Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!ihlpa!wolfordj From: wolfordj@ihlpa.ATT.COM (452is-Wolford) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: FORMATTING a AT RLL drive - please read my question !!!!!! Message-ID: <10726@ihlpa.ATT.COM> Date: 2 Dec 88 15:53:32 GMT References: <8191@nsc.nsc.com> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois Lines: 38 > in article <12695@steinmetz.ge.com>, davidsen@steinmetz.ge.com (William E. Davidsen Jr) says: >> I beleive that the BIOS call to format the hard disk calls the >> controller. Did you try using that? > > You can use Debug to format your HD (low level) the address is c800:5 even > on an adaptec, at least the few systems I have tried it on. > NO NO NO this may be ok for a XT type drive controller but it is NOT available on a AT type WD1003-RA controller. There is no rom at that address, yes I've tried. I have put in many XT controllers and know how they work, and AT controllers are a different beast ..... I have the documentation (straight from WD), and they say you have to use a seperate formatter to do the LOW LEVEL format. But, they won't give any suggestions or recommends. I have Dimession Storage's format routine, but this version only handles MFM (ie 18 sectors/ track) drives and they want $99 for a program to handle RLL. That's a large $$ for a one time use program. Please only people who have REAL first hand knowledge comment. DOES the new MACE utilities ( I have a 1yr old version that does not work) format AT (NOTICE I SAID "AT" type RLL drives). How about any of the hard disk managers out there, and they do the job ? Jeff Wolford att!iwsag!jww att!ihlpa!wolfordj harvard-+ | ucbvax--+---- att --+ iwsag!jww | decvax--+