CompuServe Messages

many newer scsi drives are formatted with special hardware (at least for the 'low level' format) which provides for things like zone bit recording, variable number of sectors per track, etc. I am not positive that simply issuing the SCSI 'FORMAT' command to a drive can duplicate these aspects of what makes many newer tech drives so FAST! There are also certain aspects of bad block recognition which can conceivably be erased by a low-level format. If the drive is used under almost any conceivable circumstances in an AmigaDos environment there is absolutely NO possibility that the low-level format can be affected by any AmigaDos reads/writes, BITmap screwups, etc. If a AmigaDos format DOESN'T fix a screwed up drive, then and only then, would I even consider doing a low-level format. I simply don't believe the devices/drivers in today's controllers' rigid disk block sections have the smarts to truly do a proper job of low-level formatting a variable sectors per track drive. Anyone out there please correct me if I'm wrong and I can learn a thing or two. Selling a lot of drives has gotten me deep into studying how the good ones really work.