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From: campbell@dev8h.mdcbbs.com (Tim Campbell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Subject: Re: low-level format of IBM XT 10 Meg HD
Message-ID: <1991Mar6.134300.1@dev8h.mdcbbs.com>
Date: 6 Mar 91 13:43:00 GMT
References: <1991Feb28.135914.10949@athena.mit.edu>
Organization: McDonnell Douglas M&E, Cypress CA
Lines: 53
Nntp-Posting-Host: dev8h
Nntp-Posting-User: campbell

In article <1991Feb28.135914.10949@athena.mit.edu>, rcharbon@athena.mit.edu (Ray Charbonneau) writes:
> I would like to find a method of doing a low-level format on original
> IBM PC-XT 10 Meg hard disks without having to get the Advanced
> Diagnostics.  Unfortunately, Norton 5.0's Calibrat program doesn't
> deal with this type of disk.
> 
> Please e-m, but I will be checking for posts.
> 
The low-level program is in the rom bios - to activate it, use DOS "debug".

After carefully backing up everything you need, (and make sure you have a 
floppy that will boot DOS - just in case) do the following:

Assume that you insert a floppy with the MS-DOS "DEBUG" program in drive A:

C>A:
A>DEBUG
-                 <- debug uses the hyphen as it's prompt
-g=c800:5         <- execute the program located in segment c800 starting
                     at offset 5 (5 bytes) - this segment (c800) is the
		     location of the hard drive controller's rom bios.
		     you'll notice that if you run PC-Tools or Norton's
		     "system info" there's always a line that says something
		     to the effect of "additional bios located at hex 
		     paragraph C800" - that's this program - and some other
		     bios routines that service the hard disk.

The program will start prompting you for info.  Questions like:
What drive do you want to format 0, or 1, 0=drive c:?  1=drive d: 
(first and second PHYSICAL drives attached to that controller).
What interleave factor do you want to use (I think 3 was the most common
interleave factor - picking the wrong one wont "hurt" anything but response
time.  If you don't know your optimum interleave - Spinrite (available at 
most computer stores for about $80) will tell you.  Otherwise assume 3.

After it completes the low level format, you'll have to execute DOS "fdisk"
to partition the drive, followed by DOS "format" to complete a high-level
format.

The address I gave you (c800:5) was pretty common - it is "possible" that 
your bios does it differently - some drives had an external program they
provided on a floppy for this purpose - these instructions will "probably"
work - BACK UP ANY IMPORTANT DATA!

	-Tim

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