Epson 20 - Manual (Page 178)

Formatting and Checking Options
To perform a physical format or to determine if a hard disk needs to
be physically reformatted, follow these steps:
1. Insert the Reference diskette in drive A.
2. Turn on or reset the computer. The OPERATION MENU
appears.
3. Press 2 to select Format hard disk, and then press Enter. The
following menu of formatting and checking options appears:
HARD DISK FORMAT MENU
l - Conditional format (Normal)
- Unconditional format
- Destructive surface analysis
4 - Non-destructive surface analysis
0 - Exit
Enter selection number:
The first two options format a hard disk. Normally you use option 1,
Conditional format (Normal). This option automatically locates any
tracks that are
flagged
by the manufacturer and marks them so that
they are never used. Option 2, Unconditional format, requires you to
enter tracks that are to be flagged as bad, and then allows you to edit
the list of bad tracks.
The other two options test a hard disk for problems. Use option 3,
Destructive surface analysis, to test the entire disk and update the bad
track table. Because this option writes and reads data on the disk, it
destroys all data on any track that produces an error. To check for
unflagged bad tracks without destroying data, use option 4, Non-
destructive surface analysis.
D-2
Physically Formatting a Hard
Disk