Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!orion.oac.uci.edu!ucivax!megatek!hobbes!hollen From: hollen@megatek.UUCP (Dion Hollenbeck) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.misc Subject: Re: Low level formats of dynamically configured drives Message-ID: Date: 8 Apr 91 15:22:48 GMT References: <1991Apr3.222702.3848@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> <1991Apr5.180841.4491@pdn.paradyne.com> Sender: hollen@megatek.UUCP Distribution: comp Organization: Megatek Corporation, San Diego, California Lines: 39 In-reply-to: roth@pdntg1.paradyne.com's message of 5 Apr 91 18:08:41 GMT In article <1991Apr5.180841.4491@pdn.paradyne.com> roth@pdntg1.paradyne.com (Mike Rothman) writes: > > When you low level format a hard-drive, you are wiping out what DEFINES > what the drive may be split up into. > That means you used FDISK or somesuch program to partition it into two pieces > That being the case, a low level format will go below that and wipe that > partition out as well as the rest of the physical disk. > > AKA no formatting of a single logical drive on a physical drive. Not necessarily true. Take for instance SPINRITE by Gibson Research. It will lowlevel format a drive, even changing the interleave in the process while the data is in place. This is done one partition at a time. As long as there is no need to re-partition the drive, and you are merely re-formatting to ensure data integrity and sector address marking full strength, you can use Spinrite. If there are any bad sectors which appear during the extremely thorough pattern testing, then it marks that area bad and moves the data elsewhere. If sectors marked bad can be returned to use after thorough testing, they are. If however, you need to re-partition, then you must backup, re-partition and then restore. Sorry I saw the follow up too late which stated that the original poster had already done this, but since the partitions were re-arranged, then it was not work for nothing. I am not affiliated with Gibson Research in any way other than as a very satisfied customer. -- ----- Dion Hollenbeck (619) 455-5590 x2814 Megatek Corporation, 9645 Scranton Road, San Diego, CA 92121 uunet!megatek!hollen or hollen@megatek.uucp