Need to wipe/clean/erase...Just restart my F: Drive

[Q21]

So my F: drive is not working at all. It just had all my music and photoshop stuff on it, but somthing has corrupted it it some way. I get the Mft error message or w/e it is.

Anyways i am wondering if anybody knows how i can completly wipe my F: Drive and start it all over.

Any information would be very helpful.

Just keep in mind all my operationg system and important stuff is on C: drive ... my F: Drive is the one that only has Photoshop and Music stuff.

Pleeease help.

Thank you

[nighthawk]

Is the F: separate physical hard disc? If it is you can easily zero-fill it.

If it is the same hard disc you can not use zero fill, you can only try to format it, but it success is not guarantied. Have you tried to run chkdsk /r from command promt, maybe it will repair it's errors by itself.

If you decide to format, I recommend ntfs (if you are using windows). After formating (if it isn't zero fill) you can restore most of your files by using programs such as restoration (freeware) or filescavanger (better but isn't free), just do not write anything to that drive before you try to restore files because that will destroy them.

btw sorry if there were any typos, I had to many beers

[instinct46]

Download a live-cd of linux and use the partitiong software on it, i wud recommend using knoppix, or u cud just use the drive partitioning thing windows xp professional has. If you can as well (wudnt recommend doing this unless you know what your doing) use fdisk (comes with windows and linux) of cfdisk.

[nighthawk]

@instinct46

Could any linux format a partiotion in NTFS!?



I don't think so.

[Q21]

What do you mean by seperate physical hard disk?

My F: Drive I put in manually for more memory, it did not come with the computer it is just a total seperate drive for my music and photoshop.

And what exactly is Zero-Fill?

[nighthawk]

Separate drive - another hard disc, not just a different partition on the same hard drive.

Zero fill is a kind of formatting where you complete disc space is filled with zeroes before it is formatted in particular file system. This process completely erases all information on hard drive including MFTs and partitions. If you decide to zero fill F: all data on that hard drive will be permanently lost, including other partitions.


Firts try running chkdsk f: /r from command prompt, maybe it will fix the promblem, then format f: from windows, and then finally - if everything else fails do a zero fill.

[tombothetominator]

Definately run chkdsk first. Then go to the manufacturer's website and see if they have a low-level formatter for your model of drive. If not, then just use a generic zero-fill formatter.

[Q21]

Alright, looks like ima have to do a Zero-Fill

Can you guys explain what i have to do to do this please?

[tombothetominator]

What manufacturer / model is your drive?

[Q21]

I have no idea lol

Will have have to take drive out and actually look at it to find that out

or could i do it under it properties or something?