3 Feb
2008
3 Feb
'08
11:21 a.m.
Another thing to try is a BIOS call. On the XT class controllers there
is a BIOS interrupt to do a low-level format. According to my Phoenix
BIOS ref, it is Int 13h, function 7. Parameters are:
AH = 07h
AL = Interleave
CH = Start Cylinder
DL = Drive number (80h or 81h)
Outputs are:
AH = 07h if bad drive number in DL
= 00h no error
= xxh More error codes .. see table
CF = 0 No error
= 1 Error (see AH)
Mike
Marvin Johnston wrote:
When I am using debug to format a HD on an unknown
controller, I'll do an
unassemble at C800:5 and C800:6. The correct address will have a jmp
instruction.
Besides the HD formatting program on the utilities disk, going *way* back, I
think Western Digital put out a formatting program WDFMT (?) that would allow
the formatting of MFM HDs. I think there also might have been some PD/shareware
programs to do the same thing. Assuming the Simtel archives are still around, I
would expect to be able to find these programs there.
From: Roger Pugh <rogpugh at mac.com>
does anyone know the correct incantation to low level format an MFM
drive, a rodime 351, driven by a Compaq controller board.
I,ve tried with debug G=C800:5 to no avail. there is no format program
there!.