Any ideas what a User Format Area does?

[RecFUser]

Hi,

I work for a data recovery lab and was experimenting with A Seagate ST3100528AS model with firmware CC44. Initially I could access some sectors at the end of the drive, but not at front. I ran a Format User Area after backing up the resources to see what it does. Now I can't access any sectors. Any way we can recover it with saved resources? I tried translator regeneration, which doesn't work.

[DataMedics]

As far as I'm concerned:
Service Area = Where Firmware is Stored
User Area = Where Data is Stored
Format User Area = Data Gone

I suppose it depends on how long you let it run for, if there's any data left now.

[Blizzard]

Although I have never tested that operation I have to agree with DataMedics. It probably does exactly what it says.
But, I copied this from Data-Medics forum and I guess you could get lucky if it's the operation that "not effect Data in a drive".
m0,2,2,,,,,22 ( Format user area partition without certifying defects and relocate defects. not effect Data in a drive )
m0,2,1,,,,,22 ( Format user area partition with user slip list with certify defects. DATA WILL BE LOSS )
m0,D,3,,,,,22 ( Format user area partition with repairing of bad sector, auto add bad sector into G list and in the last it will be shifted to P list )"

[RecFUser]

It was blank drive that I pulled out of the shelf, first I was going to do a wipe. But then I tried to see what it shows in terminal. I had access to some sectors at first, but after user format no access to the drive. It Id's still but the heads gave up. The heads were failing ...

[Blizzard]

This weekend I tested Tests > User commands > Format User Area on a Seagate 7200.12 ST3320418AS. It took 2 hours and when it completed the data was gone.
As soon as I clicked "Format User Area" a message popped up "This action will destroy user data! Continue?"
This is the terminal command that ran: T>m0,8,2,1,1,,,22
The drive still worked as expected when complete.