what is a good program to format a HD

Ubuntusario · Nov 28, 2012, 09:38 PM

I want to format a laptop sata HD but windows format utility takes hours and doesn't give any information while is doing it, I want a format utility that provides info real time while is formatting so I know what sector is doing or it just hang up, please respond.

erocker · Nov 28, 2012, 09:50 PM

Using Windows, just tick "quick format". If you are doing this to a drive that you want to install an O/S on, when you install Windows it gives you the option to format the drive.

EarthDog · Nov 28, 2012, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erocker

Using Windows, just tick "quick format". If you are doing this to a drive that you want to install an O/S on, when you install Windows it gives you the option to format the drive.

This. Quick format and it wont take hours. No need for a long format 99% of the time anyway.

Ubuntusario · Nov 28, 2012, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EarthDog

This. Quick format and it wont take hours. No need for a long format 99% of the time anyway.

the HD may have bad sectors, it doesn't copy any files to it after certain amount of space used, is a laptop HD I wanted to know why the surface was too thin so I pressed on it and the HD disc spinned against the cover so I'm afraid is now broken, I want to do a long format to fix it.

erocker · Nov 28, 2012, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ubuntusario

so I pressed on it and the HD disc spinned against the cover so I'm afraid is now broken, I want to do a long format to fix it.

I'm afraid the hard drive is now no longer good. Formatting it won't fix the scratches on the disc.

jgunning · Nov 28, 2012, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erocker

I'm afraid the hard drive is now no longer good. Formatting it won't fix the scratches on the disc.

agreed.Unfortunately you scratch the magnet then you could be in trouble.
If its for like extreme wipes you could use a dod wipe..?

Ubuntusario · Nov 28, 2012, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by erocker

I'm afraid the hard drive is now no longer good. Formatting it won't fix the scratches on the disc.

I have to save this HD I just sold it on ebay, I want to do a long format so I mark the bad sectors as unusable so it doesn't fail when copying. what's a good program.

erocker · Nov 28, 2012, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ubuntusario

I have to save this HD I just sold it on ebay, I want to do a long format so I mark the bad sectors as unusable so it doesn't fail when copying. what's a good program.

Don't sell a broken hard drive. Tell the person who bought it that you cannot sell it.

AthlonX2 · Nov 28, 2012, 10:08 PM

Not going to work,contact the buyer on ebay and tell him it no longer works. Dont sell broken shit to people on ebay its not even right.

Edit: dammit erocker

qubit · Nov 28, 2012, 10:26 PM

I agree with the others. Tell the buyer it's busted, then either offer it to him for a couple of dollars or say you can't sell it.

You can't fix a busted drive with formatting and I have a feeling that you knew that...

Ubuntusario · Nov 29, 2012, 06:25 AM

Tell you friends is real, after doing a full 3 hours format, I tested it again by filling the entire hd to bogus data and apparently is fine now, so what my uncle use to tell me was true except he use to do that with floppy disks. So a HD can be resurrected by doing a full format.

Jetster · Nov 29, 2012, 07:27 AM

No it cant, and the program you want is Hiren's boot disk. It contains many hard drive programs from quick formats to complete surface scans. A format wont take 3 hrs but a surface scan will. This is why I don't buy used hard drive on E bay

RCoon · Nov 29, 2012, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ubuntusario

the HD may have bad sectors, it doesn't copy any files to it after certain amount of space used, is a laptop HD I wanted to know why the surface was too thin so I pressed on it and the HD disc spinned against the cover so I'm afraid is now broken, I want to do a long format to fix it.

There is a tool called HDAT on Hiren's Boot CD(full of useful tools) run that and select check and repair bad sectors. It will repair what it can, and will bring to your attention if your HDD is dead. Also has a lovely ASCII 1-100% bar

qubit · Nov 29, 2012, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ubuntusario

Tell you friends is real, after doing a full 3 hours format, I tested it again by filling the entire hd to bogus data and apparently is fine now, so what my uncle use to tell me was true except he use to do that with floppy disks. So a HD can be resurrected by doing a full format.

No, you can't resurrect it with a full format, however good it seems now. It will start malfunctioning again quickly. Sell it as faulty and be honest about it with the seller. But once you have the buyer's money...

Aquinus · Nov 29, 2012, 08:48 AM

Try running a long SMART test on it. I know you can do this using smartmontools in Linux. It doesn't give you a progress bar or anything so you have to literally leave it alone for 4 hours or so. SMART will tell you if there really is a problem. It's pretty easy if you have a debian-based distro handy, a LiveCD is fine but you have to stay booted from it for a few hours.

Code:

#Ubuntu/Debian
sudo aptitude update
sudo aptitude install smartmontools
sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdX #About your drive
sudo smartctl -t long /dev/sdX #Run a long SMART test.

FordGT90Concept · Nov 29, 2012, 08:53 AM

If there is any chance of bad clusters on the drive, or known to previously had bad clusters on the drive, I strongly recommend against doing a "quick format." A full format will make sure those bad clusters are marked off so they won't be used.

Techtu · Nov 29, 2012, 08:55 AM

This made me

Nov 28, 2012, 09:38 PM	#1
Ubuntusario Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: UT,US Posts: 196 (0.35/day) Thanks: 8 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts System Specs	what is a good program to format a HD I want to format a laptop sata HD but windows format utility takes hours and doesn't give any information while is doing it, I want a format utility that provides info real time while is formatting so I know what sector is doing or it just hang up, please respond.

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Nov 28, 2012, 09:50 PM	#2
erocker Senior Moderator Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Milwaukee, WI. Posts: 31,880 (12.78/day) Thanks: 2,779 Thanked 12,249 Times in 7,804 Posts System Specs	Using Windows, just tick "quick format". If you are doing this to a drive that you want to install an O/S on, when you install Windows it gives you the option to format the drive.

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Nov 28, 2012, 10:08 PM	#9
AthlonX2 Better Than You Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Toledo,Ohio Posts: 5,449 (2.25/day) Thanks: 729 Thanked 1,572 Times in 994 Posts System Specs	Not going to work,contact the buyer on ebay and tell him it no longer works. Dont sell broken shit to people on ebay its not even right. Edit: dammit erocker

Nov 28, 2012, 10:26 PM	#10
qubit Overclocked quantum bit Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Quantumville UK Posts: 8,640 (4.34/day) Thanks: 4,169 Thanked 3,301 Times in 1,941 Posts System Specs	I agree with the others. Tell the buyer it's busted, then either offer it to him for a couple of dollars or say you can't sell it. You can't fix a busted drive with formatting and I have a feeling that you knew that... __________________ Siggie in the post.

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Nov 29, 2012, 06:25 AM	#11
Ubuntusario Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: UT,US Posts: 196 (0.35/day) Thanks: 8 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts System Specs	Tell you friends is real, after doing a full 3 hours format, I tested it again by filling the entire hd to bogus data and apparently is fine now, so what my uncle use to tell me was true except he use to do that with floppy disks. So a HD can be resurrected by doing a full format. Last edited by Ubuntusario; Nov 29, 2012 at 06:31 AM.

Nov 29, 2012, 07:27 AM	#12
Jetster Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 2,852 (2.34/day) Thanks: 923 Thanked 851 Times in 624 Posts System Specs	No it cant, and the program you want is Hiren's boot disk. It contains many hard drive programs from quick formats to complete surface scans. A format wont take 3 hrs but a surface scan will. This is why I don't buy used hard drive on E bay

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Nov 29, 2012, 08:48 AM	#15
Aquinus Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Dover, New Hampshire, USA Posts: 4,220 (8.85/day) Thanks: 1,255 Thanked 1,304 Times in 969 Posts System Specs	Try running a long SMART test on it. I know you can do this using smartmontools in Linux. It doesn't give you a progress bar or anything so you have to literally leave it alone for 4 hours or so. SMART will tell you if there really is a problem. It's pretty easy if you have a debian-based distro handy, a LiveCD is fine but you have to stay booted from it for a few hours. Code: #Ubuntu/Debian sudo aptitude update sudo aptitude install smartmontools sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdX #About your drive sudo smartctl -t long /dev/sdX #Run a long SMART test. __________________ MyHeat

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Nov 29, 2012, 08:53 AM	#16
FordGT90Concept "I go fast!1!11!1!" Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: IA, USA Posts: 10,565 (6.29/day) Thanks: 1,751 Thanked 2,594 Times in 1,959 Posts System Specs	If there is any chance of bad clusters on the drive, or known to previously had bad clusters on the drive, I strongly recommend against doing a "quick format." A full format will make sure those bad clusters are marked off so they won't be used. __________________ Golden Rule of Programming: Never assume. try { SteamDownload(); } catch (Steamception ex) { RageQuit(); }

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Nov 29, 2012, 08:55 AM	#17
Techtu Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Death Star... England. Posts: 1,592 (1.36/day) Thanks: 368 Thanked 490 Times in 340 Posts System Specs	This made me __________________ Sig by JrRacinFan Live in the UK? Join the UK TPU Group!

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