Formatting DVD recorder hard drive

[sync]

Ann, To really understand this you'll have to learn about file systems. It's difficult to explain how it's possible for the data to still be there when all the files are deleted and yet the data isn't really there.

All I can say is that if all the files are deleted then the data that is left behind does not affect how the drive operates when it reads and writes data. For all practical purposes, the data really isn't there.

I keep wishing I could come up with an analogy to explain this, but nothing comes to mind.

[sync]

Ann, Although I don't think there's any technical advantage to formatting the drive, I'm not trying to discourage you from doing so. If that gives you the greatest peace of mind, then go for it. If I were to delete all the files from my Pioneer unit, and it had a format option, I would use it simply for the convenience of quickly deleting all the files.

[markhamPete]

The Pioneer 520's manual doesn't mention fragmentation when using "erase section" on hard drive titles, but the Toshiba XS32 manual does warn about fragmentation when deleting commercials from hard drive titles. Just thought I'd point out that some manufacturers do acknowledge it as an issue.

BTW, the pioneer has an "erase all" feature which will delete all titles on the hard drive except the one's you've "locked".

[sync]

People edit out commercials all the time. Wouldn't we be seeing a lot of posts about this if it was actually a problem?

[ann coates]

Ann, Although I don't think there's any technical advantage to formatting the drive, I'm not trying to discourage you from doing so. If that gives you the greatest peace of mind, then go for it. If I were to delete all the files from my Pioneer unit, and it had a format option, I would use it simply for the convenience of quickly deleting all the files.

Thanks again for all your posts, sync. I appreciate your patience. I was thinking about it last night and you're right. A format is simply erasing the the initial file directory area. As you said, it can't be doing anything else because it's too fast to actually be formatting the drive. I did, however, use the format feature last night because it was faster than going through and checkmarking each file to be deleted.

[handyguy]

Formatting organizes a HD or disk, file system so it's ready to write files to, 'erasing' assumes this has already been done & you just want to clear files on it:

"(v.) (1) To prepare a storage medium, usually a disk, for reading and writing. When you format a disk, the operating system erases all bookkeeping information on the disk, tests the disk to make sure all sectors are reliable, marks bad sectors (that is, those that are scratched), and creates internal address tables that it later uses to locate information. You must format a disk before you can use it.

Note that reformatting a disk does not erase the data on the disk, only the address tables. Do not panic, therefore, if you accidentally reformat a disk that has useful data. A computer specialist should be able to recover most, if not all, of the information on the disk. You can also buy programs that enable you to recover a disk yourself. "
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/f/format.html

"A hard drive consists of numerous metallic platters. These platters store data magnetically. Special read/write heads realign magnetic particles on the platters, much like a recording head records data onto magnetic recording tape.

Before data can be stored on any disk, including your system's hard drive, that hard drive must first be formatted. A hard drive that has not been formatted cannot accept any data. When you format a hard drive, your computer prepares the surface of the drive to accept and store data magnetically."
http://www.webtechgeek.com/How-to-Format-a-Hard-Drive.htm

[ann coates]

Thank you for that post, handyguy!