Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!rex!ames!pacbell.com!pacbell!dplace!woodowl!beep!kris From: kris@beep.UUCP (Huh?) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Subject: Re: Low level format ruined my drive ..... Message-ID: <174@beep.UUCP> Date: 24 Feb 91 06:58:51 GMT References: Distribution: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc Organization: The William Shatner School of Acting Lines: 40 In article , crs14@exua.exeter.ac.uk (Course user 14) writes: >Well...I performed a low-level format on a 'Shinwa D220' 32M hard drive >and subsequently it has hard errors on the first 20 or so cylinders. The >drive had been in use for some time and never given any trouble until I >got my greasy mits on it. >Has this happened to anyone other than myself ? Is it possible to find a >way of making the drive useable ? I don't like throwing things away unless >their DEAD. > >p.s. The drive came in an OPUS PV5 and has since been replaced with a Seagate >unit, the controller is a Western Digital WD 1003-RA2 This may sound silly, but... Here on beep we went through 3 hard disks and 2 controllers before I finally figured out what was happening. The symptoms were: 0. Format the drive (low-level) 1. Do "fdisk" and all... 2. After a while system wouldn't boot, gave "boot fail" message. 3. Nothing (ARRRRRRGH!) <=me 8-[ I finally figured out that the disk drive itself had thermal problems, i.e. I have to let it "warm-up" just like an old tube-style radio! So now, beep has two power supplies and the disk drives NEVER get shut down; besides UNIX doesn't like to be shut down... If I have to shut down the disk drives, I let the drives run by themselves for an hour or so, then boot the system normally. -- Kris key!beep!kris -OR- woodowl!beep!kris "For men without women are like fish without water to swim in; Was (Not Was) their eyes bugging out, they flop on the beach "Shadow & Jimmy" and stare up at the girls who are just out of reach."