Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!mdvries
From: mdvries@cwi.nl (Michiel de Vries)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: HELP - Can't logically split Hard Disk.
Message-ID: <438@turing.cwi.nl>
Date: 24 Jun 88 14:52:32 GMT
Reply-To: mdvries@turing.UUCP (Michiel de Vries)
Organization: CWI, Amsterdam
Lines: 43

I just acquired a hard disk, Seagate 238R (30 Mb) with Adaptec ACB-2072
RLL controller.

According to the Adaptec Installation guide, it is possible to split 
the physical hard drive in (max. 8) logical drives (this is NOT the 
PARTITIONING, that is done through FDISK, but a separation of the 
single physical drive in proportional smaller logical drives C:, 
D:, etc.!). This worked in my case only for 2 logical drives. The 
controller accepts a division in 3 or 4 parts, and seems to 
(low level) format them all correctly, but afterward DOS en FDISK only 
recognise two logical drives (C: & D:). The space of the other 
partitions is lost.

My system: XT-clone, 640 k, Phoenix BIOS, PC-DOS 3.2, 2 floppies, etc. Pretty
straightforward.

Anyone has a explanation or solution?

By the way, a couple of related questions about the same topic:

--	Is there a general option about the pro's & con's of this low level
	partitioning, versus the use of directories, possibly with the
	declaration of logical drives through SUBSTitute?  
	Reduced fragmentation? Speed (seems unlikely) ? 
	(Of course the partitioning is necessary for >30 Mb  drives.)

--	Does there exist a program (is it possible?) to change the low
	level partitioning without having to do the complete low-level
	formatting. (would save a hell of a time, if you have to
	experiment).

Just for curiosity.

--	Is it possible to let DOS make more then 1 DOS partition? Why
	doesn't this work with FDISK

--	Is the low-level partitioning specific for the Adaptec controller,
	or standard?
--	Any pointers to a description of this low level partitioning? 

Pleas Email your response; I'll summarise through Email or Net.

Thanks a lot.