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From: jih@ox.com (John Hritz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware,comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: Need info: Low level formatting
Summary: SpinRite and other NDLLF programs
Keywords: PC harddisk
Message-ID: <1990Nov22.033718.2349@ox.com>
Date: 22 Nov 90 03:37:18 GMT
References: <11519@milton.u.washington.edu>
Organization: OTA Limited Partnership
Lines: 13


	Over the past years a number of Non-Destructive Low Level Formatters
have been marketed.  The most popular are SpinRite, Disk Technician Pro and
the programs associated with the Norton and Mace utilities.  These programs
run a number of tests on each sector of your harddrive moving the data out 
of harms way as they test.  A backup is generally suggested for safeties
sack.  Disk Technician keeps a database of the repairs it does and if there
is a chronic problem with a particular sector, it will mark it bad based
on it's records.
	One important thing to remember whether you use a destructive or
non-destructive utility is to make sure the drive is warm prior to 
beginning your task.  Wait for several hours at least to allow for 
expansion of parts and such.