Is formatting bad for your HD

[Elad]

I was wondering if formatting a hard drive is bd for it, a friend told me formatting a HD was bad for it and can cause damage i think he is FOS but is it?

[YODA74]

Tell your friend not to quit his day job http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/tongue.gif

If it were bad everytime you wanted to formatt you might as well buy anew drive it would be less stressful on you.

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YODA74@windows-sucks.com
CCMR (http://www.dreamwater.net/tech/yoda74/index.html)

[mjc]

Hmm...I guess with that logic installing Windows is bad for your hard drive. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[iisbob]

I like those kinda idiot friends; they provide me with job security! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif




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iisbob

Computer-Show me the Enterprise; no bloody A, no bloody B, and no bloody C-just the original...Mr Scott { from a STNG episode }

[Elad]

THANK YOU, I said the same thing, I sad he was an idiot for thinking that, I said logically wouldnt just deleting somthing be bad for it than, and he said no, well that didnt make sense so i just wanted to get some more knowledgable peoples opinions thank you very much, feel free to rant on about his stupidity

[john5211]

Some time ago, when hard drive technology was much less complex than it is today, it was possible to perform a "low level format" on a hard drive.

This procedure (which is no longer possible for a number of reasons) effectively rebuilt how data was stored and catalogued on the disk from the ground up; as such, significant damage was at least possible. So perhaps your friend is just 10 years out of date.

John

PS, if you want to know more, have a look at:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/formatLow-c.html

and:
http://www.pcguide.com/ref/hdd/geom/formatUtilities-c.html

[This message has been edited by john5211 (edited 04-27-2002).]

[Paleo Pete]

feel free to rant on about his stupidity

No need for that, the question has been mostly answered, let it lie...

The only way formatting a drive normally would be unhealthy would be by formatting it several times a day for a year or two, that might be...stressful...shall we say. Formatting an older drive can be rough on it, since the only thing that puts a drive through a heavier workout is installing programs.

With a healthy drive, the normal "only when necessary" formatting should not be harmful.

john5211 came up with a good point too...

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