Low Level Format with Block Size of 256 Bytes

Do you mean SCSI? Anyway, what operating system is it needed for?

I would look into the Linux tools for doing formatting (including low level formatting) of a disk. I'm embarrassed because even though I use Linux, I can remember exactly which utilities you need. I'd start by looking at mkfs (which means "make filesystem").

Ok, some things are coming back to me now. In Linux, you'd use fdisk to set up partitions on the disk, then mkfs to format the partitions, then you'd set up mount commands to mount the disks, assuming you wanted to use them in Linux.

Just to be clear, using Linux tools, you can set up a hard disk for use under a variety of operating systems, including all of the Microsoft Dos or Windows variations.

I haven't found a real good resource for mkfs with some quick googling. These might give you a start:

• How to Format a Hard Drive in Linux
• Linux / Unix mkfs command

However, if you haven't used Linux before, you're going to need some help. I'd look for a local LUG (Linux User Group). Try googling for the name of your city, county, state, or country and LUG and Linux. Someone in such a group may be able to help you locally.

If you can't find a local LUG, I can refer you to our LUG maillist.

If someone invites you to a meeting where they might help you, give them as much information as you can in advance, including what operating system you intend to use the disk under, remind that of the block size you need, etc.

Ok, this is (I think) a little more helpful:

• Partitioning and Formatting Second Hard Drive - (ext3)

Here they show the mkfs command to set up an ext3 filesystem (which you almost certainly don't want, as that is for a Linux system), but note that the -b specifies the block size:

[root@linux2 root]# mkfs.ext3 -b 4096 /dev/hdb1

(The prompt ([root@linux2 root]#) tells you that the command is run as the root user (sometimes aka as the superuser).) Before you run mkfs, you will have to run fdisk (or something similar) to set up the partition.

If you plan to use the disk on Windows, I've sometimes found that I get better results running the dos/Windows fdisk command to set up the partition, then booting into Linux to run the mkfs command.

You're thinking of

Gparted

I linked to a Live cd

Good day

fist of all thanks for your useful reply on my question, but regarding subject SCSI HDD, it is part of History module of Honeywell TDC 3000 DCS,(Control system of petrochemical plant).

As far as, I understand, I have to find a system with LINUX OS and format it in this system to reach block size of 256 byte.

You'll be able to run a live cd on most any computer, without actually installing linux permantly

You need at least one more piece of information--what operating system (or filesystem) does the Honeywell TDC 3000 DCS use?

The Linux software mentioned (some that I mentioned) can format for quite a variety of filesystems (ext2, ext3, fat, vfat, ntfs, ...), but you need to know which you need.

Maybe try googling for some combination of [Honeywell "TDC 3000" DCS history filesystem]?

Or, contact Honeywell. ;-)

TDC 3000 has own formatting tools but before running format HDD shall br LLF to block size of 256.

anyhow I've run GPARTED program, it detect the HDD and there was some tools for partition and formating but I did'nt find any option to set block size.

the file system determines the block size

the HDD probably has a proprietary system

chance are you need a new one if it has a substantial number of corrupted blocks & are locked into using their stuff

Re: TDC 3000 has own formatting tools but before running format HDD shall br LLF to block size of 256.

It's been a long time since I tried to run gparted (or some predecessor of it, maybe just named parted).

I'm more used to using the tools like fdisk (and cfdisk and sfdisk) and mkfs, which do more like a high level format.

I'm not too clear on how to do a low level format, except to say that you usually want to use the manufacturer's own utilities for that. Your model number is ST3600N and I think that is a Seagate drive. So you want to find the Seagate disk utilities to do a low level format. You may even need to find an old version of the Seagate disk utilities to be compatible with that drive.

There are various pieces of information / rumors floating around on the Internet that doing a low level format on a drive may damage it or void the warranty. I personally don't know, iirc, I only attempted a low level format on a fairly modern drive a few years ago--I used the manufacturer's utilities (mine was Maxtor) and it seemed to do the job.

This link at least mentions some of the issues that are brought up about low level formatting. The information there suggests you'd only have a problem if you lost power during the low level format. Like I say, I don't know the truth of the matter.

Here's a quote from another site

"Most modern hard drives, cannot be low level formatted. Unlike older
generation devices, where the head moved in physical 'steps', and the
numbers of sectors on the track were fixed, modern devices, use a servo
system, with the servo information itself embedded onto the magnetic media,
and can only be written using special tools at the factory. Fortunately, the
drives, also have the intelligence, to not accept low level formatting
instructions, and in most cases triggering a LLF, on such drives, results inthe media being scanned for defects, but no LLF occurring.

"Why do you think you need to LLF the drive?"

There is other information on the same page that is worth reviewing.

And here's some quotes from Wikipedia--again, reading more than I've quoted here would probably be helpful:

"Depending upon the system, low-level formatting was generally done by an operating system system utility. IBM compatible PCs used the BIOS which is involved using the MS-DOS debug program to transfer control to a routine hidden at different addresses in different BIOSs.[8] Low-level format function can also be called as "erase" or "wipe" in different tools. For best results it's highly recommended to use tools created by hard disk's manufacturer.

"Transition away from LLF

"Starting in the late 1980s, driven by the volume of IBM compatible PCs, HDDs became routinely available pre-formatted with a compatible low-level format. At the same time, the industry moved from historical (dumb) bit serial interfaces to modern (intelligent) bit serial interfaces and Word serial interfaces wherein the low level format was performed at the factory.

"Today, an end-user, in most cases, should never perform a low-level formatting of an IDE or ATA hard drive, and in fact it is often not possible to do so on modern hard drives outside of the factory.[9][10]"

I would guess that he is trying to repair a piece of legacy hardware & honeywell is gonna want money to update the firmware or otherwise allow replacement of hardware with newer components

Op is hoping a reformat will cure whatever symptom,

HDD is a likely failure point, along with the power supply or even the CPU.

things like in/out modules can also give you symptoms that appear to be HDD,

no idea if OP has another good hdd to substitute, though that may not be possible for other reasons

just throwing out some other possibilities to shake out some more info

Good day

it is not question of replacement or other things,

it is my challenge to find how it is possible to set block size of HDD to 256 byte.

Hi rhkramer

I'm looking for a metod to set block size of HDD to 256 byte and I think the LLF is only way.

Is there any other way to do it?

Re: Is there any other way to do it?

Yes, I think so, but you may have to experiment.

I see two possibilities:

One is to find out what OS or filesystem the Honeywell uses. Hopefully, you will find that it is a filesystem that Linux can format. Then I'd follow the approach that I mentioned generally in post #2, that is run fdisk to partition the disk, and then some variety of the mkfs command to format the disk.

The command I mentioned there was:

[root@linux2 root]# mkfs.ext3 -b 4096 /dev/hdb1

You have to change several things in that command as appropriate--change 4096 to 256, /dev1/hdb1 refers to the first partition on the 2nd hard drive (2nd on the 1st controller) connected to the Linux machine--adjust that based on where you connect the hard drive to the Linux machine.

Finally, change the ext3 to suit the filesystem required for the Honeywell system.

As a 2nd approach, and assuming the Honeywell system has the ability to do a format, you might try formatting the disk in a Linux system to a 256 byte block size in any filesystem, then put it in the Honeywell system and format it with the Honeywell formatting command.

No guarantees, but I'd give those a try, and I don't think there's much potential for damaging the hard drive. (You might not get it to work, but I'm pretty sure you won't damage it.)

Finally, I'd be surprised if the Honeywell system didn't use some standard filesystem, either from the Microsoft family or the Linux / Unix family. (I doubt it will have used an Apple filesystem.)

It's very likely Honeywell has added protection or other little twist to make sure you must keep your software current

cross compatibility is almost unheard of in industrial computing among the biggies...

another good example is: what format does a Dish network DVR HDD use?

once again OP has declined to give us any further insight into the actual problem

it could be something like wanting to increase the capacity of data logging

Hi

I've found in internet SCSI toolbox32, and as it was explained, setting of block size to 256 byte can be done on SCSI hdd with 5400 rpm easily, but I could not find any link to download.

Is this true?

and is there any link for download?

It looks like SCSI toolbox32 is a commercial product available for as little as $2495 (on a 1 year lease basis). That's probably not what you want if you're looking for an inexpensive solution.

SCSItoolbox Suite

STB/LIC SCSItoolbox annual lease 2495

Are you sure you really need 256-byte blocks? I cannot believe there is a piece of software which is totally dependent on block size. Why don't you just reformat the disc with the operating system you propose to use it with?

Are you sure that is right? Seagate say it should be 512 byte blocks.....using another block size will work, but may possibly slow down the disk dramatically...it just depends on the hardware design.....

Is there a particular reason for using 256 byte blocks? Smaller block usually reduce disk usage (less "left over partial blocks on the disk, especially when file sizes are smaller), but may increase access times.....as might any block size that does not "fit" the disk hardware design.....

I hope this helps.....

Use Honeywell HVTS tool for formatting the disk. (file jou need is &Z5.LCN )