Power Computing PowerCenter PRO User Manual page 175

blocks of the disk device, where the partition map and device drivers are
normally located.
The partition map contains information about the location of each file on your disk.
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Hard Disk ToolKit•PE's Low Level Format maps out the entire disk
device's magnetic media into error-free sectors, zones, and tracks. A Low
Level Format will also attempt to fix any bad blocks it encounters. If bad
blocks are beyond repair, they can be spared out. Hard Disk ToolKit•PE
then gives the user the choice to go on to partition the device into vol-
umes, or to leave the device in a formatted, but unusable, state.
Sparing out means that good blocks on a special reserve track are used instead of the bad
blocks.
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Hard Disk ToolKit•PE's Test command can also scan for bad blocks and reallocate them.
NOTE
You do not need to perform a low-level format often. It is a time-consum-
ing process that you should use only when you first purchase a drive or in
situations where the integrity of the disk is suspect. In most circum-
stances, it is easier, faster, and just as effective to perform a Quick Format
or an Auto Initialize.
Chapter 4: Using Hard Disk ToolKit•PE 145