CompuServe Messages

>> All the software did was send the command through the controller to the >> drive to initiate a low level format. John, yes, that's right, it should send a `FORMAT UNIT' (opcode = $04) SCSI command to the drive. But, for Quantum drives, there are 8 different options: 1) Format with absolutely no defects 2) Format with original factory defects only 3) Format with grown defects only (discarding factory defects) 4) Format with existing defects (factory and grown defects) 5) Format with provided defects only (discarding factory and existing grown defects) 6) Format with provided defects in addition to factory defects (discarding existing grown defects) 7) Format with provided defects in addition to existing grown defects (discarding factory defects) 8) Format with provided defects in addition to existing defects All options but 4) must be followed by a special Defect List Header and options 5) – 8) must additionally be followed by Defect Descriptor blocks. So, as HDToolsBox, nor FaaastPrep, won't let you select an option with low-level-format, I think they will default to option 4). This would be useless if the existing bad block list on the drive accidently happened to be corrupt, e.g. _all_ blocks on the drive marked as bad or some such… But I don't know for sure… – wkc – … via AP from Hamburg, Germany