Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!ncar!unmvax!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!bellcore!faline!thumper!gamma!pyuxp!rruxa!rruxu!rruxp!pymild
From: pymild@rruxp.UUCP (T L Davidson)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: Re: Help with Drive indentification
Summary: Quantum Q540 Drive:  512 cylinders, 8 heads, 17 sector, precomp=256,
                              landing zone=512, total bytes=35,651,584
Keywords: RD52-A, Quantum 540
Message-ID: <255@rruxp.UUCP>
Date: 25 Jan 89 15:51:49 GMT
References: <585@uceng.UC.EDU>
Distribution: na
Organization: Bell Communications Research
Lines: 32

The adapter card SHOULD work in your machine.  If it doesn't, the Western
Digital hard drive card will work fine (check Computer Shopper for the best
prices).  The next item you might need is a program called "Speedstor (TM)"
sold by Storage Dimensions.  Speedstor is a "universal" hard drive low-level
initialization and partitioning package consisting of two main programs:
"HARDPREP" and "PARTED".  HARDPREP provides a menu that lists 21 drive 
manufacturers, and a menu item for entering manual parameters.  Once the
manufacturer is selected, a new menu appears listing all the drives supported
by that particular manufacturer.  This is how I was able to obtain the 
information for the Q540 you needed.  PARTED is used after the low-level
initialization/format to partition the drive.  Unfortunately, I do not know
the phone/address for Storage Dimensions (800 information does not list them),
but I do know that the program cost $140 a year ago.

If you cannot obtain SpeedStor, but can get a Western Digital controller,
you can force the low-level init by using DOS debug:  When debug presents
you with the "-" prompt, enter: g=c800:5
This will bring up the Western Digital low-level init firmware, which will
proceed to ask you for the above information (cylinders, heads, sectors,
precomp, landing zone, interleave, etc.)   Once this has completed (it will
take a while!), use the DOS FDISK to partition the drive, followed by the
standard DOS "format c: /s" and "format d:".

A final word of advice:  Get Norton Advanced Utilities 4.5!  The "debug"
method of forcing low-level init/format is documented in the Norton books,
and the utilities (especially NDD) are extremely useful (on pure DOS systems,
that is...).  Hope this has been helpful!
-- 
<========* The views expressed are mine alone, and not my employer's *=========>
For it is by grace that you are saved, by faith - and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.  EPH. 2: 8,9
<===* @pymild@rruxp.cc.bellcore.com *===* bcr!rruxp!pymild (Terry Davidson) *==>