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Author Topic: HDToolbox- Cheetah SCSI HDD- Install Problem  (Read 3215 times)

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Offline Tahoe

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Re: HDToolbox- Cheetah SCSI HDD- Install Problem
« on: November 11, 2005, 09:46:33 AM »
Quote

Piru wrote:
Quote
low level formating

Whatever you do, don't do this. Luckily the drive most likely ignored your request...


No no no, low level format is perfectly acceptable on a SCSI drive!
It is one big misconception you could "kill" a drive using lowlevel format. In the early days some IDE drives did not like it. (on Amiga systems only!!)

Here is a snippet for the scsifaq:

Quote
Each platter in a disk drive is organized as tracks and sectors. Each sector contains header and trailer information as well as error detection (CRC) data in addition to the actual user data field.

When a disk is manufactured the platters are blank (no sector layout). Before shipping, a special command (usually not documented) is issued to the drive to cause it to lay down the sector headers, blank data fields and good CRC. Also many data patterns may be written to each sector to check for media errors. Any sectors with errors are put into the "manufacturer's defect list" and the drive remembers not to use those sectors in the future. Later, after the drive is shipped, a user may decide to "Low Level Format" the drive if he is having problems, or wants to start with a "clean slate". This is done using the SCSI FORMAT command via a special utility usually supplied by the host adapter manufacturer (usually in the on-board BIOS).

Some side effects of doing a LLF:

The logical block size and any other saved parameters that are set using MODE SELECT will remain the same as they were last set (i.e. they will NOT return to default values). This can be over-ridden with command option bits.
The data fields of the sectors will be set to the manufacturer's default value (usually 00 but not always).
Any bad sectors that were mapped out using RE-ASSIGN BLOCK commands will be available for use again. (i.e. the "grown defect list" is cleared). This can be over-ridden with command option bits.
If a power failure occurs while a LLF is in progress, the drive may be left in an unusable state, requiring return to the manufacturer for repair. It is safest to do this on a system with a UPS.
Usually it is a good idea to LLF a drive when it is installed and then verify (read each sector using a special utility) it. From then on you shouldn't need to LLF it again. A good verify utility will offer the option of re-assigning any bad blocks that are found. These will then be placed in the drive's "grown defect list". The only way to recover blocks that are mistakenly added to the grown defect list is to issue FORMAT UNIT to the drive.
LLF is NOT to be confused with running the MSDOS/Windows utilities called FDISK or FORMAT. FDISK causes a "partition table" to be created which logically divides up a disk for use by multiple filesystems and/or Operating Systems. FORMAT causes a FAT16 filesystem to be initialized in an existing partition. FORMAT is equivalent to the UNIX command mkfs (Make filesystem). FORMAT also reads the entire partition and marks any bad sectors found as unusable in the File Allocation Table. This does NOT cause the drive to add them to the drive's "grown defect list", but does prevent DOS/Windows from using them.



Greetings from Wilnis, The Netherlands
Now owning ALL Amiga models and most; if not all; flavours of them...My Amiga Museum
 

Offline Tahoe

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Re: HDToolbox- Cheetah SCSI HDD- Install Problem
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2005, 09:51:49 AM »
What happens if you only connect the Cheetah? I can confirm I have a cheetah drive working with my Cyberstorm.
Check if the IBM drive doesn't have "Last drive" option set.

Also try settings your first partition smaller to something like 4GB (not the full drive)
Greetings from Wilnis, The Netherlands
Now owning ALL Amiga models and most; if not all; flavours of them...My Amiga Museum
 

Offline Tahoe

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Re: HDToolbox- Cheetah SCSI HDD- Install Problem
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2005, 01:56:25 PM »
@Piru:

Oops, you're right, and I misread your previous post.
Some people say it's destructive to use LLF on a (modern) SCSI drive. It's not. It will not blow up your drive, damage it or whatever. It will just ignore the command.
As far as older (most likely to be used in Amiga's) drives go, LLF is perfectly do-able if done right.
Greetings from Wilnis, The Netherlands
Now owning ALL Amiga models and most; if not all; flavours of them...My Amiga Museum