dcustomcomputers

What is another way of formating a hard drive other than using Fdisk? On a scale of 1-10 of computer knowledge I am a 6 or 7 so please give me something I can understand please... Thanks Guys!

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I would like to have a Signature, but the ink won't stay on the screen!!! Duh!

PC eye

For what type of operating system? MS, Linux, Solaris, Unix, ReactOS? What type of partition? Fat16, Fat32, NTFS, VFat, etc.? On the newer Linux distros along with Windows 2000 and newer versions of Windows the installer will format a drive or partition. With Linux you would have the Linux version of fdisk, cfidisk.

For a free partitioning tool where you can custom partition a drive including resizing and moving partitions the Gnome Partition Editor known commonly as GParted will delete and create partitions for Fat and NTFS as well as VFat types. You can download the iso image to burn to a bootable cd at http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/g...1.iso?download

dcustomcomputers

PC EYE, thanks for your time...
Just looking to learn more about formatting Hard Drives using Windows format. I don't know enough to know the advantages of Fat16, Fat32, NTFS...etc... Is there a link that you can direct me to so that I could learn the differences and maybe advantages of when to use the different ways...

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I would like to have a Signature, but the ink won't stay on the screen!!! Duh!

PC eye

The one thing to note about the differences between the types is the newer the more versatile although NTFS and Fat can't read off of each other unless you use a tool like NT4Dos while trying to read an NTFS drive or partition while on a Fat based system. The newer verions of Windows that ran 98-ME could easily read the Fat16 partitions while Fat32 was inaccessible while running the older 16bit versions of Dos or Windows.

NTFS has been used the longest and found the most stable and secure over the older Fat 16+32 types. Linux using VFat surprisingly has the advantage over all of the rest since a Live for cd version is able to access any Windows as well other Linux partition. Live distros make excellent data recovery tools since those are self contained OSs running from a cd not a hard drive.

Almost every Linux tutorial contains a section of hard drives, and the "how to do this or that" sections in those. Generally a few good searches with different online search engines will see a long list of web sites for reference. The following are only a few to look over.

http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/l...artitions.html

http://www.centos.org/docs/2/rhl-ig-...artitions.html

http://webfuse.cqu.edu.au/Courses/20...de/Chapter_10/

http://www.babulal.com/books/linux/ch10.html

SirKenin

Don't worry, he'll confuse every issue beyond all recognition to make it sound like he knows what he's talking about.. The old rule of BS baffles brains applies.

What do you need to know about Windows Format? Are you looking to use the Computer Management snapin in your Administrative tools to do it? Or do you want to do it from My Computer?

Whichever way, let me know and I can help.

dcustomcomputers

Just looking to get some information on the different ways of formatting a hard drive when I am building or when I just need to reformat to clean up computers... I need to learn some more tricks about PC's all together. I feel that I am at the same amount of knowledge for to long... IF you can understand what I am trying to say. I just need to start moving forward with my learning... I think if I stick around here... I will learn a lot!!!

__________________
I would like to have a Signature, but the ink won't stay on the screen!!! Duh!

SirKenin

Ok. Well, that is somewhere to start anyways, and yes, I understand what you are saying.

When you are doing a clean build, the best way to do it is by using an unattended install. Microsoft offers the tool on their website. I actually have it here somewhere on CD, but you think I could bloody find it even if I had to? Not a prayer. I got an email from Microsoft not long ago about the latest version being available for download. A search of their website would point you to it.

The advantage is that you don't have to do ANYTHING.. Then all the client has to do is input their key (which you shouldn't be doing anyways if you adhere to the license agreement), and the install completes itself automatically.

However, here is a page of the two key tutorials you will need when you are servicing an XP computer:

http://www.ehow.com/how_6026_format-hard-drive.html

You may thank me by sending your donations in small unmarked bills to a drop off point that I will send you by PM. Follow the instructions and noone gets hurt.

PC eye

Those links will be a good reference when going to clean drives that have other then XP installations on them.

Apparently not! He was looking for "general" information not just using the XP installer to format a drive. That seems to be about the only thing you know how to use.