HDD Formatting--How do YOU do it?

[mr_kennedy]

i prefer the old

format c:

wait

Install windows

plug and unplug driver disks for 45 minutes

get your settings on

and done...

 

[RangerJoe]

get the low level formatting program from the hdd company, and write zeros to the disk...then install windows

 

[stool]

On a new drive, I use the software from the drive manufacturer. For a fresh OS install format, boot from the 98 start disk w/CDRom support, switch to the CD, then Format C:, same as you.

 

[peppy]

i use good ol' fdisk. hasnt failed me yet

 

[Arkaine23]

formatting

Migrate data to another partition or drive, then format c:

 

[IFMU]

Depends on why Im formatting it.. If I want a fresh install of m y OS, I fdisk it with the 98 bootdisk and then install and let the OS format it into the system type I want... fat/ntfs... But if Im just cleaning it off for whatever reason or want it for a storage drive... just format it in the OS Im using.

 

[Krome]

nice thread... I just came up on a Samsung SpinPoint 20 Giger, and it has some stuff on it I wanna get rid of.. what's the easiest way?

 

[IFMU]

What are you wanting to use the drive for? IMO ~ if just for storage... just hook it up and format it in the OS... if you want to use it as an OS drive on a system, boot to the 98 bootdisk and fdisk it out to whatever partitions you need/want and then use the OS to format it as its installing.

 

[Krome]

I want to single boot Win 2K Pro. It has Win 98SE right now.

 

[Gnufsh]

fdisk!

 

[Krome]

fdisk!

how does that work?

 

[MoPMatrix]

Fdisk is the only way to go =)
I'll way I trust anyway

 

[cw823]

how does that work?

It doesn't. For what you want to do, just boot from CD-ROM..... At some point in the install it will ask you what partition (assuming you need no data presently on the drive <--- key) you want to install Windows on. After you select the partition (sounds like you'll only have one choice), you can tell it to format NTFS, or Fat32 (NTFS recommended).

No reason to use fdisk if you'll be installing Win2000.

 

[Wa11y]

Fdisk just creates partitions. It doesn't format anything. That's what the "format" command is for.

Just get to a prompt if you're doing a new install of an OS, and run the format command. With 2K, my version needed four boot floppies, and while running through the setup, it gives you an option to format your drive.

 

[Kingslayer]

The RAID controller formats the drives, then the XP install formats them again.

That's how I do it. Or how I dont do it, the hardware and the software do. I'm done doing it the old fashioned way. I'm not sitting there and waiting for 80 gig to format.

 

[cw823]

If there's at least one good thing I'd have to say about XP, it's the "quick format" option. It's about FREAKIN time....lol

 

[Darkpie]

USE GOOD OLD FDISK

Ok get a Boot Disk with Format and Fdisk

1. Put in you Boot Disk and boot up form it

2. Use Fdisk then to put on you Primary and Extended partitions

3. After that Format Each partition and Set you Primary Partition as the Active partition

and that is the basic way I thank hehe Good luck

 

[NASsoccer]

i just use my win2k boot cd to do everything right before i install. Nothing fancy on this end.

 

[Malakai]

i just use good old winXP installer to partition and format, it works like a charm.
and for whoever said about low level formatting, its not good to do that, it can damage the drive. LLF is for when the drive develops bad sectors, ect. at least i believe so, im going by ear here
-Malakai

 

[thefly]

Personally I use partition magic.

It creates the partitions and formats the drive in one shot.