Editing Disk formatting (section)

==== Confusion ====
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2009}}
The present ambiguity in the term ''low-level format'' seems to be due to both inconsistent documentation on web sites and the belief by many users that any process below a high-level (file system) format must be called a ''low-level'' format. Since much of the low-level formatting process can today only be performed at the factory, various drive manufacturers describe reinitialization software as LLF utilities on their web sites. Since users generally have no way to determine the difference between a complete LLF and ''reinitialization'' (they simply observe running the software results in a hard disk that must be high-level formatted), both the misinformed user and mixed signals from various drive manufacturers have perpetuated this error.

Note: whatever possible misuse of such terms may exist, many sites do make such ''reinitialization'' utilities available (possibly as bootable floppy diskette or CD image files), to both overwrite every byte ''and'' check for damaged sectors on the hard disk.