New hard drives - full format?

Shaolin_K · 11 Sep 2009 at 15:12

Hi

Is it necessary to perform a full format on hard disks these days?

What software is most effiecient / best at testing the drive for any hardware faults / bad sectors etc?

Will HD Tune's error scan suffice?

Zarf · 11 Sep 2009 at 16:00

I usually use Western Digitals windows utility, it works on all brands (or at least my samsungs as well), and has no problems with using drives connected via USB.
I tend to do a full write zeros, and then a full surface scan.

Most drive manufacturers should have their own utilities to do the same, unfortunately Samsung's is dos based (and I don't think it works over USB) so it's more inconvenient.

Lemin · 11 Sep 2009 at 21:01

Full format on a large drive will take all night ! Quick format has not failed me yet on a new drive.

Atom · 11 Sep 2009 at 21:13

Always let windows full format a new drive as it also does disk check.

Lemin · 11 Sep 2009 at 21:17

Strange, ive never done a full format on a new HDD & all of them are still going strong, some are 6+year old. Must have been very lucky with my many drives !

Richard_ · 11 Sep 2009 at 22:06

I would go with a full scan with the manufacturers own test. then a full format .. after having a samsungs go faulty on me after only a few monts and a DOA i always do this .. 1TB drive is 3hrs to test and then same to format but then i am happy to put my files on it,

I think you will be ok to do a quick format, but if there is anything faulty you might not find out till you fill up the drive .. and then you dont have the space to move / save it on another disk.

But its a long job on a big drive

Unless its a SSD then you dont need to do a full format
Rich

anti5580 · 11 Sep 2009 at 22:12

I would say a quick format is suffice really ... but if the HDD is 2nd hand I would always do a full format.

AbsenceJam · 11 Sep 2009 at 23:59

Full is just quick + chkdsk which is rubbish. So do a quick and then use the manufacturers checking tool if you want to error check as well.

Evil^ · 12 Sep 2009 at 15:31

Personally, ive always done a full, got it drummed into me at college

FatalSaviour · 12 Sep 2009 at 23:11

I generally use the manufacturer's tool to check and prepare the drive, and then an install straight to the partition made by it.

Or if I'm feeling lazy, then I just keep pressing next on the Windows 7 install dialogs and it'll do a quick format...

MikeHunt79 · 12 Sep 2009 at 23:23

Full format for me, that way you won't hit problems later on.

Skalaberg · 14 Sep 2009 at 09:50

Lemin said:
Strange, ive never done a full format on a new HDD & all of them are still going strong, some are 6+year old. Must have been very lucky with my many drives !

+1

leexgx · 14 Sep 2009 at 10:26

i norm never do full format, takes to long (guess i should run WD tool on all 5 of my 1tb disks in my server and segate tool on my 1tb one) i norm do not have problems with failing hdds and if it does fail it do it in the first month or 3-5+ years later on