Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!rochester!pt.cs.cmu.edu!o.gp.cs.cmu.edu!andrew.cmu.edu!jc58+
From: jc58+@andrew.cmu.edu (Johnny J. Chin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Hard disk format problem
Message-ID: <4bChcmO00Uh7E1a64I@andrew.cmu.edu>
Date: 9 Nov 90 16:32:50 GMT
References: <nan.657585768@phobos> <nan.657830963@phobos>,
	<683@cohesive.UUCP>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
Lines: 25
In-Reply-To: <683@cohesive.UUCP>

ESDI drives are different from MFM drives.  The drive specs are stored on the
drive itself.  You tell the system BIOS that the drive type is 1.  And run
debug to configure and low-level format the drive.  (Someone out there please
correct me if I'm wrong).  The debug instructions should have come with the
controller card.

In order for the new controllers (the ones you replaced the OMTI 8620 with),
you must run debug and reconfigure the drive.  Each manufacturer may have a 
different encoding for the drive specifications, in the the way they store
them on the drive.  In other words, you will lose everything on the drive.

I hope this helps ...
      __________                                          ___
     /          \                                    /   /    /_/ / /\/
    _/  /   /   /                                 __/.  /__  / / / / /
   /     /     / "Happy Computing ..."
  /           /                        Internet: Johnny.J.Chin@andrew.cmu.edu
 /  -------  /  4730 Centre Ave. #412  BITnet:   jc58@andrew
 \__________/   Pittsburgh, PA  15213  UUCP:    ...!uunet!andrew.cmu.edu!jc58
  Computer Dr.
                          Carnegie Mellon University

 "If you don't like having backups ... try driving without your spare tire."
______________________________________________________________________________
Disclaimer:     The views expressed herein are STRICTLY my own, and not CMU's.