Does NTFS format erase drive?

[Barbara Clark]

If I plug in a new drive which already has data on it (formatted NTFS)
and use Disk Manager to partition it and to format it as NTFS, will it
lose its data? Is formatting just telling XP that the drive is NTFS
or is it actually writing to the drive?

I can't find a way to tell XP that the drive is NTFS and to assign a
drive letter to it.

Thanks,
Barb

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

If I plug in a new drive which already has data on it (formatted NTFS)
and use Disk Manager to partition it and to format it as NTFS, will it
lose its data?

Yes.


Is formatting just telling XP that the drive is NTFS

No.


or is it actually writing to the drive?

Yes. It removes *everything* that's on the drive.

 

[philo]

If I plug in a new drive which already has data on it (formatted NTFS)
and use Disk Manager to partition it and to format it as NTFS, will it
lose its data? Is formatting just telling XP that the drive is NTFS
or is it actually writing to the drive?

I can't find a way to tell XP that the drive is NTFS and to assign a
drive letter to it.

Thanks,
Barb

Formatting the drive will erase your data...
go into disk management and assign it a drive letter...
but DO NOT format it

 

[JS]

Formatting will delete all your files.

Try this instead:
Right click on the My Computer icon, select Manage, then under the Storage
option
select Disk Management.

Now in the right hand pane right click on the Drive or partition that you
want to
and then click 'Add', and pick a letter from the pull down list.

JS