Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!lll-winken!unixhub!slacvm!esr
From: ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU (Ed Russell)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.apps
Subject: Re: SPINRITE
Message-ID: <90303.094229ESR@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU>
Date: 30 Oct 90 17:42:29 GMT
References: <13509@sdcc6.ucsd.edu> <666@seer.UUCP>
 <1990Oct29.005608.22708@athena.mit.edu>
Organization: Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Lines: 22

In response to:

>From: fdq@athena.mit.edu (Fred D Quintana)
>Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.apps
>Subject: Re: SPINRITE
>Message-ID: <1990Oct29.005608.22708@athena.mit.edu>
>Date: 29 Oct 90 03:55:52 GMT
>In-Reply-To: ariel@seer.UUCP's message of 27 Oct 90 20:36:29 GMT
>
>I tried spinrite, which seems like a pretty good program, but apparently it
>doesn't support SCSI drives, of which I have two.  Is there any
>non-destructive low-level formatter out there that does?

None of the three that I am familiar with (SpinRite, Disk Technician, Optune)
will currently work on SCSI.  However, the Disk Technician people told me
that there will be a version out in November that does.  They did say that
it will not be selective by track/partition/etc. but will only work on the
entire drive.  It is not clear whether it will be non-destructive or not
but their previous versions have been.

Low-level formatting is not the only problem.  I have tried several utility
diagnostic codes which don't work at all or don't work correctly on SCSI.