New Hard Drive Formatting

alphaomega16 · 29 Sep 2021 at 20:32

Just been thinking, I usually use WD tools for a quick check of a drive as a full format on a 10/12TB drive would probably take an entire day up.

How many here actually perform full normal formats on new drives?

ODuffer · 29 Sep 2021 at 20:39

I'd agree, quick format. It depends on how critical your application is...

alphaomega16 · 29 Sep 2021 at 20:39

ODuffer said:
I'd agree, quick format. It depends on how critical your application is...

Basically just storage drives for media and a counterpart for backup

ODuffer · 29 Sep 2021 at 20:48

It also depends how much you value your time then

Chances are the drives are fine when new.

alphaomega16 · 29 Sep 2021 at 21:33

In the event of a power cut during a format it doesn't damage the drive does it?

Also are you able to cancel a full format?

alec · 30 Sep 2021 at 08:32

In the event of a power cut during a format it doesn't damage the drive does it?
Not different than power cut during any other writing operation. Safer actually, as there is no files or file system to corrupt

Also are you able to cancel a full format?
Yes

Murphy · 30 Sep 2021 at 08:35

Isn't the only difference between quick and full that the latter does a surface scan to check for bad sectors?

Also, I'm fairly sure a power cut during a format won't damage the drive, at least not physically, it may bork the format and need redoing though.

mrk · 30 Sep 2021 at 15:43

Full format erases files off a drive too (but it is not a secure erase). Using the drive maker's toolset you can always do a sector scan anyway or use something like HDTune that does the same thing anyway but the maker's tools are the preferred option. In all these decades of computering I have not once needed to do a full format on any drive.

With a new drive the first thing I do is check the SMART values, power on time to make sure it's not a previous returned drive put into a freshly sealed box etc, and to make sure not errors are reported. Then do a sector health check in HDTune Pro or in the case now as my internal drives are Samsung, using Samsung Magician which has a diagnostics feature that scans. These scans take about 30 seconds or less for even an 8TB drive which is all the peace of mind I need to know a drive is in solid working order.