Formatting a Cruical RealSSD M4 128GB

MillsyOC · 23 Jun 2011 at 19:46

I have Win7 installed on a Crucial M4 64GB.

I'm currently formatting my 2TB WD Caviar Green, normal format, NTFS.

I have a Crucial M4 128GB which is just showing as unallocated space in Disk Management.

How should I format it? Normal or quick? NTFS? Allocation?

Cheers.

DragonQ · 23 Jun 2011 at 19:51

What are you using it for? If you're going to install Windows to it, leave it unallocated and install Windows to the raw drive. If you're using it as a secondary drive, format it within Windows 7 and then make sure it's aligned properly using Paragon Alignment Tool (can be downloaded for free, search this forum for a link).

TNA · 23 Jun 2011 at 19:54

Just secure erase it and pop on windows. 15 minutes tops (if your windows is on a usb stick).

MillsyOC · 23 Jun 2011 at 19:55

DragonQ said:
What are you using it for? If you're going to install Windows to it, leave it unallocated and install Windows to the raw drive. If you're using it as a secondary drive, format it within Windows 7 and then make sure it's aligned properly using Paragon Alignment Tool (can be downloaded for free, search this forum for a link).

I've already got Windows 7 installed on my 64GB drive.

The unallocated 128GB drive is for games.

My question is how to format it in Win7. NTFS? Quick format or normal? Allocation unit size?

EDIT: I appreciate the responses but I'd appreciate them more if they answered my questions. In my first post I said it's not for Windows...

DragonQ · 23 Jun 2011 at 19:57

NTFS, default allocation size, quick format. Just make sure it's aligned properly afterwards.

MillsyOC said:
EDIT: I appreciate the responses but I'd appreciate them more if they answered my questions. In my first post I said it's not for Windows...

No you didn't. I assumed you were either using it for other apps (as you are) or preparing it for another machine.

MillsyOC · 23 Jun 2011 at 19:58

DragonQ said:
NTFS, default allocation size, quick format. Just make sure it's aligned properly afterwards.

Thank you. What do you mean by aligned?

EDIT:

DragonQ said:
No you didn't. I assumed you were either using it for other apps (as you are) or preparing it for another machine.

Sorry, the edit was more directed at this quote "Just secure erase it and pop on windows. 15 minutes tops (if your windows is on a usb stick)." since nowhere did I mention installing Win7 on it.

Cheers.