Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen
From: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: RE : Low-level format of hard disk
Message-ID: <2055@sixhub.UUCP>
Date: 13 Oct 90 18:59:05 GMT
References: <3915.2711b5f6@cc.curtin.edu.au>
Reply-To: davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (bill davidsen)
Organization: *IX Public Access UNIX, Schenectady NY
Lines: 21

In article <3915.2711b5f6@cc.curtin.edu.au> sschnellm@cc.curtin.edu.au writes:
| 
| If the machine is an AT, the disk will have been formatted by the 
| manufacturer before shipping. It is not recommended that you re-format
| a hard disk in an AY (quite difficult too...)

  If the controller has a recent boot ROM, it will have LL format in the
ROM. Look in location c000:5, d000:5, or e000:5 for a jmp and code at
the destination. If it's a WD controller you can use the wdfmt program
from the WD BBS. It was also posted to cbip a few months ago.

  If you have access to the IBM advanced diagnostics that will do it,
too.

  A simple and easy process, I don't know why you think it's not
recommended. You should back up the disk first, though.
-- 
bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
    sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
    moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me