How formatted is formatted ?

[kwunder]

Just exactly how "Clean" is a drive after running the format c: command from dos.
Surely, it cant have erased ALL the data in the few minutes it takes to complete ?

 

[Comtech]

It actually just rewrites the FAT with a null (blank) table.
The data can easily be recovered, unless it's been written over with different data.
Most HD mfg's have a "zero fill" utility, which will completely erase a drive by filling it with 0's. Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[kwunder]

thanks Jim. My HD is a maxtor 8.4GB. I'm not sure about a zero fill utility. I've gone through it's manual and there's no mention. Any pointers?

Cheers
kwunder

 

[Comtech]

If it's a retail drive, the utility is on the disk you got with it. If you don't have (can't find) the disk, just go to Maxtor's website and get it here:

http://www.maxtor.com/softwaredownload/utilities.html

Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[kwunder]

Thanks Jim. I'll give it a whirl

kwunder

 

[gegs]

low level format is usually on your bios page this i believe writes 0 & 1s across the drive or partition but be careful if you have partition information here

 

[Kjonnnn]

If you have or get Norton's Utilies, you can tell it to wipe the drive clean with several options

 

[kwunder]

Ta !

 

[rmccallon2]

I may be wrong but 'low-level format' should probably NOT BE USED. I do not know th e purpose but I believe it is VERY dangerous and can make your hard drive unusable. Perhaps some of the other viewers can help out here. Best of Luck. Sometimes we just don't know what we don't know

 

[Comtech]

Yes, Low level formatting is NOT recommended, EXCEPT with the manufacturer's utility.
THAT's why I gave the link to go get it. X-) Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/

 

[kwunder]

The Maxtor disk I mentioned is sorted now. However, I also have a new laptop and the only info I can get on it from control panel/system/hard drive is that it is a
Generic IDE Disk type 01
I don't really want to take the thing apart as it's still under warranty. Is there a way of finding out the make from within windows ? so I can maybe download the utilities as I did for the maxtor drive ?

cheers
kwunder
I

 

[Comtech]

You can probably find out the mfg by checking with the mfg of the laptop.
Here's the thing, those disk utilities (no matter who made the HD) will only run if a HD is found that matches a code.
If it's a Quantum HD, the Maxtor utilities won't run. If it's a Fujitsu, the Quantum disk won't work, etc.
Try the maxtor disk, if it doesn't work, check Quantum, IBM, Fujitsu...you'll probably find one that does.
Another thing: If you fdisk the drive, format, then load windows on it fresh, then fdisk again, then format, it will be clean enough for all intensive purposes.
If the data is SERIOUSLY TOP SECRET (the recipe for Coke?), then this won't do it, but anyone would be hard pressed to get any useable data from a drive that's been fdisked, and formatted twice, with random (Windows install) data written over most of the used portion of the disk anyhow. Cheers,
Jim

http://members.cnx.net/reboot/