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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Hardware Issues and discussion => Topic started by: Clueless on January 18, 2004, 08:26:34 PM
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I have this old but faithful Quantum ProDrive 105S (scsi 105Mb, not the LPS) that I want to low level format on Workbench 3.1.
Anyone has this drive's correct info from the HDToolbox page? Like cylinders, heads, blocks per track, head parking track, etc etc...
Thanks! :-)
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ok, 974 Cylinders, 6 heads , 35 sectors (Doesn`t HD Toolbox Auto detect all this?). And I wouldn`t reccomend low-level formating this drive as it can render it un-useable (So I`ve been told). Instead re-partition it with the HD Toolbox.
Hope this helps.
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Yeah you are not supposed to low-level format those drives. I remember them well..
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It is ok to low-level format a SCSI hard disk, but it is not ok to low-level format an IDE hard drive. Commodore themselves had recommended that you first low-level format a SCSI hard disk. Then check for bad blocks and partition the hard disk. Then warm reboot your machine and format those partitions. I low-level format my SCSI hard disks all the time and I have never had any problems. In fact, I still have a 5 Meg Seagate SCSI drive that still runs great (Seagate sure makes great hard drives). :-D
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Well... to late. :-D Smarty-pants me already low level formatted the poor thing yesterday.
HDtoolbox reports that the drive won't answer the regular scsi autodetect command so I tried to setup manually.
I did tried the 974 Cylinders, 6 heads , 35 sectors you mention along with 210 blocks/cyl and no reselection as taken from another site and the drive low level formats well as well as partitioning into a 'System' (20mb) and 'Work' (84mb) drives. But later in WB3.1 when I try to format the second 'work' partition, format bombs at track 927. The 'System' drive formats fine.
I then repartitioned the 'work drive' to end JUST below track 927 and all works well (except that I obviously loose some hd memory from the unused tracks beyond 927).
That's when I thought I may have 'low level format' it wrong causing trouble on the higher tracks. 'Verifying' the drive gives no bad sectors adding to the confusion.
Maybe is this old scsi card rom (v3.0 GVP HCII) not getting along with wb3.1.
Still thanks everyone for the patience.
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Hi Clueless,
Maybe is this old scsi card rom (v3.0 GVP HCII) not getting along with wb3.1.
The GVP card is your problem. GET RID OF IT!!! Many people have complained about having problems with GVP boards. Install a Commodore A2091 SCSI Controller board and HDTools WILL then recognize the drive. If the hard disk is SCSI, do a low-level format on it. If it is IDE, DO NOT low-level format the drive. Next check the drives platters for errors then partition it. Next, warm boot your computer (do not do a cold boot at this time) and format those partitions. If the hard disk is a IDE drive, and you low-level formatted it, then you have a problem. You can use an older 386 or 486 PC to fix that hard drive. The older 386 and 486 PC clones have an option in their BIOS to low-level format IDE hard drives. It works really well and this is what I use for repairing IDE hard drives that were mistakenly low-level formatted on an Amiga computer. Try it. :-D
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@Fly aka DoomMaster
So you're back again. Welcome! I hope you stop spreading this misinformation about low level format though.
You blow your cover here (page 2) (http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5677) and here (http://www.amiga.org/gallery/photo.php?lid=1600).
If you want to hide your old identity, at least bother changing your writing style, and stop using ":-D" when ending your post.
You spread this same misinformation before already (http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3872). We had a discussion about low level format (http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3895) back when you used name "DoomMaster". You're NOT supposed to low level format, not even SCSI.
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While Doomy and his postings do not need a new comment, there is something on the topic I would like to add.
SCSI may very well be low-level formatted. I did that on my PC for quite some time when I had problems with my drive, i.e. I had problems getting rid of some partitions under MS-DOS.
It worked, and IIRC SCSI drives may be low-level-formatted, which IDE would not allow in the old days. It was one of the reasons I was so proud 'back in 1995 or so of my Adaptec 2940, i could do things the "usual" PC could not do.
Though on the other hnd, it usually doesn't get you anywhere, unless in a very few cases. I always used "verify drive" in combination with low-level format because I thought there driver errors.
So yes, you can low-level format SCSI drives, but most of the time there is no need to so.
Have fun,
McTrinsic
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SCSI may very well be low-level formatted.
No, not anymore. Older SCSI hard drives allowed this, however. So in this context, the LLF might have been on topic.
It worked, and IIRC SCSI drives may be low-level-formatted, which IDE would not allow in the old days.
New SCSI hard disks can't be low level formatted, either. The old IDE hard disks could be low level formatted, but that only rendered the HD unusable. New IDE HDs ignore low level format cmd completely.
Though on the other hnd, it usually doesn't get you anywhere, unless in a very few cases. I always used "verify drive" in combination with low-level format because I thought there driver errors.
That's true, the low level format can't really fix the damaged disk. The disk might appear working for a moment, though. But LLF can't magically fix physical errors.
Also, if you abort the Low Level Format, the disk might ignore any further LLF commands, rendering the disk totally unusable.
So yes, you can low-level format SCSI drives, but most of the time there is no need to so.
You should only try this for old SCSI hds, when nothing else works. If the disk is giving physical errors, you should rather replace it.
See Hard Disk Formatting and Capacity (http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/format.htm) and Low-Level Formatting (http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/formatLow-c.html) for details.
Basically this means that the Low Level Format offers no real advantages and users should be advised not to try it, at all.