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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: stefcep2 on August 25, 2008, 04:18:40 AM
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What's the difference between doing a full format or a fast format? I needed to reformat an old PC hard drive (4G) to use on my A4000.
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Personally, as the drive was formatted originally on a PC I would use a full format as opposed to a fast one.
A full format will wipe and properly create all tracks and sectors on the hard drive to the Amiga standard. A fast format only wipes specific area's, leaving most of the original data intact.
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Fast format always. Doing a full format does nothing but waste time.
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I also vote for quick format, esp. if drive is bigger than 4Gb limit.
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ZeBeeDee wrote:
Personally, as the drive was formatted originally on a PC I would use a full format as opposed to a fast one.
Pointless. Full format is not needed. Moreover, having a harddrive in PC before makes no difference. You confused full format of floppies and HDs.
A full format will wipe and properly create all tracks and sectors
This sentence would be valid only if we would talk about floppies.
on the hard drive to the Amiga standard.
No. What you describe is so called low-level format which should never ever be performed by regular user.
The quick format creates the filesystem structures only (thus making the partition fully usable). The full format writes on whole partition a trash first (namely fulls the whole partition with DOSID++ value) and then performs quick format.
My personal vote: quick format.
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On Microsoft OS installs, you get the option of a quick or full format even with brand new (i.e. previously unformatted) HDs. A quick format works fine. This applies to servers, with professional RAID and Desktops, so I think a quick format is OK.
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fast format it is then. thank you all.
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mschulz wrote:
Pointless. Full format is not needed. Moreover, having a harddrive in PC before makes no difference. You confused full format of floppies and HDs.
No, there is no confusion. I merely stated my personal preference as per the original question mainly because the drive was in a PC beforehand.
ZeBeeDee wrote:
A full format will wipe and properly create all tracks and sectors on the hard drive to the Amiga standard. A fast format only wipes specific area's, leaving most of the original data intact.
Floppy disks huh? I think somebody should go and see an optician as they appear to be seeing things that aren't there.
Low-level format of the drive wasn't mentioned before your post. How you came to the conclusion that it was is slightly mystifying.
At the end of the day, the OP got their question answered. People voted (even though it wasn't a poll) and an appointment with an optician was recommended for at least one person here. A good days work all round me thinks :-)
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Just to be awkward I'd go for full format ;-)
If I remember rightly it shows up any errors as it goes, which could prove to be worthwhile in the long run.
PS. YEEEEAAAAARRRRRH! 1000th Post!!! :-D
Hodgkinson :crazy:
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Hodgkinson wrote:
PS. YEEEEAAAAARRRRRH! 1000th Post!!! :-D
Dammit! you beat me to it ... *sigh* only another 530 posts to go for me :lol:
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mainly because the drive was in a PC beforehand.
And? What is different in the structure of tracks and sectors on such harddrive?
Floppy disks huh? I think somebody should go and see an optician as they appear to be seeing things that aren't there.
no need to be rude my friend.
Low-level format of the drive wasn't mentioned before your post. How you came to the conclusion that it was is slightly mystifying.
Let me see... You wrote:
ZeBeeDee wrote:
A full format will wipe and properly create all tracks and sectors on the hard drive to the Amiga standard. A fast format only wipes specific area's, leaving most of the original data intact.
Well. A full format does not create tracks and sectors at all. It overwrites a contents of sectors with some value. It has nothing to do with creation of tracks and sectors.
In contrast, a low-level format is responsible for creation of tracks and sectors on the plates of harddrive. Therefore, what you described is a low-level format :P
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ZeBeeDee wrote:
Floppy disks huh? I think somebody should go and see an optician as they appear to be seeing things that aren't there.
Low-level format of the drive wasn't mentioned before your post. How you came to the conclusion that it was is slightly mystifying.
At the end of the day, the OP got their question answered. People voted (even though it wasn't a poll) and an appointment with an optician was recommended for at least one person here. A good days work all round me thinks :-)
A Full format is only of interest for data security, i.e. to remove old data... if you don't care about the old data on the drive (that is you don't mind the old data being recoverable), just quick format it.
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When installing a hard disk drive (commonly called a hard drive) for the first time, attempting to remove errors from your drive, getting rid of a nasty virus, or even cleaning a hard drive because you are selling or donating your computer -- those are just a few of the many reasons why one might consider formatting their hard drive.
Format actually means to prepare a storage medium, usually a disk, for reading and writing. When you format a disk, the operating system erases all bookkeeping information on the disk, tests the disk to make sure all sectors are reliable, marks bad sectors (that is, those that are scratched or otherwise damaged), and creates internal address tables that it later uses to locate information. You must format a disk (floppy or hard disk) before you can use it.
Low-level formatting creates the physical structure on the hard drive, a process usually done at the factory. Partitioning divides the hard drive into logical pieces that become volumes. High-level formatting defines the logical structures on the partition and places at the start of the disk any necessary operating system files.
Here endeth todays lesson ...
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@ZeBeeDee
The Drive electronics deals with the complexities of structure. All the OS needs to do is put the filesystem structures in place :-)
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bloodline wrote:
@ZeBeeDee
The Drive electronics deals with the complexities of structure. All the OS needs to do is put the filesystem structures in place :-)
I know, but the OP is putting an old PC formatted drive into an Amiga for the first time in it's life ... Possible unknown errors, bad sectors, etc. is not a pleasant scenario but you cannot discount the possibility they exist.
Would you trust the drive to be 100% and just partition and quick format it ad hoc, of course not ... You'd partition it and do a full format in case there are any hidden problems that might manifest themselves during the process.
Once the drive has been passed as fully working, you'd be more than happy to quick format it in the future :-)
/engage dodgy market seller mode
Ere guv ... I got this ere PC drive, 100% workin' (won't mention the bad sectors as i need shot of it - he won't mind, it's only going to be quick formatted so they won't show up) ... A Lady Godiva (5GBP) to you mate!
/exit dodgy market seller mode
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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ZeBeeDee wrote:
bloodline wrote:
@ZeBeeDee
The Drive electronics deals with the complexities of structure. All the OS needs to do is put the filesystem structures in place :-)
I know, but the OP is putting an old PC formatted drive into an Amiga for the first time in it's life ... Possible unknown errors, bad sectors, etc. is not a pleasant scenario but you cannot discount the possibility they exist.
Would you trust the drive to be 100% and just partition and quick format it ad hoc, of course not ... You'd partition it and do a full format in case there are any hidden problems that might manifest themselves during the process.
Once the drive has been passed as fully working, you'd be more than happy to quick format it in the future :-)
/engage dodgy market seller mode
Ere guv ... I got this ere PC drive, 100% workin' (won't mention the bad sectors as i need shot of it - he won't mind, it's only going to be quick formatted so they won't show up) ... A Lady Godiva (5GBP) to you mate!
/exit dodgy market seller mode
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Not a good idea...
Quick Format it, THEN run a disk check.
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@ bloodline
May as well just full format the thing in the first place :lol:
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ZeBeeDee wrote:
May as well just full format the thing in the first place :lol:
Then the Format will just fail (possibly after you've waited a few hours, if it's a Terabyte drive!)... if you run a disk check the bad sectors can be marked.
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Often format doesn't actually check if the writing succeeded (that is it doesn't read back the data and verify it). Obviously if the disk is b0rken enough for the write to fail with an error, that will be caught.
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bloodline wrote:
Then the Format will just fail (possibly after you've waited a few hours, if it's a Terabyte drive!)... if you run a disk check the bad sectors can be marked.
It's an old 4GB PC drive mate, not one of these terabyte ones :lol:
When migrating a drive between different systems, I take the stand that it's best to be safe than sorry. I'd rather waste an hour or so verifying the drive is okay, but that's just me :-)
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When migrating a drive between different systems, I take the stand that it's best to be safe than sorry. I'd rather waste an hour or so verifying the drive is okay, but that's just me
Yup, me too...
Have a poke around to see what options are available for the formatter before you let it loose (Probably under shell), that way you can turn on any hidden verify features (I'm sure I formatted a HDD once and I set it so that once it had formatted a block, it verified it - Sure enough bad sectors showed up...)
or even cleaning a hard drive because you are selling or donating your computer
Muhahaha...Yep...Some people just don't think to wipe their HDD before they sell it on... (Just as well, the Patriot PC I bought is a real bugger to get drivers for...)
engage dodgy market seller mode
I've been done before...Forked out for drives that just clicked and rattled... :madashell: Problem is, not many places sell small 2.5" drives these days (Except Amigakit ;-) )
Hodgkinson.