How long should it take to zero-out 120GB drive?

[homestarmy]

I've had issues with a Maxtor 120GB HDD and it wasn't letting me format. It worked perfectly before I took it out of my machine and it lost power while doing a full format to install an OS. So I got the MaxBlast tools and am currently zeroing-out the drive.

The thing is that it has probably been doing it since maybe 12 or 1, and it is just about 7! It does appear to be going along steadily, but should it really take this long?!

 

[JBT]

I'm not sure on the time frame but I think it can take a REALLY long time.

 

[bendixG15]

At least an overnight project...

So yes, it takes many, many hours

 

[Synomenon]

It's gonna take a long time. I remember zero-filling my 250GB hard drive. The average time that took was 25 hours.

 

[IdaGno]

The down-side to large HD's & the upside to partitioning.

Just thinking about very large HD de-frag time gives me the willies.

 

[Synomenon]

Actually, if you defragment regularly, it shouldn't take even large hard drives, too long. My 250GB Seagate takes less than 5 minutes to defrag, but that's 'cause I defragment it daily. My 150GB Raptor defrags just as fast, even without regular defragging.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

D-BAN FTW. A 1-pass zeroing out without verification of my 160GB WD only takes 55 minutes. D-BAN is the best disk wiper evar!

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: IsLNdbOi
Actually, if you defragment regularly, it shouldn't take even large hard drives, too long. My 250GB Seagate takes less than 5 minutes to defrag, but that's 'cause I defragment it daily. My 150GB Raptor defrags just as fast, even without regular defragging.

agreed. While I don't "defrag" every day . I run buzz saw so it constantly defrags.

 

[homestarmy]

This drive must be bad or something, but it doesn't make any sense. It took that amount of time, was able to write zeros to it, but it cannot be formatted, even by the maxtor utility. It worked perfectly fine before, any ideas?

 

[2gigs]

 

[2gigs]

maybe the MBR is fubared

 

[newuser]

took 3/4hrs for me to do a 80gb

 

[pkme2]

My 250 takes about 45min to defrag using Norton defrag, but I use it often (twice a week).

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: homestarmy
I've had issues with a Maxtor 120GB HDD and it wasn't letting me format. It worked perfectly before I took it out of my machine and it lost power while doing a full format to install an OS. So I got the MaxBlast tools and am currently zeroing-out the drive.

The thing is that it has probably been doing it since maybe 12 or 1, and it is just about 7! It does appear to be going along steadily, but should it really take this long?!

Hey just keep defragging!!

You are getting so many opinions and they all varrie.

I would just keep defragging!!

Then see whats up with your drive!!

Whats intreresting is you are getting a whole lot of people like myself who don`t know crap about the question you asked!@!

Your getting responses that varie like night and day..

One response-- This drive must be bad or something, but it doesn't make any sense. It took that amount of time, was able to write zeros to it, but it cannot be formatted, even by the maxtor utility. It worked perfectly fine before, any ideas?

Another response --At least an overnight project...

So yes, it takes many, many hours

You have more responses that agree with -- at least an overnight project...

Also depends on how full your drive was....if the drive has 150 gigs used yeah it might take a while..

Good Luck!!

 

[NuroMancer]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: homestarmy
I've had issues with a Maxtor 120GB HDD and it wasn't letting me format. It worked perfectly before I took it out of my machine and it lost power while doing a full format to install an OS. So I got the MaxBlast tools and am currently zeroing-out the drive.

The thing is that it has probably been doing it since maybe 12 or 1, and it is just about 7! It does appear to be going along steadily, but should it really take this long?!

Hey just keep defragging!!

You are getting so many opinions and they all carrie.

I would just keep defragging!!

Then see whats up with your drive!!

Whats intreresting is you are getting a whole lot of people like myself who don`t know crap about the question you asked!@!

Your getting responses that varie like night and day..

One response-- This drive must be bad or something, but it doesn't make any sense. It took that amount of time, was able to write zeros to it, but it cannot be formatted, even by the maxtor utility. It worked perfectly fine before, any ideas?

Another response --At least an overnight project...

So yes, it takes many, many hours

You have more responses that agree with -- at least an overnight project...

Also depends on how full your drive was....if the drive has 150 gigs used yeah it might take a while..

Good Luck!!

Umm, response 1, is the OP. so.... yah....

 

[NuroMancer]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

Originally posted by: homestarmy
I've had issues with a Maxtor 120GB HDD and it wasn't letting me format. It worked perfectly before I took it out of my machine and it lost power while doing a full format to install an OS. So I got the MaxBlast tools and am currently zeroing-out the drive.

The thing is that it has probably been doing it since maybe 12 or 1, and it is just about 7! It does appear to be going along steadily, but should it really take this long?!

Hey just keep defragging!!

You are getting so many opinions and they all carrie.

I would just keep defragging!!

Then see whats up with your drive!!

Whats intreresting is you are getting a whole lot of people like myself who don`t know crap about the question you asked!@!

Your getting responses that varie like night and day..

One response-- This drive must be bad or something, but it doesn't make any sense. It took that amount of time, was able to write zeros to it, but it cannot be formatted, even by the maxtor utility. It worked perfectly fine before, any ideas?

Another response --At least an overnight project...

So yes, it takes many, many hours

You have more responses that agree with -- at least an overnight project...

Also depends on how full your drive was....if the drive has 150 gigs used yeah it might take a while..

Good Luck!!

Umm, response 1, is the OP. so.... yah....

 

[bendixG15]

Note.............

Writing zeros to the hard drive is NOT defraging...
The man is Writing zeros...He is not defraging
Writing zeros is one thing..defraging is a diferent thing.

Good Night.

 

[pkme2]

http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com/fo...-low-high-level-format-writing-0s.html
Does this cover it?

 

[Jiggz]

After "zero'ing" make sure you partition and then format. Zero'ing is a long process depending on the size of the hdd.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

It's at least 6 hrs to use DBAN. I think I took like 6 - 8 hrs for my 7200.8 250GB

 

[TanisHalfElven]

whats the points of this zeroing. i mean how does it fix a drive.

 

[imported_michaelpatrick33]

Originally posted by: tanishalfelven
whats the points of this zeroing. i mean how does it fix a drive.

I think zeroing is more for security than for "fixing" a drive. Overwriting the current information and rewriting zeroes throughout the drive will keep the average user from accessing information. Many people believe that a reformat renders all their information unaccessible and thus donate or give computers to people not realizing personal info can be accessed by the tech savvy. Even writing zeros doesn't ensure protection.

I have seen an Eraser program that would use the Gutmann defense to create the best posible permanent erasing of information on a drive. Not sure if it would pass an electron microscope .. er .. scope but it is way above DOD specs for secure erasing.

Of course a hammer, furtive grin and a concrete driveway is the best way to secure the drive (along with a bonfire of course).

Edit: for grammar (the grammar I found that was erroneous anyway)