On 25 Sep 99, at 14:59, raymond kornele wrote:

> >From: Mark Rode <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Re: [PCBUILD] low level format
> >Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 22:54:41 -0700
> >
> >FDISK will not remove corrupt partition tables or corrupt boot sectors
> >which is why it is sometimes necessary to LLF.
>
> ===============
> Fdisk -is- low level format. The high level format in DOS is called Format.
>
> Fdisk -does- set the partitions -and- wipe all FAT and directory
> information from the disk.
>
> Also, you must specify partition information when doing Fdisk.
>
> That according to the Microsoft DOS manual.
> =====Korny=====

  This is simply not true.  FDISK allows you to edit the partition
table, within certain limitations[*].  The FAT and empty directory
information are created by FORMAT, and are not the business either of
FDISK or of a low-level format.

  One characteristic of both FORMAT and a low-level format is that
you have to wait for some time, based on the performance of your
drive/controller and the size of the drive (LLF) or partition
(FORMAT) while the relevant parts of the disk get rewritten.
  Note that there is no subcommand within FDISK that exhibits this
timing; therefore, it cannot be "wiping" the disk.

[*] For instance, it may not allow you to fix a corrupted partition
table, for fear that you are trying to use it to destroy valid non-
DOS partitions....

  I believe you have misunderstood this portion of the manual; it is
entirely possible that the wording used by Microsoft may encourage
such misunderstanding, but it cannot truthfully mean what you believe
it to say.  Mark Rode's statement above is correct.

David G

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