Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!aunro!alberta!brazeau.ucs.ualberta.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!martell From: martell@ucs.ubc.ca (Jonn Martell) Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.apps Subject: Re: Disk Manager and MSDOS 5.0 Message-ID: <1991Jun20.232129.9266@unixg.ubc.ca> Date: 20 Jun 91 23:21:29 GMT References: <1991Jun17.221311.15797@aplcen.apl. <1991Jun20.092801.31571@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> Sender: news@unixg.ubc.ca (Usenet News Maintenance) Organization: University of B.C. Computing Services Lines: 23 Nntp-Posting-Host: swiss.ucs.ubc.ca In article <1991Jun20.092801.31571@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> 1h1a0m@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu writes: >> Why should the drive be low level formatted every 6 months? >> >> Doug > >Perhaps to freshen up the track info which, unlike when writing a new file >to disk, is not written over old track info. I suppose the read/write heads >become misaligned with time, just a like a car goes out of tune. Doing a >low level format sets everything back to zero, as if you had bought a new HD. > >Tony > True, but beginners should use a safe low-level "refresher" such as the ones provided by NU 5.0/6.0 and PC Tools 7.0. Not all HDs can be low-level formatted and improperly low-level formatting the wrong type of HD with the wrong type of utility can seriously damage it. -- Jonn Martell - PC Support Centre - University Computing Services University of British Columbia - 6356 Agricultural Rd. Vancouver BC V7T 1H1 E-Mail Internet: martell@ucs.ubc.ca Compuserve: >INTERNET:martell@ucs.ubc.ca *** DONT FLAME IT - FRAME IT ***