1. Hard Disk Preparation program 4.

05
KFH Assocaites, (c) 1985, 1986, 1987
2771, Middleborough
San Jose, CA 95132

FOR IBM PC AND XT & COMPATIBLES

AT needs HDPREPAT.exe
DOS 2.x/3.x
ALSO XEBEC 1210
DTC 5150
ADAPTEC 2002A
W DIGITAL 1002-WX2 (AND Cobra auto config board)
ETC. PC CONTROLLER BOARDS

If you think the program is useful to you,

$35.00 donation to H. King at above
address will register for updating service

Rev 4.00 add file input and drive types

Rev 4.01 correct the sector/trk handling for Adaptec 2070
Rev 4.02
a. Add Fdisk setup option
b. Add defect table file save option
* c. Change the drive designation from 0/1 to 1/2
d. When drive is selected for primary format or Fdisk,
the LED of the selected drive is activated for verification.
Rev 4.03
a. Option 9 - Add drive type 28,29,30 for SyQuest cartridge drive on
Xebec 1210C as special case.
b. Xebec 1210c may need to use option 9 before the option
2 and 3 if the drive has never been primary formatted
by Xebec 1210. (This may need further verification).
c. Option 9 - input parameter has additional Xebec 1210C option.
d. Modify LED verification to handle certain controllers which
must be primary formatted beforehand.
e. Generate error mesaage if primary format fails.
Rev 4.04
not released
Rev 4.05
a. Support WD auto configuration cobra boards

2. The program READ in the hard disk drive parameters from the
controller to determine the available number of heads and cylinders
for each attached drive. This assumes the controller follows the IBM BIO
convention. Otherwise, the program defaults to 2 head and 100
cylinders for each drive. When this happens, the controller usually
has problem. You can use option 9 to change the settings. However,
the change is only temporary since the drive parameters are in the
controller ROM. If you have an Adaptec controller, the parameter will
be recorded to disk drive and later still can be recognized by the
DOS. Western Digital's Cobra board is not supported at this time.

If adaptec or WD auto configuration controller is used, use option

9 to set drive parameters before use format options.
3. Hard disk preparation uses the controller default parameters in the
BIOS unless it is overwritten by option 9.

Instructions:

The program is manual driven and self explanatory. The following is a

summary.

Options:

1. Select the drive to be operated on. Drive 0 is the first hard disk
drive attached to the controller (usually the C:), Drive 1 is the
second one (usually the D:).

2. Perform the controller primary FORMAT of the specified drive by option 1.

See option 3. Run FDISK and Dos FORMAT after this step.
Bad track locations can be input at this step and the program
shall use the input to mark the bad ones accordingly. Option
is allowed to enter the file name that contains the defect track
location table. In this defect table file, each record has two
numbers. The first number is the head number and the second one
is the track (cylinder) location.

3. Perform the controller primary FORMAT of the specified drive by option 1

and scan the disk for bad tracks and mark them bad. Run FDISK and
DOS FORMAT after this step. This option 3 is preferred to option 2.
In the begining of this step, you can enter the bad tracks if you
already know them. This step marks any bad track found, plus
the ones you entered, at the end of the process. As in the option 2,
the defect table file name can be used.

4. Move the head to track 0 for the specified drive.

5. Exit this program.

6. Set the interleave number for the controller primary FORMAT. The default is
6 which is used by IBM PC/XT. Do not use other number unless you
have enough knowedge on the controller. Adaptec controller can use
interleave 2. Western Digital controller can use 3.

7. If you know a specific track and head location is bad, you can use
this option to mark the track bad. Use DOS FDISK AND FORMAT after
this step.

Option allows the program to scan the drive and lists tracks that
already marked bad.

8. If you want to remark a bad track to reuse the track, you can use this
option. This option can not physically correct the defect track.

Option allows the program to scan the drive and lists tracks that
already marked bad.

9. Use this option to define the number of heads and cylinders for each
drive for this program to use. This option does overwrite
the controller defined parameter and affect the controller primary FORMAT
 operation. The BIOS parameters are not affected. Warning: The DOS
FORMAT uses BIOS parameters.

However, the ADAPTEC 20xx is an exception, the overwrite parameters

are recognized by DOS Fdisk and Format programs after re-boot.

This option has a table of predefined drive parameters. You can select
a drive type from the table or input your own parameters.

** When you have adaptec or western digital auto config controller,

You must use this option first.

A. The same operation as the option 3, except during the verify process
more data patterns are used. The process can take twice longer then
the option 3. Usually, the option 3 is good enough.

B. This Fdisk option can apply to both hard disk drives. Be careful !!
The Fdisk set-up is equivalent to the DOS Fdisk. After this Fdisk
set-up, the system will automatically reboot. You can proceed to
do DOS format after the reboot.

The option is manu driven.

Note:

At option 2,3,7 and 8, head and track location input feature allows the
number entering easier and can be edited later. After the completion of
input process, the screen shall display the entered bad tracks information.
Once the total track location display is on, you can use the cursor key to
move the pointer (reversed video) to different line/column and use command
to change (C), remove (R), Re-enter every thing (N), go ahead to
proceed (Y). The editing options are displayed at the bottom of the
screen for reference. (F) saves to the defect table information that
you entered to a file named by you and can be call back later.

If a new item need to be added, use cursor key to move the pointer
to a location that does not have any entry, hit "C" - change, head
number and cylinder number can then be added.