Iain wrote:
Quote:
> I recently purchased a 160 GB version of the following for use as a
> dedicated backup device:
> http://www.seagate.com/www/en-gb/pro.../freeagent_go/
>
> Whilst it's excellent, the most annoying thing is it takes over 2
> hours to fully format the drive. Quick format is just that; quick,
> without problem! : )
>
> Why should full format take so long to accomplish? When you choose to run a regular format on a volume, files are removed from
the volume that you are formatting and the hard disk is scanned for bad
sectors. The scan for bad sectors is responsible for the majority of the
time that it takes to format a volume.
If you choose the Quick format option, format removes files from the
partition, but does not scan the disk for bad sectors. Only use this option
if your hard disk has been previously formatted and you are sure that your
hard disk is not damaged.
"New" disks should be subjected to a "full" format before being placed in
service. After that, ordinary operating practices should detect bad sectors
so that a "Quick" format should be sufficient.