Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!burl!codas!mtune!whuts!homxb!hropus!jgy
From: jgy@hropus.UUCP (John Young)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: reformatting 3b2 harddisks
Message-ID: <5@hropus.UUCP>
Date: 15 Jan 88 01:58:51 GMT
References: <1489@ea.ecn.purdue.edu>
Distribution: na
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 27

> 
> Is there any way to reformat 3b2 harddisks ? We have several 3b2's
> on campus and have run into some that have had their harddisks
> scrambled and would like to reformat them to see if we can make
> them work again. Buying new harddisks from ATT is out, since ~$500
> for a 32 Meg winchester seems a bit steep, especially when there
> is nothing really wrong with the drive.
> 
> I have heard that there is a formatting utility that ATT had/has that
> would let technicians reformat disks in the field, but we haven't had
> any luck in trying to obtain anything like that from ATT.
> 

The fmthard(1M) utility will lay down a new format block
on a hard disk.  This is used by UNIX to indicate the the type
and extents of various filesystems.

For a real low-level format of the disk you need a diskette
which used to be known as "DEVTOOLS" but now has a new name I
can't remember.  It can be gotten by ordering the AT&T Hardware
Maintenance Manual.  Mail/call me for the order code if you need
it, cos' I don't have it with me right now.

John Young
AT&T-BL Red Hill,
Middletown, NJ 07748
201-615-4412