Your opinion - full format / quick format


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Pretty soon i'll be looking to format this HD & re-install WinXP to get rid of the heap of junk on it right now.

The past few days i've had trouble creating an updated WinXP using both nLite & RyanVM's integrators. I have created a CD, but using Virtual PC - a load of the add ons weren't present.

This HD is 200GB & full formats take a LONG time. I don't want to go through it, install off the new CD to then find out it's not working properly & then have to go through the lengthy process again.

I don't know so i'm asking here ...... is there any REAL reason why you would go for a full format over a quick format? Is there any disadvantage of going for a quick format? Would you TOTALLY go for one over the other?

Your opinions....

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Opinions? Or facts?

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302686

Microsoft states that the only real difference is full does a scan for bad sectors. (which takes all the extra time)

You can probably make up your own mind on that now. Do you trust the drive surface? If yes, do quick. If no, do full.

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yaaa.... if u r sure go for quick ......

but if u do full also it will take hardly 5-7 min extra...and this will release uR tension of BAD SECTOR

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Doesn't quick format also keep the registry intact also?

I could have sworn the last time (and only time) I used quick format, when I reinstall all my programs some of them already had the registration data and everything. Hence why I do full format always.

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Doesn't quick format also keep the registry intact also?
Absolutely not. It erases all files. You have a blank filesystem.

Maybe you are thinking of some "repair installation" boot option from the CD.

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To re-reiterate, any format type will kill the registry and leave you with a blank drive (ignoring the concept that one could possibly recover the data through a long and complicated procedure that is beyond the scope of this thread).

If you want to keep anything on the drive (including the registry) then do not format it!

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Formatting the hard drive will erase all information including the registry. However, you can backup your data onto a different storage medium (CD, DVD, HDD) and format your hard drive. That way you'll keep your valuable data and have an empty HDD to use.

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The only difference between the two methods is the full format will run checkdisk after deleting the file table. That's it.

By the way, neither method deletes the data, only the file table and boot sector are rewritten. The effect is the same however, since the OS no longer knows how to find the data. And of course if you format the system drive the file table containing information about the OS is rewritten so the disk appears blank.

Edited by allan
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Question: You aren't planning to format the entire 200GB as one partition, are you?

I recommend keeping one small partition (C:) just for the OS and nothing else. Install / copy all data into other partitions than C:.

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Ummm, not entirely sure what you just said there fella. lol.

Inside this box, is 2 hard drives. One 80GB © is the g/f's. The other 200GB hard drive (D) is mine, and yes, it is just 1 partition. 1 200gb lump.

As for what you were saying about O.S.'S (it'd be WinXP Pro) here & there and various partitions ... umm i'm lost. Sorry.

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Some people like to make a smaller partition just for Windows. Then a larger partition for their apps and data.

They install Windows on C:, then all other stuff they install, they install onto D: for example.

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I always have C: for Windows and Applications, and D: for data. That way, if you need to reinstall, your applications will be removed as they were on C (most apps wont work properly after a format/reinstall), and your data will still be intact on D.

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it depends on ur need .....

u need how many drives .......

as i have 1 small drive of 12 GB for OS

and other 3 drive i have made according to my needs

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Hmm, that's something to consider.

So let's say i have a partition for XP & 1 for my data. Will all 3 (the 2 for me + the one my g/f has) show up upon start up, or could i have the data partition not appear?

As it's too late to be doing anything really, i'll have a think about it.

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i will show all the 3 drives .,.......

if u have attached it will show ......

and if u want that particular HDD will not show ... go to computer management > device manager > disk drive > select drive that u don't want to show ... disable it ....

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Hmm, that's something to consider.

So let's say i have a partition for XP & 1 for my data. Will all 3 (the 2 for me + the one my g/f has) show up upon start up, or could i have the data partition not appear?

As it's too late to be doing anything really, i'll have a think about it.

What do you mean on start up? In My Computer?

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What do you mean on start up? In My Computer?

When you start up your computer & get past the "boot from CD-ROM" thing that comes up (before windows even loads), my PC goes to a screen where my g/f's HD & my HD is listed as available startup "things" (don't know what the computer term is). If i choose mine, it loads up to my HD, if i choose hers, it will load up her HD.

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Can any of you guys link me up to a website so that i can partition this CORRECTLY?

I've just google'd & found a few different ways of partitioning. I found one official MS website which i'm sure i've tried in the past & it didn't work. Then there was another talking about DOS & fdisk & C prompts which i tried on my old computer that only had 1 hard drive. But i would like to know what would work for deffinate in this situation...

The g/f's hard drive is drive C. That is going to be left alone

Mine is drive D, which i would like to split into 2 partitions, but at the moment, don't know how to do this properly. I also don't want to go trying something out & end up wiping her hard drive out by mistake.

I will be using WindowsXP Pro SP2 on my HD

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Download Partition Magic, it's by far the best partitioning program in my opinion.

I think you mean buy Partition Magic. Otherwise you are promoting warez.

You can download qtparted for free,

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