Formatting:
• Hard Disk drive requires a low-level formatting and a high level Formatting to make it useful for data storage
• Low level formatting magnetically divides the disk into tracks and sectors
• High level formatting is done on hard disk to make the disk DOS compatible by writing DBR, FATs and empty root directory information on the drive.
Low level formatting:
• It is called physical formatting.
• Low-level formatting is the process of outlining the positions of the tracks and sectors on the hard disk, and writing the control structures that define where the tracks and sectors are.
• It really creates the physical format that defines where the data is stored on the disk.
• Low level formatting is done in the factory itself.
Functions of low level formatting
• Dividing the disk surface into tracks and sectors.
• Establishing interleave factor.
• Marking identification information on each track and sector.
• Marking defective sectors.
High level formatting:
• High-level formatting is the process of setting up an empty file system on a disk partition or logical volume and, for PCs, installing a boot sector.
• After low level formatting and partitioning, final step for preparing the hard disk drive for use is high level format the drive
• High level format program need to only create File Allocation Table, directory system etc. so that the operating system can use the HDD for storage purpose.
• It creates the file system format within a disk partition or a logical volume.
• It can be done during OS installation or new partition creation.
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