Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!mailrus!cornell!vax1!gpoy
From: gpoy@vax1.UUCP (Sheldon Luberoff)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Help desparately needed for ADAPTEC hard disk controller
Message-ID: <700@vax1.UUCP>
Date: 22 Jul 88 17:19:48 GMT
Lines: 19

I'm trying to perform a low-level format of a new (32MB) hard disk drive.
The problem is, I don't know the right address for the format.  C800:5
is definitely not it.  Unfortunately, I don't have the spec sheet for
this disk controller, but the board says it's by ADAPTEC, INC (no
address or phone number).  It also says ASSY 401406-00 and Rev. E on the
board.  I've searched through memory in paragraph C800 and tried to find the
right starting address, but it's like looking for a needle in a read-only
haystack.  I know that it contains a formatting routine because I've seen
the text of several messages relating to it.  In fact, I even got into the
program once, but jumping to the same address again failed to have the same
effect.
   When I did get it to sort of work, it asked several question that I
   didn't know the answer to, such as "step pulse rate", "number of logical
   units", and even the simple "number of heads" and "number of cylinders".
   The drive is a Miniscribe, and I assume the model number is HBA:15434
   since that's about all it says on the label, other than "TN:1-13R".
     Well, can anyone offer any help with this mess?  Has anyone even heard
     of ADAPTEC?  If so, please send mail to GPOY@CORNELLA.CCS.CORNELL.EDU
     or GPOY@CORNELLA.BITNET (or, if you're lucky, {?}!cornell!vax5!gpoy).
     Sorry about the poor formatting of this article (no pun intended).