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Howdy Everyone,

I service computers for a living and need some help.

Using the Windows XP installation disk to format a hard drive takes too darn
long. Also, I'm not sure when to use full format or quick format.

Using the Disk Manager Program CD packed with a new Hard Drive (Maxtor,
Western Digital, Seagate, etc) only takes a few seconds
to format and partition the drive. I currently do not have the disk manager
software for Hitachi (IBM), Fujitsu, or others.

When I get a computer in for service and want to format the drive quick,
without knowing the brand of HD, I have to try each disk to
find which one will work with the particular brand of drive or open the
computer and sometimes remove the drive.

I did some research and found that most Disk Manager Software is made by a
company called Kroll. Their hard drive software is called
Ontract DiskManager and the current version is 5. They want $60 to $70 for
this software which is a little too much for me.

I haven't found any for sale on eBay or other sources (wink).

Any suggestions where I can get this or maybe another brand of disk manager
software ?

Thanks in Advance,
Glenn

Download the ones you dont have!!!!!

"Glenn Watkins" <> wrote in message
news:W5Hsd.9275$ZK6.266@trndny07...
> Howdy Everyone,
>
> I service computers for a living and need some help.
>
> Using the Windows XP installation disk to format a hard drive takes too
darn
> long. Also, I'm not sure when to use full format or quick format.
>
> Using the Disk Manager Program CD packed with a new Hard Drive (Maxtor,
> Western Digital, Seagate, etc) only takes a few seconds
> to format and partition the drive. I currently do not have the disk
manager
> software for Hitachi (IBM), Fujitsu, or others.
>
> When I get a computer in for service and want to format the drive quick,
> without knowing the brand of HD, I have to try each disk to
> find which one will work with the particular brand of drive or open the
> computer and sometimes remove the drive.
>
> I did some research and found that most Disk Manager Software is made by a
> company called Kroll. Their hard drive software is called
> Ontract DiskManager and the current version is 5. They want $60 to $70 for
> this software which is a little too much for me.
>
> I haven't found any for sale on eBay or other sources (wink).
>
> Any suggestions where I can get this or maybe another brand of disk
manager
> software ?
>
> Thanks in Advance,
> Glenn
>
>

"Glenn Watkins" <> wrote in message
news:W5Hsd.9275$ZK6.266@trndny07...
> Howdy Everyone,
>
> I service computers for a living and need some help.
>
> Using the Windows XP installation disk to format a hard drive takes too
> darn
> long. Also, I'm not sure when to use full format or quick format.

Use quick format if the drive has been previously formatted, and you know
the drive integrity is ok (IE no reason to suspect drive problems). Use full
format on brand new drives or a drive that has been repartitioned.
Repartitioning is not necessary just to wipe out a previous installation, so
most of the time you can use a quick format.

>
> Using the Disk Manager Program CD packed with a new Hard Drive (Maxtor,
> Western Digital, Seagate, etc) only takes a few seconds
> to format and partition the drive. I currently do not have the disk
> manager
> software for Hitachi (IBM), Fujitsu, or others.

It only takes a few seconds because like the windows quick format option,
the drive surfaces aren't examined. During a full format, a basic integrity
check is done as well, so it takes longer. On a new drive this should be
done, because it at least does a basic verification. If you are just wiping
a customer's drive to reinstall windows, full format is not really even
necessary. A quick format can be done, or alternatively, in the case of
win9x, simply renaming or deleting the windows folder is suffcient to begin
a clean windows install on the drive, and doesn't wipe out all the other
customer's data along with it.

Thanks for the info !

There's one thing I don't quite understand. You said below:

"Use full format on brand new drives or a drive that has been
repartitioned."

Since new retail-boxed drives are packed with Disk Manager Software which
only does
a quick format, why are you recommending a full format instead ?

A new hard drive shouldn't need to be checked for disk integrity, right ?

Thanks again,
Glenn



"Thor" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> "Glenn Watkins" <> wrote in message
> news:W5Hsd.9275$ZK6.266@trndny07...
> > Howdy Everyone,
> >
> > I service computers for a living and need some help.
> >
> > Using the Windows XP installation disk to format a hard drive takes too
> > darn
> > long. Also, I'm not sure when to use full format or quick format.
>
> Use quick format if the drive has been previously formatted, and you know
> the drive integrity is ok (IE no reason to suspect drive problems). Use
full
> format on brand new drives or a drive that has been repartitioned.
> Repartitioning is not necessary just to wipe out a previous installation,
so
> most of the time you can use a quick format.
>
> >
> > Using the Disk Manager Program CD packed with a new Hard Drive (Maxtor,
> > Western Digital, Seagate, etc) only takes a few seconds
> > to format and partition the drive. I currently do not have the disk
> > manager
> > software for Hitachi (IBM), Fujitsu, or others.
>
> It only takes a few seconds because like the windows quick format option,
> the drive surfaces aren't examined. During a full format, a basic
integrity
> check is done as well, so it takes longer. On a new drive this should be
> done, because it at least does a basic verification. If you are just
wiping
> a customer's drive to reinstall windows, full format is not really even
> necessary. A quick format can be done, or alternatively, in the case of
> win9x, simply renaming or deleting the windows folder is suffcient to
begin
> a clean windows install on the drive, and doesn't wipe out all the other
> customer's data along with it.
>
>
>

"Glenn Watkins" <> wrote in message
news:OeMsd.282$MS6.148@trndny01...
> Thanks for the info !
>
> There's one thing I don't quite understand. You said below:
>
> "Use full format on brand new drives or a drive that has been
> repartitioned."
>
> Since new retail-boxed drives are packed with Disk Manager Software which
> only does
> a quick format, why are you recommending a full format instead ?
>
> A new hard drive shouldn't need to be checked for disk integrity, right ?

If you choose to assume that the drive is always perfect from the factory,
without any kind of verification whatsoever, then I suppose you don't. But i
don't choose to assume that. I've had several bad drives right from the
factory in the 9 years I've serviced PCs. I choose not to discover this
after going to the trouble of doing a windows install, or worse yet,
delivering the PC back to the customer's hands only to have it returned
later. Although the verification that a full format gives is not exactly
vigorous, it's at least a basic check of the drive, and it's worth the wait
IMHO for the little bit of peace of mind it gives. The only time I might
skip it, is when installing a new drive on-site, which I only do when
absolutely necessary. I use the time waiting on the format to multitask and
work on other PCs I have sitting on the bench.

Great. That answers all my questions. I learn something new everyday.

Thanks again,
Glenn

"Thor" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> "Glenn Watkins" <> wrote in message
> news:OeMsd.282$MS6.148@trndny01...
> > Thanks for the info !
> >
> > There's one thing I don't quite understand. You said below:
> >
> > "Use full format on brand new drives or a drive that has been
> > repartitioned."
> >
> > Since new retail-boxed drives are packed with Disk Manager Software
which
> > only does
> > a quick format, why are you recommending a full format instead ?
> >
> > A new hard drive shouldn't need to be checked for disk integrity, right
?
>
> If you choose to assume that the drive is always perfect from the factory,
> without any kind of verification whatsoever, then I suppose you don't. But
i
> don't choose to assume that. I've had several bad drives right from the
> factory in the 9 years I've serviced PCs. I choose not to discover this
> after going to the trouble of doing a windows install, or worse yet,
> delivering the PC back to the customer's hands only to have it returned
> later. Although the verification that a full format gives is not exactly
> vigorous, it's at least a basic check of the drive, and it's worth the
wait
> IMHO for the little bit of peace of mind it gives. The only time I might
> skip it, is when installing a new drive on-site, which I only do when
> absolutely necessary. I use the time waiting on the format to multitask
and
> work on other PCs I have sitting on the bench.
>
>