> The reason to do formatting with the final orientation is due to the
> slight changes in head positioning that can be caused by gravity. This
> helps insure that the head lines up with the formatting marks.
>
> There are two levels of formatting. The normal format that you perform
> after partitioning (FDISK), and the low level format that is done prior
> to partitioning. The low level is generally done by the factory, and on
> modern drives, I don't know if a true low level format even takes place
> any more. Anyone want to address that question?
>
> In any case, if the drive hardware is rated for upside down mounting,
> then formatting it after installation in that position is definitely
> recommended.

        Do you have a source for this? I just don't see what difference it could
make. All current drives use active feedback, they seek out the data, not
position the head in a certain place and hope they are in the right place.
While a different orientation would require a different amount of current in
the voice coil to get it to the right place the active feedback would
automatically account and compensate for that. Perhaps there is something
I'm missing? TTYL

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