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From: rjn@hpfcdc.HP.COM (Bob Niland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: Un-partitioning Hard Disk on HP 9000/300 Series
Message-ID: <5570272@hpfcdc.HP.COM>
Date: 18 Aug 89 18:55:58 GMT
References: <1989Aug18.014354.189@cs.rochester.edu>
Organization: HP Ft. Collins, Co.
Lines: 33

re: "I recently "inherited" an HP Series 9000 Model 310 system,
     equipped with a 9153 disk system (floppy plus 10 Meg hard disk)."

> When we added up the files, they only came to about 1.5 Megabytes!
> Some poking around with the BASIC utilities seems to indicate that
> the hard disk has been partitioned (by the previous user)
> to four volumes of about 2 Meg each 

> I tried using INITIALIZE again, but this only formats one partition 
> at a time.

The choice of reformat-current-config or reformat-new-config is made by a
switch on the back of the drive.  It is different for the 9153A, B and C.
You need the appropriate owner's manual.

I suggest reformatting as a single volume, using the HFS file system.  You
will lose all existing data when you do this, so be sure to back up what you
have.

> While we're on the subject of disks, I see that BASIC 5 now supports
> a Hierarchical File System.  How much overhead does this consume on
> the disk?

As I recall, it requires 512 bytes per [BASIC-type] file.

> And does it eliminate the requirement that files be
> stored on contiguous blocks?

I think so.

Regards,                                              Hewlett-Packard
Bob Niland        rjn%hpfcrjn@hplabs.HP.COM           3404 East Harmony Road
                  [hplabs|hpu...!hpfcse]!rjn          Ft Collins CO 80525-9599