obviously, something is still wrong with the disk.  Does anyone know?

BTW: Does the boot sector *have* to be in sector 0, track 0?  Could 
tracks 0 and 1 be marked as bad with the low-level formatter and then
run FDISK?

Please respond via email to "greg@viewlogic.com".  If there is interest,
I will summarize.

Thanks,
--
Greg Larkin (ASIC Engineer)
Viewlogic Systems, Inc. (The CAE Company)
293 Boston Post Road West ____________________________________________
Marlboro, MA 01752        |"This is a fragile ball we are living on; |
508 480 0881 x321         |it's a miracle and we are destroying it.."|
Email: greg@Viewlogic.COM |Peter Garrett, Midnight Oil               |
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