Activate your FREE membership today | Log-in DESKTOPEXCHANGESQLSERVER VIRTUALIZATIONLINUXCHANNEL <a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/swcpt/tips;pos=0;pth=tip;kw=;gci=1227255 ;tax=306544;clu=471;adg=;iid=;iin=;rci=;nl=;ses=;track=;sz=728x90;dcopt=ist;ptil e=3;ord=21791834?"><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/swcpt/tips;pos=0;pth=tip;kw=;gci=1227255;tax=3 06544;clu=471;adg=;iid=;iin=;rci=;nl=;ses=;track=;sz=728x90;dcopt=ist;ptile=3;or d=21791834?

" width="728" height="90" border="0"></a> SEARCH this site and the web SITE INDEX <a href='http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/swcpt/tips;pos=0;pth=tip;kw=;gci=1227255 ;tax=306544;clu=471;adg=;sz=550x45,550x33;dcopt=;ptile=2;iid=;iin=;rci=;nl=;ses= ;track=;ptag=;tag=;blog=;ord=21791834?'> <img src='http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/swcpt/tips;pos=0;pth=tip;kw=;gci=1227255; tax=306544;clu=471;adg=;sz=550x45,550x33;dcopt=;ptile=2;iid=;iin=;rci=;nl=;ses=; track=;ptag=;tag=;blog=;ord=21791834?' width='550' height='45,550x33' border='0'></a> Home > Windows Server Tips > Windows Hardware Strategies > Quick-formatting hard disk drives: A shortcut, but safe Windows Server Tips: EMAIL THIS TIPS & NEWSLETTERS TOPICS WINDOWS HARDWARE STRATEGIES Quick-formatting hard disk drives: A shortcut, but safe Serdar Yegulalp, Contributor 11.02.2006 Rating: -2.67- (out of 5) Expert advice on Windows-based systems and hardware Digg This! StumbleUpon Del.icio.us The first thing most people do with a new, out-of-the-box hard disk drive is, of course, format it. But they have a choice: They can either format a hard disk drive the "quick" way or opt to format it the "full" way. Quick formatting, which only takes a few seconds, simply erases the hard disk drive's metadata and file allocation tables. Full formatting goes sector-by-sector across the disk, erases it and tests it for possible read errors. This method, a holdover from the days when many hard disk drives would arrive from the factory almost guaranteed to have defects of some kind, can take several hours. Because of the amount of time involved in full-formatting a hard disk drive, most people are loathe to do it; they'd rather quick-format and get to work using the drive right away. Yet at the same time, they're also worried that if they quick-format, they run the risk of potential disk errors in the future. Okay to quick-format hard disk drives? For the most part, there's no harm in quick formatting. If you buy an enterprise -class drive, or a consumer-level drive that has a three-year warranty, the drive has already undergone a certain amount of error testing to ensure that it will hold

up. This is why enterprise-class and "Pro" desktop hard disk drives cost that much more: the more expensive the drive, odds are there's been that much extra quality control checking performed on it. Enterprise-class drive hardware and (to a lesser extent) desktop drives also have native hard error correction that traps bad sectors and relocates data from them whenever possible. For instance, RAID arrays typically scan for errors when rebuilding a hard disk drive in a mirror set, and many arrays scan passively for errors during periods of low disk activity. Over the past 10 years, I have used (and retired) at least 10 different "Pro" desktop hard disk drives of various makes, To continue reading for free, register below or login Requires Membership to View To gain access to this and all member only content, please provide the following information: Email Address: By joining SearchWindowsServer.com you agree to receive email updates from the TechTarget network of sites, including updates on new content, magazine or event notifications, new site launches and market research surveys. Please verify all information and selections above. You may unsubscribe at any time from one or more of the services you have selected by editing your profile or unsubscribing via email. TechTarget cares about your privacy. Read our Privacy Policy Digg This! StumbleUpon Del.icio.us

WINDOWS SERVER RELATED LINKS Ads by Google Format Recovery Reduce Your Backup Volume. Format Recovery, Tips & Tools. searchDataBackup.Techtarget.com Hard drive recovery tool For corrupted, reformatted drives Windows Vista/XP/2003/2000/NT/Me/98 www.quetek.com Acronis True Image 2009 Back up your entire PC: data,video, pictures,applications and settings! www.Acronis.com/True_Image Global Mapper View, crop, merge, convert DTED. Download Your Free Demo Today! www.GlobalMapper.com Lost SSL Cert Again? Bring all of your SSL certificates from any CAs under your control www.kousec.com RELATED CONTENT

Disk Drives and Disk Arrays for Windows Case Study: Building a low-cost SATA array How to use the g4u network-based hard disk cloning utility Create a script to check integrity of your server's drives Can freezing a hard drive that's crashed restore it to life? Move from PATA to SATA could complicate data recovery Use RAID to increase write performance on three-drive arrays Stop disk drive overload to increase system performance A Windows administrator's guide to Diskpart commands Use RoboCopy to copy files from crashed hard disk drives Findpart utility locates lost partitions on disk Windows Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) Keeping an eye on network disk space with Windows Server 2008 Making the move from DAS to SAN and NAS External DAS: Take the good with the bad Gain performance by rearranging files on hard drive Troubleshooting DAS, Part 3: SCSI issues Troubleshooting DAS, Part 2: Cabling issues Troubleshooting DAS, Part 1: Replace DAS drives regularly How to choose an architecture for branch office storage SMBs face threshold decision on storage Windows Hardware Strategies Troubleshooting your toughest Windows server crashes High-tech solutions for monitoring computer heat Server virtualization at the hardware level with Hyper-V Virtualization and 64-bit: A match made in Windows heaven How to use the g4u network-based hard disk cloning utility Multi-core processors on the desktop offer major boost When and how to migrate to a 64-bit platform 64-bit Windows help or hype? How to install low-voltage wiring such as Ethernet or coax cable Bluetooth card reader/USB hub reads files from offbeat media RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software , CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary models and sizes. Each one was quick-formatted, and the only drive failures I ever experienced were for reasons that had nothing to do with a physical error on the surface of the drive. If you feel more reassured by performing a surface test when formatting, go ahead and do one. But it's not as crucial now as it was a decade ago. Note:There is a major exception when using quick format to format a hard disk drive: This exception applies when you're preparing to retire a hard disk drive from service, and you don't want any possibility of the data on it being compromised. A quick format will only erase the volume's header data and file allocation tables, but won't erase the files themselves. If you want to be absolutely sure the drive is wiped, use a product like Eraser or Darik's Boot and Nuke to systematically wipe all the data on the hard disk drive. About the author: Serdar Yegulalp is editor of the Windows Power Users Newsletter, which is

devoted to hints, tips, tricks, news and goodies for Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP users and administrators. He has more than 10 years of Windows experience under his belt, and contributes regularly to SearchWinComputing.com and SearchSQLServer.com.

[IMAGE] [IMAGE]Hard disk drive management technical guide [IMAGE] [IMAGE] Introduction [IMAGE] Be wary of preformatted external hard disk drives [IMAGE] Hard disk drive MTBFs: The four biggest misperceptions [IMAGE] Hard disk drives dying: Six signs a hard drive is about to fail [IMAGE] Storage management software helps when hard disk drives fail [IMAGE] Quick-formatting hard disk drives: A shortcut, but safe [IMAGE] Erasing hard disk drive data: How many passes are needed? Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchWindowsServer.com. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member.

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