How to Format a Hard Drive

Formatting the hard drive is to erase all the data that it contains. It is often used when one must install a new operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.). Or starting from a clean slate. You'll need the Windows XP CD for this method. Alternatively, you can create boot disks that will allow you to boot into the console to format your drive. This method, however, is much easier for a beginner.

Booting the CD

You need to now go into the BIOS and congifure the boot order setting. You must allow the CD ROM to boot first, followed by the hard disk.

A message will appear asking if you want to boot from the disk. Press Any key to initialize the boot sequence.

We will not install Windows XP, but you must still press the ENTER key when asked if you want to install it or not.

Select the partition you want to format and press enter. The following menu appears:

Type of format

Then select the file system of your choice (NTFS or FAT)

* FAT: the advantage of the FAT file system is that it is slightly faster in writing that its counterpart NTFS. FAT is not very good with larger disks, as they may fragment quickly under heavy usage. FAT file system can also have problems when dealing with large files, for example files over 2GB in size.

* NTFS: a little slower than the FAT in writing, however this system is much more comprehensive when it comes to securing files. In addition, the cluster size does not depend on the size of the disc, unlike the FAT. You'll have less loss of capacity in the long run. File size does not matter with this format, this is good if you are storing large files of any size.

Avoid using the quick format option. This option will be much faster however it will not securely erase all the data on the disk. If you want all the data to be erased then you should not use quick format. It is possible that if someone gains physical access to the disk in question, they could retrieve the files from it.

When choosing the normal option, setup will overwrite every byte on the disk. In this way it securely erases all of the data which it contains. Thus making recovery of the data very difficult, if not impossible.

Your disk is formatted now. You can now store data and / or install an operating system.