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Author Topic: Low level format  (Read 2255 times)

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nork

    Topic Starter


    Rookie

    Low level format
    « on: March 11, 2008, 10:15:50 AM »
    Hi, all. I'm new here but not new to fora. I searched for the answer to my question but i didnt find it here so here goes.

    I have a sata drive that i believe has errors. Its an hitachi 320 gig. Can you give me the name of a low level format prog that works the fastest. I know they all take a certain amount of time, so i am just asking for your opinions of which is the fastest free prog out there.
    thanks

    Deerpark



      Egghead
    • Thanked: 1
      Re: Low level format
      « Reply #1 on: March 11, 2008, 12:51:39 PM »
      What kind of errors are you talking about here?
      If your operating system is reporting bad sectors no amount of low level formatting will fix them. Bad sectors is a physical problem with the disk.
      But use the Drive Fitness Test tool from Hitachi. This can tell you if the drive is defective and can zero (low level format) the drive as well.
      Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
      Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)

      nork

        Topic Starter


        Rookie

        Re: Low level format
        « Reply #2 on: March 11, 2008, 01:37:31 PM »
        As its turns out i was using that hitachi drive fitness. It was going very slow so i stopped it and thats why i posted here, to see if there was a faster one. Seems to me the hitachi prog was at sector 189 w all 189 sectors bad but repaired when i stopped the program.

        But, again, it was going so very slow. Maybe there isnt a faster prog, just have to wait it out, but thought i would ask here.

        thanks

        Deerpark



          Egghead
        • Thanked: 1
          Re: Low level format
          « Reply #3 on: March 11, 2008, 01:59:58 PM »
          Were you doing a wipe or testing the drive?
          You should do a drive test if you haven't yet.
          If you want to try another wiping tool you can try DBAN it might be faster.
          But if you're experiencing problems with the drive I recommend you stick with Hitachi's own tool.
          Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
          Arthur C. Clarke (1917 - 2008)

          nork

            Topic Starter


            Rookie

            Re: Low level format
            « Reply #4 on: March 11, 2008, 04:48:31 PM »
            I pretty much do this (low level format or zero write) for every new install, make sure the drive has no errors on it, no bad sectors.. But until now they have all been ide drives and i have been used to doing all this in dos and then letting win xp pro installation reformat the drive once again.  As this is my first sata drive i thought i would make this post, see whats out there that may be different for sata as opposed to ide, other than the fact that one has to do the F6 trick when installing win xp pro, and, in my case, with an intel 965 chipset, the win xp pro must be a full win xp pro w sp2, cant add sp2 on after installing xp pro.

            I see i am going at least in the right direction, using the hitachi utility. Dban was the next i was going to try, again, only because the Hitachi prog seemed to be going so slow.
            Yes, i was having problems with installing win xp pro and i had the impression it could be because
            the drive had bad sectors, thats why i was running the Hitachi prog, but i often, as stated above, run a similar such prog, depending on which make of drive.
            So, i do believe i have the info i needed. It seems i am on the right track with the Hitachi program and the other one that was mentioned, dban, i have a copy of that as well, so i guess i am good to go.
            thanks to all those for your thoughts.