CompuServe Messages

Dan, You're wrong. While there are parameters you can change via the MODE SELECT command, if you don't change them…then issuing a FORMAT UNIT does nothing more than follow the manufacturer's instructions (build into the on-board ROM) on how to do the low level format. The options to the FORMAT UNIT allow you to feed it bad blocks, use the manufacturer's list or use the "growing" list of defects found during use or a combination of the above. The only other option is the interleave. While yes, you can screw things up via the MODE SELECT parameters or by changing the interleave via the FORMAT UNIT…these are parameters you usually don't mess with. And "you" in this case refers to the writer of the driver and utility software. They're not commands a user can issue directly. Don