Can I somehow quick format a hard drive from DOS when using a start diskette (format c:)?

[jaffa]

I recently formatted a 40gb hard drive because I wanted to install Windows 98 on the drive. I used a start diskette and then did the usual things when installing this os. I wrote "format c:" and then did the rest of the installation.

The problem of course is that when writing "format c:" the hard drive will NOT be quick formatted so I had to wait for 30 minutes or so. When formatting a hard drive during win xp installation I always do the quick format (which takes a few seconds).

When I install an operating system I want the hard drive to be completely formatted.

Therefore I wonder if I can do the same type of quick format (instead of the slower "format c:") when installing some of the older operating systems in a DOS environment after using a start diskette.

 

[nchavie]

You should be able to do a quick format by using the /q switch after the formate command.

 

[jamesbond007]

Yep, should be 'format c: /q'

 

[Brentx]

Format C: /Q will work only if you haven't repartitioned the drive. If the drive gets repartitioned, the /Q switch will not work until it has had 1 full format on the partition done.

 

[jaffa]

Cool!

Thanks a lot for that.

Now I won't annoy anyone the next time I offer to reinstall their old OS on FAT hard drives...