Editing Disk formatting (section)

{{short description|Process of preparing a data storage device for initial use}}
'''Disk formatting''' is the process of preparing a [[data storage device]] such as a [[hard disk drive]], [[solid-state drive]], [[floppy disk]], [[memory card]] or [[USB flash drive]] for initial use. In some cases, the formatting operation may also create one or more new [[file system]]s. The first part of the formatting process that performs basic medium preparation is often referred to as "low-level formatting".<ref name="Tanenbaum">{{cite book |title=Modern Operating Systems |edition=2nd |author-last=Tanenbaum |author-first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew S. Tanenbaum |date=2001 |publisher=Prentice Hall |at=section 3.4.2, Disk Formatting |isbn=0130313580 |url=https://archive.org/details/modernoperatings00tane |url-access=registration }}</ref> [[Disk partitioning|Partitioning]] is the common term for the second part of the process, dividing the device into several sub-devices and, in some cases, writing information to the device allowing an [[operating system]] to be booted from it.<ref name="Tanenbaum" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/disk-devices-and-partitions|title=Disk Devices and Partitions|date=7 January 2021|website=[[Microsoft Docs]]}}</ref>  The third part of the process, usually termed "high-level formatting" most often refers to the process of generating a new file system.<ref name="Tanenbaum"/> In some operating systems all or parts of these three processes can be combined or repeated at different levels{{refn|E.g., formatting a volume, formatting a [[Virtual Storage Access Method]] [[Virtual Storage Access Method#Linear VSAM organization|Linear Data Set (LDS)]] on the volume to contain a [[zFS (z/OS file system)|zFS]] and formatting the zFS in [[UNIX System Services]].|group="lower-alpha"}} and the term "format" is understood to mean an operation in which a new disk medium is fully prepared to store [[Computer file|files]]. Some formatting utilities allow distinguishing between a quick format, which does not erase all existing data and a long option that does erase all existing data.

As a general rule,{{refn|Not true for CMS file system<ref>{{cite manual
 |      title = z/VM CMS Commands and Utilities Reference
 |    chapter = FORMAT
 | chapter-url = http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zvm/v5r4/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.zvm.v54.dmsb4/for.htm
 |    version = z/VM Version 5 Release 4
 |  publisher = IBM
 |       year = 2008
 |        url = http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/zvm/v5r4/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.zvm.v54.dmsb4
 |         id = SC24-6073-03
 |      quote = When you do not specify either the RECOMP or LABEL option, the disk area is initialized by writing a device-dependent number of records (containing binary zeros) on each track. Any previous data on the disk is erased.
 |mode=cs2
 }}</ref> on a CMS minidisk, TSS VAM-formatted volume,<ref>{{cite manual
 |     author = IBM
 |      title = IBM System/360 Time Sharing System System Logic Summary Program Logic Manual
 |    section = Virtual Access Methods
 |  publisher = IBM
 |        url = http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/360/tss/GY28-2009-2_Time_Sharing_System_System_Logic_Summary_PLM_Jun70.pdf
 |         id = GY28-2009-2
 |      quote = The direct access volumes, on which TSS/360 virtual organization data sets are stored, have fixed-length, page size data blocks. No key field is required. The record overflow feature is utilized to allow data blocks to span tracks, as required. The entire volume, with the current exception of part of the first cylinder, which is used for identification, is formatted into page size blocks.
 |       page = 56 (PDF 66)
 |mode=cs2
 }}</ref> z/OS Unix file systems<ref>{{cite manual
 |       title = z/OS 2.4 File System Administration
 |          id = SC23-6887-40
 |     section = ioeagfmt
 | section-url = https://www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink/svc00100.nsf/pages/zOSV2R4sc236887/$file/ioea700_v2r4.pdf#page=142
 |       pages = 116–119
 |         url = https://www.ibm.com/servers/resourcelink/svc00100.nsf/pages/zOSV2R4sc236887/$file/ioea700_v2r4.pdf
 |   publisher = IBM
 }} 
</ref> or VSAM<!-- Add AMS citation --> in IBM mainframes|group="lower-alpha"}} formatting a disk by default leaves most if not all existing data on the disk medium; some or most of which might be recoverable with [[Privilege (computing)|privileged]]<ref group="lower-alpha">E.g., AMASPZAP in MVS</ref> or [[Data recovery|special tools]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = https://www.linux.com/news/how-recover-lost-files-after-you-accidentally-wipe-your-hard-drive/
 |title        = How to recover lost files after you accidentally wipe your hard drive
 |last         = Hermans
 |first        = Sherman
 |date         = 28 August 2006
 |publisher    = Linux.com
 |access-date   = 28 November 2019
}}</ref>  Special tools can remove user data by a single [[Data erasure|overwrite]] of all files and free space.<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/16130-The-Urban-Legend-of-Multipass-Hard-Disk-Overwrite.html
 |title        = The Urban Legend of Multipass Hard Disk Overwrite and DoD 5220-22-M
 |last         = Smithson
 |first        = Brian
 |date         = 29 August 2011
 |publisher    = Infosec Island
 |access-date  = 22 November 2012
 |archive-date = 5 October 2018
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20181005045747/http://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/16130-The-Urban-Legend-of-Multipass-Hard-Disk-Overwrite.html
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>