Low Level Format

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
Date: Thu Aug 21 16:02:00 2003

At 12:09 PM 8/21/03 -0400, you wrote:
>If the LLF is not performed on IDE drives,
>then I wonder wonder what Format does spend its time on?

   That's a good question. However there's a LOT of clusters on a modern HD
and it has to create FAT entries for all of them (actually TWO FATs) plus
create a directory. Perhaps it writes and verifies those areas of the drive
but not the data area.

   But as Gene or Fred pointed out, a LLF format on the OLD MFM drives with
only 100 or 200 Mb or so took 12 plus hours to run. Imagine what it take
for a modern 80Gb drive! Yes, seek time has decreased but only about a
factor of two (18ms to about 9ms). FYI I just installed an 80Gb drive
night before last. It took well under an hour to partition AND HL format it.


>I mean, on floppies a HLF takes about a second.

   Then your system is a LOT faster than any I've seen. It takes at least a
minute (ball park,I haven't timed it) on all that I've seen.

   Joe

>
>John A.
Received on Thu Aug 21 2003 - 16:02:00 BST