wtf does low level formatting do?

[ManBearPig]

and why should i low level format?

thanks

 

[McGyver]

to make sure that physical tracks on the media is recognized by the computer.

 

[Slappy00]

I *think* a low-level format turns all the bits on a storage device to "0" so there is no way of recovering any kind of data, wehre as most formatting just erases the pointer to where the bits that corrispond to a peice of data are.

I could be wrong of course.

 

[Goosemaster]

these days it just ruins stuff.

 

[Evadman]

it formats at a lower level instead of high level. Duh.

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Think of a tree in the woods... you cut it down, and it's a log on the ground. Can you use it like paper yet? Nope... it has to go to the factory, be ground up to a pulp and pressed into something that you can use.

Tree in the woods = HD from the factory, low level format = taking the raw materials and making it so the computer can write on it.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Slappy00
I *think* a low-level format turns all the bits on a storage device to "0" so there is no way of recovering any kind of data, wehre as most formatting just erases the pointer to where the bits that corrispond to a peice of data are.

I could be wrong of course.

Right, except it's not IMPOSSIBLE to recover the data.

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
Think of a tree in the woods... you cut it down, and it's a log on the ground. Can you use it like paper yet? Nope... it has to go to the factory, be ground up to a pulp and pressed into something that you can use.

Tree in the woods = HD from the factory, low level format = taking the raw materials and making it so the computer can write on it.

That's a terrible analogy😛

 

[ManBearPig]

so how often should i low level format? 🙁

 

[Evadman]

Originally posted by: Heen05
so how often should i low level format? 🙁

Never.

 

[theprodigalrebel]

yeah, that analogy was pretty bad.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Slappy00
I *think* a low-level format turns all the bits on a storage device to "0" so there is no way of recovering any kind of data, wehre as most formatting just erases the pointer to where the bits that corrispond to a peice of data are.

I could be wrong of course.

Right, except it's not IMPOSSIBLE to recover the data.

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
Think of a tree in the woods... you cut it down, and it's a log on the ground. Can you use it like paper yet? Nope... it has to go to the factory, be ground up to a pulp and pressed into something that you can use.

Tree in the woods = HD from the factory, low level format = taking the raw materials and making it so the computer can write on it.

That's a terrible analogy😛

WTF that analogy doesn't even make sense... well it does but not for hard drives/storage.

Low level format writes 0s, and it is still very possible to recover data. A 0 that has been a 0 is different from a 0 that has been a 1 for a long time and is different from a 0 that was changed to a 1 for a short period of time and then back..

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Heen05
so how often should i low level format? 🙁

1. you can't unless you realyl try

2. never, unless you use the manu.'s software or want to ruin the drive.

 

[wazzledoozle]

Originally posted by: Heen05
so how often should i low level format? 🙁

Never, flash cards have a certain life cycle for complete zero writes of the bits, its something like 1000 times for an sdcard I think.

If you are selling the card and it had some private data at some point, do a low level format 2-4 times to make sure the data isnt recoverable.

 

[Sukhoi]

On my camera in the menu there is an option that says something like "erase memory stick." Is that actually idiot speak for a low level format? I figured it was just deleting the file addresses.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Sukhoi
On my camera in the menu there is an option that says something like "erase memory stick." Is that actually idiot speak for a low level format? I figured it was just deleting the file addresses.

no.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: wazzledoozle

Originally posted by: Heen05
so how often should i low level format? 🙁

Never, flash cards have a certain life cycle for complete zero writes of the bits, its something like 1000 times for an sdcard I think.

If you are selling the card and it had some private data at some point, do a low level format 2-4 times to make sure the data isnt recoverable.

no. do a DoD erase ONCE.

 

[ThaGrandCow]

🙁

I thought it was a pretty good analogy

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
🙁

I thought it was a pretty good analogy

I would use this analogy:


LLF to Storage is what Bruce was to Bruce Almighty without the happy ending.

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
🙁

I thought it was a pretty good analogy

I would use this analogy:


LLF to Storage is what Bruce was to Bruce Almighty without the happy ending.

Being able to make women orgasm on demand?

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: ThaGrandCow
🙁

I thought it was a pretty good analogy

I would use this analogy:


LLF to Storage is what Bruce was to Bruce Almighty without the happy ending.

Being able to make women orgasm on demand?

I don't need the command line for that😉

*waits for clever wordplay*