ntfs vs fat

[TheOmegaCode]

hahaha n0c ... just kidding.. but really
whats the deal with installing Windows? Whenever you format a drive in DOS/Windows it takes FOREVER, but when you initialize or format in Linux/Unix/Apple it only takes seconds? Error correction? If so, I've never really seen a corrupted partition in Unix/Mac systems... at least not right after the install.

You were sooooo close to signing your own death warrant 😛

AnandTech Moderator

 

[bozo1]

A regular format scans the disk for physical errors. Quick formats do not. Linux/Unix/Apple do not as well.

 

[TheOmegaCode]

physical errors on the hdd itself? or just in the partition?
I just figured that if the errors were physical.. the partition wouldn't write well...

 

[bozo1]

Physical errors on the drive itself. During a regular format, data is written/read to each sector on the disk. If an error is found, that sector is mapped out so the OS doesn't use it. With a 'quick' format, no such checking is done.

Well, I should rephrase that - during a regular format, data is written/read to each sector of the partition.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Ill try and think of something warm to say as soon as this vien stops trying to pop out of my neck.

 

[Zlash]

I think it's writing to each sector 10 times before determiing if it's good or bad.

 

[BIGGDOG]

Well I am not sure what particular OS you are talking about. But if say you are using Windows @000 or XP. I have a stripe and I usually create a 6144 partition for C: and then I format for either Fat or NTFS. Once installatin is complete I go into Administrator tools and Disk Management and reassign the CD rom drives so they are not D and E. Then I creat a partition say 70gigs NTFS and I tell it to prefome a Quick format and then in less than 10 sec you are done. Now if you do all of this inside of Windows and you want Fat 32 then you will only be allowed to creat ?? 32 gigs ?? each. But you can still preform a quick format as well.

Hope this helped.