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From: i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu (Neal Rauhauser -- ELT Computer Applications Group)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Re: Maxtor MFM Drive Failure - HELP!
Keywords: MFM vs RLL
Message-ID: <1991Jan17.000443.15942@news.iastate.edu>
Date: 17 Jan 91 00:04:43 GMT
References: <6945@crash.cts.com>
Sender: news@news.iastate.edu (USENET News System)
Reply-To: i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu (Neal Rauhauser -- ELT Computer Applications Group)
Organization: Iowa State University Extension
Lines: 20

* foolishly formatting an MFM drive as RLL*
>RLL capable even though the company hasn't "certified" them.  After success-
*even more foolish, using OpTune on an RLL formatted MFM disk
>fully formating the drive I noticed a raft of errors with OpTune and so tried
>to reformat under a MFM controller (both WD controllers).


     OpTune is poison for RLL formatted MFM disks, I've heard of this
sort of problem a couple of times before this. It is quite possible to
hose a perfectly good MFM/RLL disk by changing the formats.(Why?
Don't know, sure wish I could un-fuck the 110 meg RLL disk I use -
works fine _except_ for SpinRite, which has a bird when trying to 
low level format. And it used to take SpinRite.)

Solution to your problem:
Mitsubishi MB535 (42 meg MFM/ 65 meg RLL) disks are dual rated and cost
$256 + shipping.


          Neal i1neal@exnet.iastate.edu