EIDE LLF Utility...

[Stone]

Does anyone have or know about a WD LLF utility for IDE/EIDE drives? I understand that this type of process is only done in the factory but I've got several drives that are ready to be trashed and before doing this I'de like to see if they are in any way salvageable. They are recognized by the BIOS but that's where it ends. Neither FDISK nor Windows is able to see them.

 

[vwestlife]

The only IDE drives I know of which can be low-level formatted by the end user are some early 20 and 40 MB stepper motor IDE drives. These drives were mechanically identical to MFM/RLL drives; they just had different controller/interface circuitry on them.

The low-level format on modern voice-coil IDE/EIDE/SATA drives is drive- and manufacturer-specific. I don't know if it is even possible to low-level format them once they leave the factory, as the drive's circuitry may simply not allow it, no matter what kind of software you write.

 

[pearce_jj]

Try Max LLF - here. I'm not sure what it actually does but it did bring several Maxtor EIDE drives back for me (in the mid 90s).