Low Level Format Utility

[MithShrike]

Hi, I'm looking for a basic, DOS-based LLF utility. I'd like to low level my hard drives but I don't know what would be good... any suggestions? Thanks :beer:

 

[Codewiz]

Just go to the website for whoever makes your hard drive. Their disk utilities always include a LLF utility

 

[jmatt]

http://www.hatecomputers.com/Images/
Or use google to find other sites , if this one is dead .
Freeware utility called MAXLLF.EXE (MAXLLF.EXE is property of the
Maxtor hard disk company) and will low level format almost
any hard disk, Maxtor brand or not ! And it does a very good,
error free job every time ! (Low leveling means you wipe even
the format information from the disk, meaning you must re-fdisk
and then format the drive to made it work properly again).

How to use .

Put MAXLLF.EXE on a boot disk .

Put floppy in drive & start computor .

At the A:\> prompt , type in MAXLLF.EXE & press Enter .

Press y to Enter program .

At the Select Device message , if you have more than one HD installed ( always better to only
have one ) press 1 or whatever drive number you want to LLF & press Enter .

If the drive details are correct , use the arrow button to select Low Level Current Device &
press Enter .

 

[MithShrike]

Yes, yes, I know what a low level format is... just haven't had to do one yet. Thanks for the info. The reason I want to to this is that I have a 3.2GB that only registers as a 3GB and I have a 10GB that only registers as a 9.5GB... I'm hoping this will help some.

 

[MithShrike]

Thanks for the info peoples.

 

[sciencewhiz]

read the FAQ: http://www.anandtech.com/guides/viewfaq.html?i=136

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Mith
Yes, yes, I know what a low level format is... just haven't had to do one yet. Thanks for the info. The reason I want to to this is that I have a 3.2GB that only registers as a 3GB and I have a 10GB that only registers as a 9.5GB... I'm hoping this will help some.

It won't. Read the faq posted above.

 

[stevewm]

Originally posted by: Mith
Yes, yes, I know what a low level format is... just haven't had to do one yet. Thanks for the info. The reason I want to to this is that I have a 3.2GB that only registers as a 3GB and I have a 10GB that only registers as a 9.5GB... I'm hoping this will help some.

No, this will not stop that....

The "problem" is due to the differences in which hardrive manufactuers and operating systems report hardrive size. To HD manufactuers a Gigabyte is 1000MB. While to most operating systems a Gigabyte is 1024MB. The FAQ link posted above explains this in great detail.

And low level formatting typically refers to the low level structures that are written at the factory. These structures are used to keep the drive's heads on track with your data and also provide for defect management (auto hiding of bad sectors). This is done once at the factory and NEVER again. No modern hardrive has the ability to LLF itself, even SCSI drives. The drive's own electronics are not capable of reproducing the signals. So called LLF utils simply zero out all the user data areas on the drive, not a true low level format