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C Source code to format a hard drive

I am working on a drive utility and I need a little jumpstart with the formatting routines {having a major brain cramp on the hard drive routines}. What would be of the greatest help would be some source code in C on how to format a hard drive (by the way I am writting this utility for a Intel DOS/16-bit platform, supporting FAT12/FAT16 and eventually FAT32) . I am already able to format a floppy drive and would now like to add hard drive capabilities to the program.

Thanks.

Michael

Wyn

FYI(maybe not your case)
HOWTO: Call SHFormatDrive in Windows 95 and Windows NT
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q173/6/88.ASP
DeviceIoContol()

mmessuri

ASKER

Thanks for the FYI; However, I am sorry to say that this app will (for now) be running only in a DOS 6.x environment.

-- Michael --

C_Dreamer

#include <stdlib.h>

system("format c:");

There's no other way in C. If you want to go to a lower level, you'll have to use platform-specific libraries and extensions, as C itself knows nothing of such things as "drives", contenting itself with the knowledge that there's probably some kind of file system.

Formatting a hard drive is, in any case, such a complex business nowadays that you are well advised not to do this. I can think of exactly one use for the program you propose - malice.

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feenix

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mmessuri

ASKER

feenix:

Thanks for the answer. While it was not exactly what I was looking for, it does provide enough information for me to move on past my brain block. Besides, the multiple file system information will be helpful as I complete my disk partitioning program (it combines the fdisk program with the format program).

-- Michael --

mmessuri

ASKER

C Dreamer:

Thanks for taking the time to comment; however, I was not able to put to use your suggestion as format.com is not going to be available.

BTW:

My intentions are not of malice. The program is a hard disk partitioning application that allows for the creation / deletion and formating of the partition without the use of format.com or fdisk.exe

-- Michael --