A low-level format erases and rewrites the physical structures such as
tracks and sectors. This should only be used when you can't
successfully do a high-level format (like the Finder's Erase command or
Drive Setup's basic initialize command). If you can do that
successfully, then don't worry about low-level formatting; you don't
need it.
That said, it isn't possible to low-level format an ATA/IDE drive
except with the manufacturer's own software anyway; the internal
controller interprets what the OS and drivers send to it. Something
like Drive Setup has no control over the low-level options because of
this. For getting bad sectors, the drive's controller keep track of all
that automatically. Whenever data cannot be correctly written to a
particular block it marks the block as bad and avoids it in the future.
If a block goes bad after data is written, this process will miss it
unless you rewrite/replace the data. That's what the write zeros option
is for: since every part of the disk has data written to it, every bad
block on the drive at the time will be marked. Zeroing is not a true
low-level format.
For a SCSI drive, it can be low-level formatted but there is rarely a
need to do so. As mentioned at the beginning, if you can do a normal
format successfully, you don't need to bother with a low-level at all.
To isolate bad blocks select the write zeros option when initializing
and it'll take care of things just as it does for ATA drives.
If a low-level format is interrupted on a SCSI drive, then you will
have to start all over but usually things can be recovered. If a
low-level format can't complete normally (assuming no interruptions)
then it is time to find a new drive; something is seriously wrong with
that one.
Good details and advice are here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=21103
- Alan
On Feb 17, 2006, at 12:23 PM, Paul Stamsen wrote:
My reply follows quote.
On 2/17/06, at 2:17 pm +0100, Michael wrote:
on 17/2/06 3:36, insightinmind at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
That's true. I don't believe it is even allowed on IDE disks. Just on
SCSI ones ... thanks.
Even on SCI its not a good idea.
First I've ever heard that. Support please?
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