| From: | Michael Bourne |
| Date: | 3 Jan 2000 at 01:40:19 |
| Subject: | Re: Maxtor drive |
From: Michael Bourne <michael@circleware.org>
Hello Xavier,
On 03-Jan-00, you wrote:
> From: Xavier Messersmith <xcaliber@xav.to>
>
> On 02-Jan-00, John & Jenny Wasilewski wrote:
>>> NEVER, I repeat NEVER low level format. Just run HDToolBox to
>>> partition it and do a normal format.
>
> Sounds rather alarmist to me.
If the drive allows it then you are likely to destroy the drive.
As I understand it, the manufacturer keeps data describing the
drive in reserved areas of the disk. A true low-level format will
wipe this data. Most drives ignore the command - but pretend to do
it. If it takes a short time then it didn't happen.
(BTW, there are software tools on aminet that allow one to read
some of this data on SCSI drives....)
>> remember that this applies EITHER to IDE drives OR to SCSI
>> drives but not to both of them. Is that the case?
Both. Low-level formatting was useful on the old "mfm" or ST506
drives. Both ATA "IDE" and SCSI drives usually ignore this command
for the reasons outlined above. To actually do it a strap or plug
has to be inserted on the drive.
>> Also, remind me, someone, please... What IS low-level
>> formatting, and
>
> For SCSI, lowlevel formatting is typically instructing the drive
> to check itself for errors and map them to alternate reserved
> blocks.
<um> The describes the VERIFY command quite well. Sorry, but not
low-level format.
A low-level format wipes *all* data from the drive and reconstructs
the track, and sectors completely new, when actually done AFAIK.
> There seems to be another form of lowlevel formatting that is
> typically only done at the factory that is essentially a lowlevel
> formatting.
yes, but it is the only kind....
>> why does it harm disk?
For the reasons outlined above: If the drive descriptors are
destroyed they would have to be rebuilt but we don't have the
manufacturers tools and data to do this. So the drive would need
to be returned to be revived.
Hope this helps
Regards
Michael Bourne
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