Acronis disk formatting. Format the hard drive

It’s no secret that you can format a USB drive or hard drive using the tools built into Windows - just right-click on the corresponding drive and select “Format” in the context menu. But what can this system utility actually do, and what is it capable of? If a bad sector is detected on the disk, the format procedure will not show you any notification about this, leaving the cluster available for writing along with good areas.

So that you have maximum formatting options, we will tell you which alternative low level formatting program hard drive and USB devices currently available on the market is the best in its class, and what features are built into it.

Important: before using any of these applications, copy all data from a flash drive or corresponding logical drive to a safe place, since when working with utilities, all information can be destroyed and irretrievably lost.

JetFlash Recovery Tool

A proprietary utility from Transcend. An excellent choice for owners of USB devices from this brand, as well as devices from ADATA. Using JetFlash Recovery Tool, you can not only format flash drives, but also recover data on them. It will be especially useful if your flash drive contains unreadable sectors, it takes a long time for the computer to detect it, or information cannot be written to it. The utility is incredibly easy to use, and even a child can master it. There are only two buttons available on the start screen: to start the recovery procedure and to exit.

The interface is absolutely intuitive and clear. The disadvantages include the lack of a Russian-language interface and support for USB drives of other brands. Not long ago, Transcend recently posted an alternative software product on its official website JetFlash Online Recovery, based on cloud service. We recommend you try it too.

HP Drive Key Boot Utility

A convenient and functional program for cleaning a flash drive with bad sectors. Allows you to format flash drives from SanDisk, Transcend and Kingston. Three file systems are supported: FAT32, NTFS and FAT. It is worth noting that using the first of the file systems mentioned, it is possible to wipe a device larger than 32 GB, which, in fact, exceeds the FAT32 threshold. The main advantage of HP Drive Key Boot is its interface. All program options are concentrated in one window, and all operations can be performed without literally leaving it.

It is possible to create bootable flash drives based on the OS distribution using only the included tools. The application is portable, so you can use it on any PC without installation (simply by copying the folder with the executable file and libraries). The disadvantages of the utility include the lack of HDD/SSD support and the ability to fix system errors. In addition to this, on Windows Vista/7/8.1/10 the presented data formatting program is available to work only in compatibility mode. For modern operating systems, the development company has created an alternative product called HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. All HP Drive Key Boot functionality has been successfully transferred here.

USB Disk Storage Format Tool

Official page USB Disk Storage Format Tool

A powerful, fully functional and free program for formatting flash drives from any manufacturer, as well as resuscitating them in case of broken clusters. There is support for all modern operating systems from Microsoft (Win 8/10). Using the program is incredibly convenient: insert a USB flash drive, select it in the list of devices at the top, indicate the desired file system and enter the drive label just below. What's especially convenient is that the error correction and formatting functions are clearly separated. So, you can scan a USB device for bad or unreadable sectors and fix them, just by checking the appropriate boxes. additional options and clicking the Check Disk button. A separate button includes the process of clearing a USB drive from its contents without the possibility of recovery (quick and low-level formatting is available).

Another distinctive feature of the USB Disk Storage Format Tool is that it keeps a detailed log of all operations, which will give you full information about the actions performed by the utility. What’s especially impressive is that you can format any memory card (SD, Compact Flash, SDXC, SDHC, etc.) using the tools built into the application. Among the minor shortcomings are the inability to create bootable disks and the lack of Russian localization, but given the functionality built into the application, these disadvantages are practically leveled out.

HDD Low Level Format Tool

Official page HDD Low Level Format Tool

Basic program for low-level HDD formatting/SSD and flash media. The design is very unpretentious and simple. To start the format procedure, you should choose what exactly you will work with: a flash drive or a hard drive. After this, by switching between tabs, you can perform a quick (deleting information about the drive in the corresponding partition and clearing the MBR record) or full formatting.

What distinguishes the application from all others is that the presented software solution has the option to obtain SMART, but this is only relevant for screws. By the way, you can work with HDD, SSD and other devices connected via any interface (FIREWIRE, IDE, SAS, SCSI, SATA). You can clear data not only on flash drives, but also on memory cards of any format from MemoryStick to MMC. There is support for the latest OS. In fact, the only limitation software product– this is a limited data processing speed (50 Mb/sec), but essentially, the advantages and functionality of the application more than cover this shortcoming.

MiniTool Partition Wizard Free is the best program for low-level formatting HDD/SSD, and more

Official page MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

Perhaps this is the most expanded and developed project, both in terms of functionality and usability. As for the available functions, their variety and number are simply beyond expectations. In addition to basic operations with individual HDD and flash partitions (full disk partitioning, checking for errors, setting a label, changing the letter of the name, converting from one file system to another), there are also unique capabilities unique to this product. This includes migrating the installed OS to another HDD/SSD, copying the contents of disks/individual partitions to another drive, a data recovery wizard, and a host of other functions. As with most commercial paid applications, all operations can be performed either through graphic menu, and with the help of a visual panel, which contains the lion's share of functionality.

You can work with both single screws and RAID arrays. Among other programs for low-level formatting of a hard drive, MiniTool Partition Wizard stands out due to its high speed, high-quality design and active support from developers, thanks to which the utility can be launched without problems. An excellent candidate for the must-have category, both for ordinary users and administrators.

In this collection, we tried to find out which program for low-level formatting of a hard drive, as well as removable USB drives, is the most relevant on at the moment. All products presented are absolutely free and do not require the purchase of a license. We hope that, depending on your tasks, you will be able to choose the best product for you as an alternative to the software tools available in Windows by default.

HDD Low Level Format Tool is an application that allows you to run low-level formatting of your hard drive. This formatting of HDDs is carried out when they are manufactured at the factory, and the HDD Low Level Format Tool can return the disk formatting to its original, factory state, filling it with zero bytes. This operation completely and irrevocably deletes all data on the hard drive and is used to format damaged disks or disks with a virus-infected master boot record (MBR). In addition, HDD Low Level Format Tool can hide bad sectors, creating a clean, error-free surface for recording and storing data. The interface of this application is very simple - you can view information about disk parameters (model, serial number, buffer size, etc.) and format it. You can also familiarize yourself with the parameters of discs that support S.M.A.R.T technology. HDD Low Level Format Tool allows you to quickly erase individual disk partitions, MBR data and supports working with flash cards (SD, MMC, MemoryStick, CompactFlash), as well as USB and Firewire drives. HDD Low Level Format Tool supports hard drives from most popular manufacturers ( Western Digital, Seagate, Hitachi, Maxtor, Samsung, IBM, Toshiba, etc.) and interface types (SATA, IDE, SCSI, SAS, SSD). The free version of the program has a formatting speed limit of 50 Mb/sec. - so formatting a 2 terabyte drive takes about 12 hours.

Greetings to all readers of my blog, Denis Trishkin here.
When using a computer for a long time, sooner or later the need arises Windows reinstallation. This can be done in several ways. The correct one is the one before which you need to format the hard drive. In this article I will tell you exactly how this happens, and also introduce you to the main concepts.

So what is formatting? Even at school, this process was presented as a division into sectors and tracks, with the loss of all information previously recorded on the storage medium. In the realities of today's technological world, formatting is the process of marking an electronic storage medium, regardless of its shape and structure, be it optical or hard drive, memory card, flash drive.

To put it simply, the process involves erasing all existing files in a specified area. At the same time, when new ones appear, they are already placed on top in a seamless manner. Because of this, access to them will be easier in the future, and, consequently, the speed of processing requests will decrease. The OS and individual programs will run faster.

File system types( ^)

Before moving directly to familiarization with the process itself, it is important to introduce you to such a concept as file system and its types. So, it is a table that indicates the order of storing, recording and naming information on media. In other words, it is responsible for all processes related to transferring and reading data.

There are several most famous and used types:

Formatting process( ^)

We immediately need to clarify that we are talking about formatting before Windows installation. Therefore, we will talk about working with hard drives, and not with other data storage devices.

This process consists of three stages:

1 Low-level formatting is considered the most important. During this process, the information storage area is marked. This is carried out directly during the manufacture of the hard drive. With low-frequency formatting, all the structures necessary for operation are created in the corresponding area. These include:

• tracks (tracks);

• information management program.

In the future, during the entire use of the media, this markup does not change. Many utilities that claim to be capable of low-level formatting do not actually do this. At best, they only prescribe new program management.

2 Partitioning. During this process, the entire volume of the hard drive is divided into logical parts (most often they are called letters of the Latin alphabet: C, D, E and others). This is carried out by built-in services of the operating system itself or by third-party programs. The process is optional - you can skip it - the media will only have one partition. But due to the fact that modern hard drives have large amounts of memory, they are usually divided into logical partitions.




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3 High-level formatting. During the process, logical structures are formed that are responsible for storing files. This type is divided into two types:

Formatting methods before installing a new system( ^)

There are only a few ways to format before installing new Windows:

using built-in capabilities;

command line (use the same tool);

third-party programs (most often these are Acronis Disk Director);

use another computer.

Step-by-step instructions for formatting with built-in capabilities( ^)

It should be noted right away that I will talk about Windows 7, 8, 10, because previous versions Microsoft has stopped supporting it. So, when, during the installation of a new operating system, you reach the disk selection point, you need to:

The built-in tool allows you to format the disk only in a quick way.

However, it does not provide additional functions. This is why many specialists use special programs for formatting, which work even without an installed operating system. The above is considered the most convenient Acronis Disk Director. This application is paid, although there is the possibility of temporary use.

Formatting using Acronis Disk Director( ^)

To use the application you need:

1 Download the program image file using a torrent tracker.




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2 Write the downloaded image to a USB flash drive




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3 Using the BIOS, check that the system boots first from the flash drive, press the F10 button and agree.




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4 After rebooting, confirm working from the flash drive.

5 A black screen appears where you need to select full version Acronis Disk Director.




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6 On the pop-up window, mark “manual” mode.

7 After this, select the section and click on the item in the left menu.




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9 After this, the program sends us to the initial partition selection window. This is necessary to make additional changes. But since we are only formatting the disk on which Windows will later be installed, we click on the checkbox.




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10 We are waiting for the process to complete. After this, you can exit the program and continue installing the OS. In this case, there is no longer any need to format the disk with the built-in program.




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Formatting via the command line( ^)

Almost no one uses this method, since the methods described above are sufficient for most. But sometimes there are still situations when he remains the only one.

To call the command line, before copying a new one Windows versions to your computer, when the first installation window appears, press the key combination “ Shift+F10" After this, a black window will appear. It contains the command “ format" along with the letter of the partition that needs to be formatted (this could be C, D, E and others). After this you need to confirm the action: “ Yes" Or write " No» if you made a mistake with the letter of the section or simply changed your mind.

Formatting a hard drive through a third-party computer( ^)

Several times I encountered situations where malicious software (aka virus) damaged system files on your hard drive. As a result, the operation of important mechanisms is disrupted, which leads to formatting errors in standard utility. It turns out that in order to cope with the “infection”, you need to install a new Windows. And it won't make sense without formatting.

The situation can be resolved using third party computer. The infected hard drive is connected to it and cleaned in a standard system. To do this, after booting the system in the section " My computer“You need to select the damaged partition, right-click on it, and then select the appropriate menu. Specify the file system, cluster size, and volume label.

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After formatting, the hard drive is installed on the original computer and Windows is installed. Sometimes during this, the system requires you to re-divide the partition into sectors and tracks. Don't worry - this is normal.

Formatting your hard drive before installing Windows is an important step. If you don't do it, new version will work with errors and most likely not for long.

I hope this article will clarify for you the main issues that are associated with the formatting procedure. Subscribe, recommend me to your friends and along with you become computer literate.

First of all, you need to understand what formatting is. This is a process by which your drive is cleared of the information on it. It is most often used in cases where it is necessary to quickly empty the disk of its contents and write other data to it. Or before installing the operating system. How can such an operation be performed? There is a program for this: Before using it, take care of the safety necessary files and documents, copy them, for example, to an external drive.

Formatting using the Control Panel

The very first way to perform drive cleaning is to use the computer's own capabilities. To use them, you need to use the control panel of your device. In this section, select “Disk Management” and see all the available options: assign labels and names, create partitions, perform the formatting we need, etc.

We find the drive or partition we need, hover the mouse over it, right-click and select “format”. This option is convenient because we initially see all the drives connected to the computer, even those that are inactive and we will not see them in the Explorer window. Before starting the procedure, the window that appears allows you to make some settings. You can change the volume label, that is, the name of the selected drive, and select the file system type. You need to pay attention to the fact that these parameters have already been pre-configured and set, so you don’t need to touch them, except in cases where there is an exact purpose for the changes.

Next, the program for formatting the hard drive offers you to choose full formatting or quick formatting, which differ significantly from each other. If the first option deletes data as efficiently as possible, without the possibility of recovery, then with the second the disk will be recognized as empty, but if desired, information from it can be recovered. It is recommended to use it if you are confident in the full functionality of the media.

Using the Explorer window

The method described above is not the only solution to the problem assigned to us. It is possible to format the disk even more quickly. To do this, it is quite enough to open “My Computer”, get to all active ones. Then select the one we need, right-click to open the menu and click on the “formatting” item.

Before us is another program for formatting a hard drive. Using the window that opens, additional settings You can adjust various operation parameters. Please remember that the actual disk capacity is less than the data provided to us by the manufacturer. For example, a 2TB drive will actually have 1.81TB of available space.

How to format a system disk?

If there is an operating system on the disk, then it, of course, cannot erase itself, so other methods have to be used. Why do this? This procedure is performed if system disk The new one will be installed with the current OS. To do this, insert the installation disk with the operating system into the computer/laptop. It will launch and prompt you to start the installation. All you have to do is follow the instructions for performing this operation.

First, of its two types, we select installation from scratch, ignoring the option of updating the system. On the hard drive you are using, you can create and delete logical partitions and perform accelerated formatting. Then we continue to install the OS or, after removing the disk, we continue working on the computer.

We looked at Windows OS version 7. In operating systems Windows Vista and Windows XP all actions are similar. But if you are servicing the system drive, then it is preferable to use third-party ones called Live CD.

Free hard drive formatting program

To format any storage devices, including hard drives connected to the device, you can use HDD program Low Level Format Tool. System utilities are, of course, a good thing, but high-quality cleaning is better done with the help of a third-party software. The above utility is small, convenient, and supports working with different interfaces, for example, SATA, IDE, USB, Fir, SCSI. We can service devices from the following manufacturers: Seagate, Maxtor, Fujitsu, Samsung, Quantum, Toshiba, IBM. Also works with flash cards.

What else is good about this program? hard drive is its main merit. It destroys absolutely all data that is recorded on the media, without skipping boot sectors with separated logical partitions. Please remember that deleted information cannot be recovered.

How does HDD Low Level Format Tool work?

Download the distribution, launch and install. This is done so simply that we will not dwell on it in detail. Then we read and choose: use the free version or pay an additional three dollars and thirty cents and get an updated version and more quick program. We choose the first option. The only disadvantage of this utility is that every time you start it, you will have to see and delete the window asking you to pay extra money.

The interface is very simple. You will immediately see which storage devices are connected to the computer and are ready for use. Various data about these devices and various reference information are available.

Let's do some testing. We will not experiment with a hard drive; for this we will use a regular flash drive with a capacity of 4 GB. Select it from the list and click the “Continue >>>” button. We will see the characteristics of the flash drive and the start/stop formatting buttons. Before starting the process, the program will clarify whether you really want to start it. In the window you can monitor the progress of the operation.

Peculiarity free version- low speed (4.3 Mb/sec), so everything will last about 10 minutes. HDD Low Level Format Tool will not only format your drive, but will also be able to “repair” it if the computer does not see the flash drive.

How else can you format a hard drive?

One of the most powerful and functional utilities for this is Acronis. This program for formatting your hard drive is updated regularly and keeps up with the times. It's paid, but it's also free trial version. So if you like the utility, you can purchase the full version. System Requirements not too big, so it can be installed on almost every computer.

There are many options offered, the choice is yours.

Popular list free programs for various types of formatting hard drives (HDD, SSD, RAID) and removable media (USB, Firewire, SD). In this article, you will learn how to properly format a hard drive and learn about various types of HDD formatting, including low-level. We will also select good program to partition the hard drive.

Methods for formatting HDD - from simple to complex

Formatting is a simple operation that can be performed by inexperienced users. Next, I will tell you how to format a HDD yourself - from simple to complex, depending on your skills and level of PC proficiency.

Using standard Windows tools when formatting

The Windows XP-10 operating system has built-in tools to perform this operation. Formatting hard disk is done like this:

1. Open “Explorer” (or another file manager),
2. Go to the “My Computer” section
3. Click on to the desired disk
4. Select “Format”
5. Next, click on the “Start” button

This is the easiest way to format your computer without additional tools. Despite its simplicity, however, all stages must be performed consciously, clearly understanding why you are doing it. Before giving your consent to formatting, carefully check whether the drive you have selected is correct.

Perhaps the video instructions show more clearly how to format a disk.

An alternative formatting method in Windows 7/8/10

1. Different systems have their own path to Disk Management - the easiest way is to open the program search and enter “management”. When the system displays a search result, find “Computer Management” and open it
2. In the menu on the left, go to "Disk Management"
3. Right-click on the desired partition and select Format. Since the process occurs inside a running OS, the “Format” menu item will be inactive on the system partition
4. Next, select the label for the new partition, the type of future file system and the required cluster size (if you don’t know what size you need, leave “default”)
5. For formatting high level You can leave the “Quick Format” checkbox active. If you need to deep clean the partition contents, uncheck this box.
6. After clicking the “OK” button, the system will ask for confirmation - click “OK” again

Formatting a hard drive via the Windows command line

To start formatting, open a command line (console) on your computer. To do this, use the key combination WIN + R, in the "Run" window that appears, enter CMD command, press ENTER.

Note. To format a disk via the command line, you will need administrator rights (). Start - CMD - open context menu by clicking on the application icon " Command line" - Run as administrator. If you try to format the disk without administrator rights, nothing will work: access will be denied. In general, watch the video where I show how to format as administrator.

To format via the console, use the following commands:

Format drive letter

Press Enter. We carefully read what is written in the console and perform further actions with the hard drive depending on the situation.

Full hard drive formatting via HDD Low Level Format Tool

Low-level formatting will optimize the HDD structure. This is useful when preparing to reinstall the operating system. At the same time, you can solve problems with faulty sectors of hard disk.

HDD Low Level Format Tool is suitable for low-level formatting. The utility will help you format your computer's hard drive, external HDD, tablet SD card and other storage devices.

In addition to the basic functions, HDD Low Level Format Tool can be used to read SMART indicators, check read errors, disk uptime, etc.

How fully format the hard drive:

1. After installation, run the HDD Low Level Format program
2. In the Drive selection window, select the hard drive (if several HDDs are connected to the PC). The easiest way to distinguish one hard drive from another is by capacity. Click Continue
3. Go to the LOW-LEVEL Format tab
4. To quickly format (delete partitions and MBR records), select the Perform quick wipe option.
5. To completely format the hard drive, the above option should be ignored
6. Before completely formatting your hard drive, make sure you have selected the correct drive. Only then click the Format this device button.

AOMEI Partition Assistant

The program offers a number useful functions, including low-level formatting of hard drives and most types of removable media. The interface resembles standard Windows tools, so it won’t be difficult to figure it out:

1. The main window automatically displays the disk with the installed OS. If you need to format another device, select it by clicking “Disk” in the top menu
2. In the bottom block of the left menu, select “Erase Hard Drive”
3. When you click this button, you will be prompted for the number of passes for the operation. If you intend to restore destroyed data in the future, then select a value from 1 to 7. If you specify a parameter of 8 or more, it will be almost impossible to recover information from the device
4. Confirm your choice by clicking "Yes"
5. To start formatting, you will need to reboot the system - once you click the "Reboot Now" button there is no going back, so make sure you select the correct drive and necessary settings operations

After restarting the computer, the program will perform all the specified actions and you will have a clean hard drive at your disposal.

DiskWipe

DiskWipe is an excellent solution for situations when data on storage media needs to be destroyed beyond recovery. The program uses several proven algorithms (Dod 5220-22.M, US Army, Peter Guttman), and advanced settings allow you to select the formatting depth. According to the developers, the program does not contain hidden viruses, etc., and also does not transmit user data.

DiskWipe

It’s extremely easy to format the desired device using DiskWipe:

1. Launch the program. In the block on the left you will see all devices available for formatting
2. Select the desired device and click "Wipe Disk" in the top menu
3. Advanced settings will open with preset standard values. For complete and irrevocable formatting, you can check all available fields and indicate “Highest” in the right block
4. After selecting settings and clicking “OK”, formatting of the selected device will begin

Paragon Partition Manager

A test period of 30 days allows you to evaluate the capabilities of the program and format necessary devices V various modes. Since Paragon Partition Manager has several options for working with partitions (partitioning, recovery, and others), it is distributed shareware.

Paragon Partition Manager

The formatting process is intuitive:

1. In the main window, click "Partition Manager" in the menu on the left, then select "Launch Partition Manager"
2. From the proposed list of devices, select the one you need, open the context menu with the right mouse button, and click “Format partition”
3. Specify the type of future file system and volume name, then click “Format”
4. The procedure will be queued - to apply the changes, you must click on the green checkmark in the top menu
5. After confirming the operation (the “Yes” button), it will no longer be possible to stop its execution.

Separately, it is worth noting the fact that Paragon Partition Manager not only formats the device, but also creates a new partition with the specified file system, so after the system boots, the disk can be used without additional actions.

Background information

What is formatting?

Disk formatting is the procedure of applying marks to a data storage device - a hard drive (HDD), memory card, CD/DVD or other storage medium. The formatting operation is equally useful for new and “worn” HDDs that have served their life.

A disk that has no partitions is absolutely useless. In addition to the fact that you mark up the disk, formatting deletes all data almost irrevocably (although there are many programs for recovering after formatting). Therefore, you need to be careful and prepare in advance to format your hard drive.

Over the years of operating the operating system (Windows, Mac OS, Linux), the hard drive turns into a “garbage dump”, since many programs leave their files on the disk, and after uninstallation, their “roots” still remain on the HDD. As a result, the system is slow and unstable. Various freezes and slowdowns occur, the disk clicks, makes noise, and behaves inappropriately. After reformatting, the hard drive is optimized and begins to work better. Many devices last a long time without this procedure. I advise you to insure yourself and format your hard drive at least once a year.

Sooner or later, formatting the disk is inevitable. However, before doing this, it is very important to update or reinstall operating system on the computer. Along with deletion unnecessary files you get a completely clean environment without defects, harmful viruses, unused programs, data that lead to conflicts. Thus, before reformatting the hard drive, we reinstall the OS.

Before formatting, do backup copy all important data on another drive. As already mentioned, during this procedure, various service information and marks are written to the disk, which allow information to be written to the HDD in the future without hindrance.

Steps to format a hard drive

Low level– at this stage, basic markings are applied to the disk at a low level. Typically, this is done by the hardware developer. In this case, special tracks and service data are written to the disk. This information remains on the hard drive almost forever - it can only be overwritten using proprietary utilities. These programs can only replace service data. By the way, if you perform low-level formatting of the hard drive, then you will no longer be able to recover data later, unfortunately or fortunately. Therefore, if your goal is to destroy information, then you can use this format. Read about low-level formatting

Section breakdown. It is clear that storing data on a disk without partitions is quite inconvenient. For some logical organization, the HDD is divided into special zones, disks - drive C:, drive D:, and so on. For these purposes, both utility utilities built into the OS and external programs for formatting the hard drive, which I have already written about more than once, can be used.

High level. This type of reformatting process creates boot sectors, file tables.

Types of disk formatting

Perhaps you know that regular means systems provide 2 methods by which you can format a hard drive - external or internal:

quick formatting: takes less time, allows you to carry out the procedure as is. The point is that with this type of computer formatting, the files in the file table are overwritten with zeros, while the data is stored as if nothing had happened, and you can later restore it. Also, with this method you do not optimize the file structure, and if there were defects on the hard drive, you will not fix them with the quick method

normal formatting: Longer and deeper formatting of the hard drive. The data on the internal or external drive is completely destroyed, the file system is checked for possible errors, damage. bad sectors, bad blocks. Thus, with the usual reformatting method, you kill two birds with one stone, although you lose a little more time.