Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ginosko!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!gatech!ncsuvx!shumv1!unkydave
From: unkydave@shumv1.uucp (David Bank)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: low-level formatting
Keywords: HD, Crash, format
Message-ID: <4264@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu>
Date: 22 Oct 89 07:07:21 GMT
References: <1989Oct20.032750.9966@ccu.umanitoba.ca> <1228@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu>
Sender: news@ncsuvx.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: unkydave@shumv1.ncsu.edu (David Bank)
Organization: NCSU Computing Center
Lines: 24

In article <1228@utkcs2.cs.utk.edu> wozniak@utkux1.cs.utk.edu (Bryon Lape) writes:
>
>	You need SpinRite.
>
>
>-bryon-

   Yeah, right. No one was ever able to low-level format their
hard drive before Spinrite came along.

   Try using DEBUG and enter "g=c800:5" at the "-" prompt. This will
usually transfer control to the HD controller's on-board BIOS and
allow you to trigger a low-level format.
 
   The above refers to Western Digital and similar controllers in
PCs and PC/XTs. The PC/ATs require that you use something akin
to Advanced Diagnostics or even Spinrite or any of the other
programs that allow you to pay for the privledge of something
you can do for free if you take the time to read a manual.

    Or you can pay someone like me $40/hr. Take you pick!  :-)

Unky Dave
unkydave@shumv1.ncsu.edu