Formating a partition before installing Windows

[Ragab]

I would like to re-install a fresh copy of Windows XP Professional SP2, and I
always choose to format my Hard Disk using NTFS file system before installing
Windows. My question is: "Does Format command affect my Hard Disk (as a
hardware) badly if I used it many times? and if there are bad effects, how
can I avoid or reduce them?"
Thanks

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I would like to re-install a fresh copy of Windows XP Professional
SP2, and I always choose to format my Hard Disk using NTFS file
system before installing Windows. My question is: "Does Format
command affect my Hard Disk (as a hardware) badly if I used it many
times? and if there are bad effects, how can I avoid or reduce
them?"

It shouldn't affect a properly manufactured hard disk drive. TECHNICALLY -
it does cause more movement in the drive, which will cause wear of some
sort - but that is the purpose of the hard disk drive...

You are doing the right thing. I see nothing you could do to make it
better.

 

[DL]

'Does...' no
If doing a fresh install it might be wise to delete partitions first.

Sounds like this may be a frequent occurence, why?

 

[Ragab]

Thanks Davy, but i'm not asking about the effects of formatting on backups or
data. I'm asking about the effects of formatting on the hard drive as a
hardware. I mean the effects related to sectors (can it results in bad
sectors?), and may it slow down my hard drive after many times of
formatting?, somethings like that..
Thanks

 

[John John]

No, Ragab, formatting does not harm the drive, if you must format your
drive format it and don't worry about it. Formatting will not make
sectors go bad, but if there are bad sectors already present on the
drive, when you do a full format these bad sectors will be detected and
marked as unavailable to the operating system. If you format, or try to
format your drive and if the format hangs or fails before completion
then the drive is probably damaged or failing, that is not something
that would have be brought about by formating the drive, it was an
already existing condition before you ran the format command.

John

 

[Ragab]

Many thanks John..
--
Ragab

No, Ragab, formatting does not harm the drive, if you must format your
drive format it and don't worry about it. Formatting will not make
sectors go bad, but if there are bad sectors already present on the
drive, when you do a full format these bad sectors will be detected and
marked as unavailable to the operating system. If you format, or try to
format your drive and if the format hangs or fails before completion
then the drive is probably damaged or failing, that is not something
that would have be brought about by formating the drive, it was an
already existing condition before you ran the format command.

John

 

[John John]

You're welcome, have fun ...

John