degaussed disk drive
watt...@my-deja.com
trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
following when I format the drive
Formatting...
Format failed
Retry format without mode selects and Crown Defects list? "yes"
Formatting...
Not ready error during format
ASC: 0x4 ASCQ:0x0
failed
Prtvtoc gives the following:
prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0: Unable to read disk geometry
What can I use to get this drive recognizable to the system? I am on
Solaris 8 ( but I can use 2.5.1, 2.6, or 7)
Thanks for your help
Richard
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Ed F. de Guzman
> I have a 9 GB seagate drive that has been degaussed. I have been
> trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
> following when I format the drive
>
> Formatting...
> Format failed
>
>
> prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0: Unable to read disk geometry
>
> What can I use to get this drive recognizable to the system? I am on
> Solaris 8 ( but I can use 2.5.1, 2.6, or 7)
>
> Thanks for your help
>
> Richard
>
> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.
What do you mean degaussed? Erased by a magnetic device externally?
If so, then you lost all disk geometry/structure. Possibility of recovering
is to get it low-level formatted by getting the low level format
software/tool from Seagate.
Should this fail, then see if Seagate can do this for you.
If not, buy a new disk!
Good luck.
Ed
Juergen Marenda
watt...@my-deja.com schrieb:
>
> I have a 9 GB seagate drive that has been degaussed. I have been
> trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
> following when I format the drive
>
> Formatting...
> Format failed
>
> Retry format without mode selects and Crown Defects list? "yes"
>
> Formatting...
> Not ready error during format
> ASC: 0x4 ASCQ:0x0
> failed
> Prtvtoc gives the following:
>
> prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0: Unable to read disk geometry
>
> What can I use to get this drive recognizable to the system? I am on
> Solaris 8 ( but I can use 2.5.1, 2.6, or 7)
>
> Thanks for your help
>
> Richard
You may try format -e and use the scsi "expert" menu.
Hope this helps,
Juergen Marenda.
--
jm...@wanadoo.fr
Joerg Schilling
>I have a 9 GB seagate drive that has been degaussed. I have been
>trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
>following when I format the drive
>
>Formatting...
>Format failed
>
>Retry format without mode selects and Crown Defects list? "yes"
>
>Formatting...
>Not ready error during format
>ASC: 0x4 ASCQ:0x0
>failed
>Prtvtoc gives the following:
>
>prtvtoc /dev/rdsk/c1t1d0s0: Unable to read disk geometry
If you _really_ degaussed your drive (you would need a big big magnet
to do this) you are lost.
In this case, all servo information is lost. It is not possible anymore
to format the disk.
Try to run sformat
ftp://ftp.fokus.gmd.de/pub/unix/sformat/
to make sure that you did not only run into a Sun format problem.
--
EMail:jo...@schily.isdn.cs.tu-berlin.de (home) Jörg Schilling D-13353 Berlin
j...@cs.tu-berlin.de (uni) If you don't have iso-8859-1
schi...@fokus.gmd.de (work) chars I am J"org Schilling
URL: http://www.fokus.gmd.de/usr/schilling ftp://ftp.fokus.gmd.de/pub/unix
Joerg Schilling
Ed F. de Guzman <efgu...@kodak.com> wrote:
>watt...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
>> I have a 9 GB seagate drive that has been degaussed. I have been
>> trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
>> following when I format the drive
>>
>> Formatting...
>> Format failed
>>
>>
>>
>> Solaris 8 ( but I can use 2.5.1, 2.6, or 7)
>>
>> Thanks for your help
>>
>> Richard
>>
>> Before you buy.
>
>What do you mean degaussed? Erased by a magnetic device externally?
>
>If so, then you lost all disk geometry/structure. Possibility of recovering
>is to get it low-level formatted by getting the low level format
>software/tool from Seagate.
There is no low-level format.
THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft because
they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
If there is absolutely no magnetic information left on the drive, you
would either need to relace the controller HW on the disk by someting
special or would need some sspecial knowledge from the Manufacturer to
re-record the servo infomation on the disk.
Haggisman
>
> There is no low-level format.
>
> THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft
> because
> they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
>
Formatting has nothing to do with newfs. "Format" in the Solaris world
sets up disk partitions, assigns superblock copies and a few other
miscellaneous tasks.
Low-level formatting gets all those random magentic particles into some
kind of order. The manufacturer does this. Slices the disk into tracks
and cylinders.
Newfs merely creates a file system on a formatted disk
Scotty
Rich Teer
> Joerg Schilling wrote:
> >
> > There is no low-level format.
> >
> > THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft
> > because
> > they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
> >
>
> Formatting has nothing to do with newfs. "Format" in the Solaris world
> sets up disk partitions, assigns superblock copies and a few other
> miscellaneous tasks.
If you read carefully, that's exctly what Jörg is saying: when peecee
lusers say "format", they really mean newfs. Presumably, fdisk (and I
bet the "F" in fdisk means "format"...) is their equivelent of our
format.
--
Rich Teer
NT tries to do almost everything UNIX does, but fails - miserably.
The use of Windoze cripples the mind; its use should, therefore, be
regarded as a criminal offence. (With apologies to Edsger W. Dijkstra)
Voice: +1 (250) 979-1638
URL: http://www.rite-online.net
Joerg Schilling
Haggisman <hagg...@foobar.com> wrote:
>Joerg Schilling wrote:
>>
>> There is no low-level format.
>>
>> THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft
>> because
>> they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
>>
>
>Formatting has nothing to do with newfs. "Format" in the Solaris world
>sets up disk partitions, assigns superblock copies and a few other
>miscellaneous tasks.
If you really believe this, you should stay with Microsoft!
Format & sformat format a disk by writing patterns to the disk
that allow regocnition of sector numbers and sector borders.
This _is_ what M$ calls low-level format to create confusion.
Writing partition maps is just some additionl value.
>Low-level formatting gets all those random magentic particles into some
>kind of order. The manufacturer does this. Slices the disk into tracks
>and cylinders.
There is no low-level formatting!
>Newfs merely creates a file system on a formatted disk
At least you got this... half way... Superblocks are part of the
filesytem and written by newfs!
Dr. David Kirkby
>
> I have a 9 GB seagate drive that has been degaussed. I have been
> trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
> following when I format the drive
>
> Formatting...
> Format failed
>
I've never herd of anyone degaussing a disk before, however the following might
just be useful. I once formatted a disk under Solaris, but had the formatting
interrupted during the format process. I could find no way to recover the disk
using the Solaris tools.
However, moving the disk to a PC and formatting the disk with the Adaptec 2940UW
controller in the PC, did then allow the disk to be usable. Once moved back to
the Sun, it worked fine.
However, in this case, people who clearly know more about disks than me say the
disk will be ruined, so I'd be inclined to believe them.
--
Dr. David Kirkby Ph.D,
Senior Research Fellow,
Department of Medical Physics, University College London,
11-20 Capper St, London, WC1E 6JA.
Tel: 020 7209 6406 Fax: 020 7209 6269
email: da...@medphys.ucl.ac.uk web page: http://www.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/~davek
Amateur radio callsign: G8WRB
Joerg Schilling
Dr. David Kirkby <da...@medphys.ucl.ac.uk> wrote:
>watt...@my-deja.com wrote:
>>
>> I have a 9 GB seagate drive that has been degaussed. I have been
>> trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
>> following when I format the drive
>>
>> Formatting...
>> Format failed
>>
>
>I've never herd of anyone degaussing a disk before, however the following might
>just be useful. I once formatted a disk under Solaris, but had the formatting
>interrupted during the format process. I could find no way to recover the disk
>using the Solaris tools.
>
>However, moving the disk to a PC and formatting the disk with the Adaptec 2940UW
>controller in the PC, did then allow the disk to be usable. Once moved back to
>the Sun, it worked fine.
In this case you most likely would have been able to format the drive with
sformat.
ftp://ftp.fokus.gmd.de/pub/unix/sformat/
Haggisman
> In article <PM0003758...@scotty.uoguelph.ca>,
> Haggisman <hagg...@foobar.com> wrote:
>>Joerg Schilling wrote:
>>>
>>> There is no low-level format.
>>>
>>> THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft
>>> because
>>> they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
>>>
>>
>>Formatting has nothing to do with newfs. "Format" in the Solaris
> world
>>sets up disk partitions, assigns superblock copies and a few other
>>miscellaneous tasks.
>
> If you really believe this, you should stay with Microsoft!
>
Joerg,
I have some news for you. You better start reading the Solaris man
pages. You are
WRONG. Have you ever used 'format' on a Solaris system before? (and yes
your right
superblocks are written by newfs). But 'newfs' has ZERO, NOTHING, NADA
to do with format).
> Format & sformat format a disk by writing patterns to the disk
> that allow regocnition of sector numbers and sector borders.
> This _is_ what M$ calls low-level format to create confusion.
> Writing partition maps is just some additionl value.
>
No confusion at all. It's how disks are made usable. Thats the function
of a low-level
format. *Formatting* the disk allows the OS to recognize it, Newfs
creates a file system
on a formatted disk.
>>Low-level formatting gets all those random magentic particles into
> some
>>kind of order. The manufacturer does this. Slices the disk into
> tracks
>>and cylinders.
>
> There is no low-level formatting!
Yes there is. Thats how the manufaturer of the disk makes it usable.
*sigh* never mind.
>
>
>>Newfs merely creates a file system on a formatted disk
>
> At least you got this... half way... Superblocks are part of the
> filesytem and written by newfs!
>
Sorry, I cocked that one up. you are indeed correct - newfs does write
superblock copies.
scotty
Haggisman
> On Tue, 7 Nov 2000, Haggisman wrote:
>
>> Joerg Schilling wrote:
>> >
>> > There is no low-level format.
>> >
>> > THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft
>> > because
>> > they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
>> >
>>
>> Formatting has nothing to do with newfs. "Format" in the Solaris
> world
>> sets up disk partitions, assigns superblock copies and a few other
>> miscellaneous tasks.
>
> lusers say "format", they really mean newfs. Presumably, fdisk (and I
> bet the "F" in fdisk means "format"...) is their equivelent of our
> format.
>
Thats quite true. But newfs still has nothing to do with format on
Solaris. "Low-level
Format" is used by the manufacturer to prepare a disk for use. That is
the more prevalant
use of the term. 'Format' prepares a disk for use by whatever OS is
using it.
Scotty
Joerg Schilling
Haggisman <hagg...@foobar.com> wrote:
>Joerg Schilling wrote:
>> In article <PM0003758...@scotty.uoguelph.ca>,
>>>Joerg Schilling wrote:
>>>>
>>>> There is no low-level format.
>>>>
>>>> THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft
>>>> because
>>>> they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
>>>>
>>>
>>>Formatting has nothing to do with newfs. "Format" in the Solaris
>> world
>>>sets up disk partitions, assigns superblock copies and a few other
>>>miscellaneous tasks.
>>
>>
>
>Joerg,
>
>I have some news for you. You better start reading the Solaris man
>pages. You are
>WRONG. Have you ever used 'format' on a Solaris system before? (and yes
>your right
It seems that you are just a newbie..
I have written 'sformat' 2 years before Sun started with 'format'
and I _have_ had a look to Sun's format from time to time!
I _know_ what I am talking about.
>> Format & sformat format a disk by writing patterns to the disk
>> that allow regocnition of sector numbers and sector borders.
>> This _is_ what M$ calls low-level format to create confusion.
>> Writing partition maps is just some additionl value.
>>
>
>No confusion at all. It's how disks are made usable. Thats the function
>of a low-level
>format. *Formatting* the disk allows the OS to recognize it, Newfs
>creates a file system
>on a formatted disk.
It seems that you newer formatted a disk drive and never heard about what's
happening then.
>> There is no low-level formatting!
>
>Yes there is. Thats how the manufaturer of the disk makes it usable.
>
>*sigh* never mind.
Please forget your wrong ideas. The fact that SCSI drives are delivered
preformatted does not change basic facts on disk formatting.
If you connect e.g. an ST512 Disk to a ST512<->SCSI controler, the
disk is not usable! After you run 'sformat' on that drive it becomes
usable by formatting it. When you use 'sformat' to format a SCSI disk
'sformat' will do absolutely the same things with the SCSI drive as
it would do with the ST512 drive.
Just take a SCSI disk drive, call sformat to format it and switch
it off while the format ir running: the drive becomes inaccessible.
After running sformat a second time, it becomes usable again.
Low-level formatting is just a NO word from Microsoft that you should
forget as soon as possible.
Bill Kittle
When a drives is degaussed by an external magnetic field
the servo information is also erased. This drive is now a doorstop.
The servo information cannot be replaced by any utility.
Bill Kittle
BLT Services
watt...@my-deja.com wrote:
> I have a 9 GB seagate drive that has been degaussed. I have been
> trying to use format to reformat and recover the drive. I will get the
> following when I format the drive
>
> Formatting...
> Format failed
>
> Retry format without mode selects and Crown Defects list? "yes"
>
> Formatting...
> Not ready error during format
> ASC: 0x4 ASCQ:0x0
> failed
> Prtvtoc gives the following:
>
Haggisman
>>your right
>
> It seems that you are just a newbie..
Errr ...no, I cut my teeth on an IBM370 in 1973. Heard of ICKDSF? :)
>
> I have written 'sformat' 2 years before Sun started with 'format'
> and I _have_ had a look to Sun's format from time to time!
>
> I _know_ what I am talking about.
Not denying you do. The format program I am referring to is the one
available on Solaris.
>
>>> Format & sformat format a disk by writing patterns to the disk
>>> that allow regocnition of sector numbers and sector borders.
>>> This _is_ what M$ calls low-level format to create confusion.
>>> Writing partition maps is just some additionl value.
>>>
Fine, so if I were to run 'format' on a SCSI Disk in my Sun Disk array,
I'm re-doing
the sector and track information? I think not.
If you've written a program called 'format' which sets up sectors and
tracks on a disk then thats great. But it's not the 'format' program
I've been using on Solaris.
Scotty
sau...@idx.com.au
> Joerg Schilling wrote:
> >
> > There is no low-level format.
> >
> > THe "word" low-level format is a non word created by IBM/Microsoft
> > because
> > they started to use "format" for what people usually call "newfs".
> >
>
> Formatting has nothing to do with newfs. "Format" in the Solaris world
> sets up disk partitions, assigns superblock copies and a few other
> miscellaneous tasks.
No it doesn't.
> Low-level formatting gets all those random magentic particles into some
> kind of order. The manufacturer does this. Slices the disk into tracks
> and cylinders.
No it doesn't.
May I suggest having a quick read of the newfs and format man pages so
that your dangerously wrong beliefs are corrected before you destroy
your filesystems?
Chris
--
Chris "Saundo" Saunderson sau...@idx.com.au
Unix Guy Powered by Linux and the Orb.
sau...@idx.com.au
> If you've written a program called 'format' which sets up sectors and
> tracks on a disk then thats great. But it's not the 'format' program
> I've been using on Solaris.
Before you make yourself look more stupid than you have, please go
and do a Google search for Joerg Schilling.
It's ok, an apology will do.
Joerg Schilling
Bill Kittle <blt...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>While we all discuss formatting......
>When a drives is degaussed by an external magnetic field
>the servo information is also erased. This drive is now a doorstop.
>The servo information cannot be replaced by any utility.
This is what I already wrote in my first article but it seemd that
people maily looked for the words format/low-level forat.
BTW: drives with an odd number of visible heads have a separate
servo head and they have most likely been created with
mounting a dick that has been externally recorded with the
analogue servo information.
This method has become unusual past 1992
Drives with an even number of visible heads have embedded servo and
are hard sectored.
This is done by a servo burst bewteen sectors which also
creates the hard sector pulse. As modern HW drives include
a head pre-amplifyier on the head sledge, it may be that
this embedded servo burst has also been recorded before the
disks are mounted into the pack.
If the embedded servo information can be recorded on a
complete drive chamber it is most likely done with a
different electronic than that is shipped with a complete
drive.
Joerg Schilling
Haggisman <hagg...@foobar.com> wrote:
>Joerg Schilling wrote:
>
>Errr ...no, I cut my teeth on an IBM370 in 1973. Heard of ICKDSF? :)
But it seems that you never read the manuals these days....
Otherwise you should know better what happens when a disk
is formatted.
>> I have written 'sformat' 2 years before Sun started with 'format'
>> and I _have_ had a look to Sun's format from time to time!
>>
>> I _know_ what I am talking about.
>
>Not denying you do. The format program I am referring to is the one
>available on Solaris.
I too. But it seems that you don't know what this program is doing.
Maybe it helps if you read the man page for that program.
>>>> Format & sformat format a disk by writing patterns to the disk
>>>> that allow regocnition of sector numbers and sector borders.
>>>> This _is_ what M$ calls low-level format to create confusion.
>>>> Writing partition maps is just some additionl value.
>>>>
>
>Fine, so if I were to run 'format' on a SCSI Disk in my Sun Disk array,
>I'm re-doing
>the sector and track information? I think not.
It _does_ rewrite the sector and track information.
>If you've written a program called 'format' which sets up sectors and
>tracks on a disk then thats great. But it's not the 'format' program
>I've been using on Solaris.
Unless you ported the M$ format program to Solaris you are wrong.
Brian Krahmer
> BTW: drives with an odd number of visible heads have a separate
> servo head and they have most likely been created with
> mounting a dick
Hey! Watch your language. My SS20 has virgin ears. :)
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
brian