Hi folks,

Does anybody know what the implications of using "quick format" are in XP?

I had to do a full format and windows re-install a couple of weeks ago but I couldn't be arsed waiting for the full format as it can take ages so I opted for the quick format option instead.

It managed to do a 120GB hard drive in under 20 seconds!! Sounds great but now my PC seems a bit slower than it was before. Could the quick format be the culprit or am I looking in the wrong place?

Cheers

Hi,

Info from Microsoft:

When you choose to run a regular format on a volume, files are removed from the volume that you are formatting and the hard disk is scanned for bad sectors. The scan for bad sectors is responsible for the majority of the time that it takes to format a volume.

If you choose the Quick format option, format removes files from the partition, but does not scan the disk for bad sectors. Only use this option if your hard disk has been previously formatted and you are sure that your hard disk is not damaged.

If you installed Windows XP on a partition that was formatted by using the Quick format option, you can also check your disk by using the chkdsk /r command after the installation of Windows XP is completed.

So I would run a check on the disk to make sure it is healthy but other than that a quick format should be fine.

Thanks DAL