Low-level format (was: Re: AT&T 6300 PC

From: Charles P. Hobbs <transit_at_lerctr.org>
Date: Tue Oct 17 13:26:25 2000

On Tue, 17 Oct 2000 THETechnoid_at_home.com wrote:

> You can probably format the hard disk by loading DEBUG from floppy and
> entering the command:
>
> "G=C800:5" - omit the quotes.

Can you damage a hard drive, if you put in the wrong numbers (# of
cylinders, interleave, etc)

I had an old 8088 that hadn't seen action in several years. I turned
it on, and it seemed to boot up and run ok, but the hard drive was full
of errors.

I thought, "Maybe a low level format will clean it up", as I had done one
a few years back on an old Leading Edge XT, and it seemed to help. So off
to Debug, and I did the G=C800:5 thing.

Of course, it asked for the number of cylinders, interleave, and a couple
of other things. Not knowing....I guessed!

After that I rebooted the computer---and---nothing! Not a peep out
of the hard drive, and the computer wouldn't start up. It would boot
off a floppy, but even then, the hard drive was unreadable...
Received on Tue Oct 17 2000 - 13:26:25 BST