Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a marker at the end of the adaptive self-servowrite process for adaptive formatting via the self-servowrite process. The mark is used later in the drive manufacturing process to identify the number of tracks written on the surface and thus determine the appropriate format to use in the drive.

Abstract: The performance capability of different heads that are part of the same hard disk drive (HDD) are utilized by an adaptive format that includes a plurality of storage zones and at least one reset zone that are distributed along a radius of the hard disk such that a reset zone is disposed between two adjacent storage zones. Each storage zone has a plurality of associated data tracks and each reset zone includes a plurality of data tracks. The number of data tracks associated with each respective storage zone is based on a performance capability of a head associated with the hard disk and includes at least one data track of at least one reset zone adjacent to the storage zone when the number of data tracks associated with the storage zone exceeds the number of data tracks that are between each reset zone adjacent to the storage zone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a marker at the end of the adaptive self-servowrite process for adaptive formatting via the self-servowrite process. The mark is used later in the drive manufacturing process to identify the number of tracks written on the surface and thus determine the appropriate format to use in the drive.

Abstract: A method for reducing errors in data read from a disk drive comprises the steps of: determining errors in data read from a transducer in the disk drive; correcting the errors in data through the use of error correction circuitry; maintaining a metric of the errors in data that are read from the transducer; and when the metric reaches a threshold value, applying a toggle procedure to the transducer in an attempt to improve the transducer's performance. The method further contemplates periodically applying a toggle procedure to the transducer in an attempt to reduce the errors in data, in addition to the application of a toggle procedure when the threshold value is reached.