"Samuel W. Heywood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> On Thu, 6 Apr 2000 22:04:36 -0700 Bob George <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> > Subject: Re: HD noises
>
> > A low-level format may needed to make it happy again *if* there's a
problem.
>
> Wrong. A low-level format will destroy an IDE drive. Just ask anyone who
> has ever performed a low-level format on an IDE drive.
Haha! I was WONDERING if there was anyone else old enough to remember those
days. I do, but I noticed the situation changed a few years ago. Sorry, Sam,
but you are incorrect (to be a bit more polite about it) yourself. Newer
drives can be low-level formatted just fine, and presumably the 10GB unit
would fall into this category. In fact, after posting my message, I've
low-level formatted the very IDE drives I referred to.
Don't take my word for it: Check the manufacturer's site. If they say the
model can be low-level formatted, then it can. Hopefully, we won't waste
time dissecting exactly what "low level formatting" REALLY is or isn't.
From:
http://forum.seagate.com/SERVICE/Email+Forum.nsf/2ef34569a054bcdb8625675f007
756e0/e71dccd7e54f86c68625678b00723a98?OpenDocument - "Seagate ATA drives
can be Low-Level formatted using Disk Manager"
From: http://www.maxtor.com/technology/technotes/20005.html (Using Maxtor's
Low Level Format (MAXLLF.EXE) Utility) - "The MAXLLF.EXE program is designed
and intended to be used only with either Maxtor 3.5" IDE/AT hard drives less
the 500 MB in capacity or with Maxtor's Mobilemax 2.5" IDE/AT hard drives"
More to the original issue, the MANUFACTURER's information and diagnostics
(never mind our poor old memories) may provide a solution. Always worth
checking the CURRENT information before giving up on equipment.
FWIW: My two dinged drives seem quite happy now and have had a few
experimental Debian installs done on them with no apparent problems, despite
the newly developed defects (ouch).
- Bob
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