#### "The Linux Gazette...making Linux just a little more fun!"

# The Answer Guy

#### By James T. Dennis, linux-questions-only@ssc.com
Starshine Technical Services, http://www.starshine.org/

### Low Level Formatting

From William Smith on Tue, 19 Jan 1999

How do you perform a low level format on your hard disk, my system has a virus received when dwn loading from the net that keeps throwing it into safe mode. I have completed `C:\format` and re-installed windows, it ran great for six months and went back into the safe mode. I was able to get it back up and running, but I can't remember how to perform the low level formatting.

> You don't actually need a "low-level" format. You can just "zero out" or "wipe" the drive.

> Boot up Linux (Tom's Root/Boot at http://www.toms.net/rb) and issue the command:

> > `dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hda`

> ... to wipe out the whole first IDE drive, or

> > `dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda`

> ... to wipe out the whole first SCSI drive.

> Actually you could just blow away one sector on these drives using

> > `dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda count=1`

> It wouldn't make sense to do this to other drives (/dev/hdb, `/dev/hdc`, `/dev/sdb`, etc) since their boot sectors aren't referenced as code and you can reformat those drives with normal DOS or Linux commands to re-make your filesystems on them. However, you can issue this command for all of your drives if you like. In fact you should be able to do something like:

>     for i in a b c d; do
>     	dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hd$i
>     done

> ... to get four IDE drives or

>     for i in a b c d e f g ; do
>     	dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/hd$i
>     done

> ... to wipe out all seven disks on a SCSI chain.

Can you assist me... Help!!!!!!!!!!! William

> Now. I realize that you didn't ask about Linux, and you might have no idea why I'm responding to your question with a suggestion that involves it.

> Before you write back to be to ask those questions --- DON'T.

> I answer Linux questions. Microsoft sold you Windows 9x --- you can get tech support from them or you can find a free "Windows Answer Guy." I don't like MS Windows and I don't use it. I will not freely answer questions, from strangers that don't relate to the products that I do use and like.

> [ Try Winfiles.Com, they have Tips and Howto areas. -- Heather ]

> Linux, like other forms of Unix, is basically not susceptible to computer viruses. This is largely a matter of typical usage (they are multi-user systems which protect the system and most user accounts from most activities of individual users. Most Linux and Unix just don't run as "root" --- and consequently trojan horses and viruses normally cannot utterly cripple a whole system just because the guy at the keyboard ran them).

> This is not to say that they are "safe" from trojans --- a trojan can still blow away or corrupt any files owned by the guy that runs them. But it's a lot better, in the long run, than the common case with DOS, Windows, and MacOS. I think it's worth the extra learning curve and the occasional inconvenience (of having to switch to another "virtual console" or window and log in as root).

> So, consider getting a copy of Tom's Root/Boot. It's a relatively powerful Linux distribution on a single floppy with enough power and utility to be useful. There are several other Linux distributions that fit on one, two or three floppies, and run from RAM disks.

> Consider trying a full blown Linux distribution (like Red Hat http://www.redhat.com, Debian http://www.debian.org, S.u.S.E. http://www.suse.com, Caldera, http://www.caldera.com, or any of the others). That will give you a choice. You'll have a basis for comparison and you then go back to (continue to use) Windows or you learn more about the OS that a few million others have adopted.

##### Copyright © 1999, James T. Dennis
Published in The Linux Gazette Issue 37 February 1999

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