Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ginosko!rex!ames!ncar!asuvax!mcdphx!mcdchg!ddsw1!ddsw1!karl From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Seagate 251 and RLL controllers Keywords: RLL Hard Drive Message-ID: <[4249.1]comp.ibmpc;1@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Date: 12 Jul 89 17:00:07 GMT References: <723@srhqla.SR.COM> Lines: 23 >Item 4249 (0 responses) by tcm at srhqla.SR.COM on Wed 12 Jul 89 04:26 >[Tim Meighan] Subject: Re: Seagate 251 and RLL controllers >BTW, it is extremely easy for a manufacturer to determine if a drive >mech has been formatted for RLL encoding, so Mr. Ericson's assertion >that there is no way they would know if you did such a thing is untrue. This is providing that Seagate actually takes the media out and checks it. If the drive still works MFM, you simply reformat it MFM; Seagate then cannot tell what you did prior to that time (of course you ALSO can't exchange it then! :-) If it does not work at all, then it would be more hassle than it's worth for Seagate to get the drive working well enough to see what the encoding format on the platters is. In any event, I've been told that they don't check them beyond a very simple functional test - - they just scrap the things and send you another unit (this from net reports and someone who used to work in their tech department). -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, !ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"