That procedure does test to the surface sectors, updates the GS tables stored in the ZIPs SA cylinder with any new bad sector found, and while modifying the SA, it also resets the security data stored there. I imagine it invokes a firmware factory test routine stored in the ZIP device firmware, or uploads one stored in the Iomegaware executable to the ZIP reader via manufacturer specific ATAPI CBDs, and executes it there. As I said, in the same level you can accomplish with manufacturer supplied tools and stuff like the AceLabs PC3000 on modern HDDs. But certainly it does more than the OS formatting built in procedures. ![]() You can't do the same as with MFM LLF on Floppy and old stepper motor head driven HDDs, as ZIP heads are Voice Coil driven, thus the disk media is hard servo-tracked on factory time (you can't alter it with your home ZIP device). If a long format in IomegaWare is a LLF it means a bad ZIP cartridge, like a bad floppy disk, can potentially be recovered that way. Used at the time to restore bad sectors or to allow a disk to work with a new controller. Maybe just bad luck □įor what I remember of the 80's, low level format was used for MFM media (HDD, floppies). Unfortunately, I never was able to recover one. For what I remember of the 80's, low level format was used for MFM media (HDD, floppies). Compared to a fast format that would just rewrite the disc structure. I always though a long format would just test sectors and fill them with 0 and then create the disk structure. Thanks for the information, that's interesting. In other words, that's what makes it special. This writes data to the SA cylinder in the ZIP disk and manipulates the GS lists.įor that you need issue special ATAPI/SCSI vendor commands using an specific crafted SCSI/ATAPI CBDs. That's because IomegaWare "long format" would be the equivalent of "low level format" on Harddrives with special manufacturing or PC3000-like tools. Long format is useful if you have a protected disc and you forgot the password. You can do fast format, but not long format. With IomegaWare software you can test a cartridge to see if the drive and the cartridge is working. And for a 100 MB cartridge, this can only be done in a 100 MB drive. The only way to use it again is to do a long format. I never said you have to specially format a 100 MB disc in a 250 MB for it to work. My ZIP drives are external parallel, SCSI, USB (USB powered and with external PSU) port and internal ATAPI. I have a collection of ZIP and JAZ drives. And writing to a 100 MB cartridge in a 250 MB drive is slower than with a 100 MB drive, especially with small files. The zip drive was an internal one on a dell inspiron 8100 so pretty sure it was ATAPI and the drives on the uni computers were ATAPI with a few USB ones too. ![]() Never had to specially format the 100mb discs - they just worked fine in the 250mb drive. Used to use them in a 250 drive on my laptop and the 100mb drives that the university computers had to shuttle data around. The internal is very fragile, especially the heads so I do not recommended to clean them.Īre you sure? I used zip drives loads back in the early 2000s and I used to use 100mb zip discs in my 250mb drive with no issues - could format, read, write etc with no issues. I would recommend to test the drive with a 250 MB cartridge, formatting, writing and reading file on it to see if the drive is working. ![]() If the cartridge works in a ZIP 100 drive and it is not protected, it can be a drive head problem. Without it Windows XP may not recognize it. If the disk is protected, you need the Iomega Tools software to access it. 250 MB ZIP drive are not fully compatible with 100 MB cartridge.
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