Hi Folks,

I was happily using my dual-boot Windows/Linux hard disk this morning when the PC suddenly locked up. If I now try to boot it I get the error message "Missing Operating System". If I boot from a Knoppix CD and do fdisk the confused entries in my partition table suggest my hard disk is about 70GB (when it is actually only 6GB). I am not sure what Linux repair tools would be any use, but if I run my Windows Norton's Utilities Disk Doctor program from CD it instantly comes back saying "Norton Disk Doctor cannot continue testing this disk. Only a low-level format will correct the error found". Searching back through my brain I seem to recall that many years ago I performed a low-level format on a hard disk using a facility within the PC's BIOS but cannot find this facility on my current PC (Compaq Deskpro 4000). Is anyone aware of any Linux progs which will perform a low level format of a hard disk?

Thanks,

Ian.

PS: Don't know if it is relevant but the hard disk is a Quantum Fireball CR64A013