Epson 486SX Formatting a New Disk

The formatting options work as follows:

tl Format first scans the disk for defective (bad) tracks and lets you decide which tracks to mark as bad. Then it formats the disk and marks the bad tracks so they are never used to store data.

Q Destructive surface analysis tests the entire disk for read/write errors or unflagged bad tracks and updates the defective track table. Because this option writes and reads data on the disk, it destroys all data on any track that produces an error. You cannot run the Destructive surface

analysis on a disk that has never been formatted.

Ll Non-destructive surface analysis checks the disk for unflagged bad tracks without destroying data. You

cannot run the Non-destructive surface analysis on a disk that has never been formatted.

The type of format you choose depends on whether you are reformatting a disk that has been used or formatting a new disk for the first time. See the recommendations below.

Formatting a New Disk

Many hard disk drives come with a printed list of bad tracks but the bad tracks are not flagged on the disk. You may need to modify the defective track table to add the bad tracks. Other hard disks (such as those supplied by Epson) come with the bad tracks already flagged. If you are formatting a new hard disk that has never been formatted, select the Format option.

Physically Formatting a Hard Disk A-3