Low-level hdd formatting utility. What is disk formatting and how to do it correctly

Can perform regular or low-level formatting hard drive, as well as others external media. To do this, you just need to right-click on the desired object and select the “Format” menu item in the contextual branch.

But what exactly this utility does and what it is capable of in general remains a mystery to many. After checking, if the media was found bad sector, the program will not give you any notification, and it is quite possible that this problematic cluster will continue to be used by the system.

In order to solve this problem, you have to resort to help third party programs for low level hard formatting disks and USB devices. Well, with the help basic applications Unfortunately, the Windows operating system cannot solve the mystery of sectors.

So, we present to your attention best programs for low-level hard drive formatting, which can be found on the Internet. All of them have basically a free or shareware license and are freely distributed through official or specialized resources.

It’s worth noting right away: before performing low-level formatting of the hard drive, be sure to copy all important information to third party media. Otherwise, you risk losing this data.

JetFlash Recovery Tool

This program for low-level formatting of hard drives will be an excellent help not only for working with a hard drive, but also with branded flash drives of this company, as well as ADATA brand devices.

The utility allows you to format media efficiently or recover data from it. The application will be especially useful if you have unreadable sectors, recording is completely disabled, or the disk is not recognized by the system.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the most simplified interface. Here you won’t see confusing menu branches or unclear icons, everything is very simple. There are two buttons: one to start the data recovery procedure, and the other to “Exit”.

The fly in the ointment here is the fastidiousness of the software. That is, on the one hand, it is great program for low-level formatting of hard drives, and on the other hand, we see only a narrow list of supported equipment. The lack of localization is difficult to write down as a minus, because even without the Russian language everything is extremely clear.

HP Drive Key Boot Utility

Another smart program for low-level formatting hard drives and working with damaged sectors. In addition, the utility perfectly “digests” trade marks flash drives "Kingston", "SanDisk" and "Transcend".

The application works smoothly in file systems ah type FAT32, NTFS and ordinary FAT. That is, any storage capacity will be within the capabilities of this program. One of the main advantages of the application is that it is intuitive clear interface. All the main functionality of the program is concentrated in one single window, and you can perform all operations without leaving it. By pressing just a couple of buttons, in a few minutes you will see the inscription: “ Low-level formatting disk is complete."

Distinctive features of the program

It would also be useful to note the fact that this software can create bootable disks using built-in tools based on a copy of your operating system. The application itself goes to portable version, so there won’t be any problems with migration to other media and PCs.

The disadvantages of the utility include mediocre support for the currently popular SSD format, but in all other respects it is an excellent program for working with drives.

HDD Low Level Format Tool

This is a highly specialized utility, designed specifically for working with media in such a “deep” way. HDD Low Level Format Tool is an excellent program for low-level formatting of Seagate, WD hard drives and almost any flash drives.

Before starting the procedure, you must select the desired media and then designate a work plan. That is, here you can perform a quick hard drive cleaning or a complete low-level hard formatting disk.

One of distinctive features The program supports all types of hard drives, both regular HDDs and high-speed SSDs, and from any interface (IDE, SATA, SCSI, etc.). The software also copes well with small flash devices like mini- or micro-SD. Thanks to universal code The utility works on all known operating systems, including Windows.

The only fly in the ointment is low speed data processing. That is, for example, this low-level formatting program for a WD hard drive will be able to process this brand of hard drive at a speed of no more than 50 Mbit/sec. The time it takes to complete the operation will be significant, but it is more than compensated for by competent processing of sectors and tracks.

MiniTool Partition Home Edition

This is for the most part a whole complex, distinguished by expanded functionality and appropriate usability. As for specific possibilities, here they are almost limitless for hard drives.

In addition to basic markup operations, error checking, partition conversion and other things, there is a unique functionality unique to this software. We are talking about transferring an operating system from one medium to another, selectively or full copying information to another hard drive, in addition, judging by the reviews, this is a smart wizard for recovering lost data.

Also, the software can easily work not only with single hard drives, but also with large RAID arrays. Separately, it is worth mentioning the speed of the application, where MiniTool Partition Wizard Free compares favorably with its counterparts.

Software features

All operations can be performed as using the usual visual panel, and through the graphic menu. The developer, alas, did not provide official localization into Russian, but on the Internet you can find quite competent localizations that are in no way inferior in quality to stock ones.

As for compatibility and any updates, the developer carefully monitors his product, so the application can be called completely universal, and users did not notice any failures or glitches with it.

Overall, this is a worthy product that should be in the arsenal of any system administrator or advanced user. Some may be upset by the paid distribution license, but for isolated cases There is a conditional free period where you can use all the features of the program for 30 days, which should be enough to troubleshoot problems with the drive.

Disk Storage Format Tool

This is a fairly powerful and full-featured utility for working with hard drives and flash drives of all brands and types. In addition, the program is distributed completely free of charge. There is also an advanced one paid version, but it differs from the basic one more in its exterior than in any critical additions in functionality.

The software feels great on the Windows platform of all versions - from XP to ten, and no compatibility problems were noticed.

The utility is very easy to use, and the interface is intuitive even for a novice user. To get started, you need to specify the drive you want to work with, then go to the action menu, where you need to select what exactly you want to do for the drive, that is, format or fix errors.

Features of the utility

The program competently approaches the detection of bad or unreadable sectors and their subsequent correction. Separate button We are working with USB flash drives, where error correction or low-level formatting of the media is also available.

Another advantage for which advanced users love this utility is the maintenance of detailed logs. All operations with hard drive or a flash drive will be reflected in a well-written report, where every step taken by the program is visible.

It is also worth mentioning the trouble-free operation with other, more finicky media: mini- and micro-SD cards, SDXC and HC formats, as well as the rare Compact Flash. The disadvantages include the lack of functionality for creating bootable disks and clumsy localization. But taking into account the existing functionality of the software and the free license, all these shortcomings are practically leveled out.

Nowadays, many modern PC users have no idea how often any program for formatting a hard drive has helped in the past. .

After all, hard drives had to be formatted regularly.

Imperfection is to blame software products– both those used for basic user purposes and those used to perform maintenance operations on installed systems.

Background

Another aspect of the need frequent use programs for formatting hard drives - problems with the hardware. Small media volume, frequent hardware errors and the like.

But oddly enough, over time, the need to format disks still remained, even with the advent of modern solid-state drives. At the same time, the formatting operation has ceased to be an everyday norm, and if it is necessary to format a hard drive, many users are at a loss as to how and in what way it can be done.

Fortunately, over time, both the quality of software products designed for formatting hard drives and their number have increased noticeably. And now the user is not limited to built-in system utilities, but has access not just to third-party software products, but to entire sets of software tools that allow you to perform not only formatting, but also several other useful operations, in particular, improving state of hard disk and its service life.

Some of these tools are classified as shareware, some come with free license, and the rest, however, is only available upon purchase. Each of them has its own advantages and we propose to consider several of the most commonly used and popular tools with sufficient functionality.

Paragon Partition Manager Free Edition

A hard drive formatting program called Paragon Partition Manager Free Edition stands out from other similar software products by its ability to perform operations on virtual storage media. In addition, for those who still cannot refuse using Windows XP, it will provide the ability to support high-capacity disks of the order of 2 TB or more. But it also works on modern Windows 7 and 8 operating systems.

An additional advantage of this complex is its support for multi-boot management functions. This option will be useful for those who use several operating systems in test mode or simply require their parallel use.

The program interface is quite simple and understandable, and in some cases it is simply irreplaceable. An example of this is the function of merging partitions without losing data, which is especially important when formatting partitions. In this case, the user is given the opportunity to even convert partitions.

As for file systems, the number of them supported is quite large. They can be converted from one to another using this program, in particular, NTFS to HFS.

Among other functionality, there is copying and restoring disks, merging them, moving them and resizing them. And all this in the presence of a Russified shell.

Some may find the defragmentation function superfluous, but absolutely everyone will like protection against system failures and detection of bad sectors.

Rice. 1 – Paragon Partition Manager window fragment

EASEUS Partition Master

This program for formatting a hard drive has the advantage of having several versions with different functionality. Some of them are free, but special attention ordinary users deserve the Home Edition and Master Free versions.

The program has excellent functionality, accessible through the Russian language shell software. It can work under family control Windows operating systems, in particular, versions 7, 8 and 10, both 32-bit and 64-bit, and some versions allow you to run through Linux.

The software product provides work with a wide range of heterogeneous drives, the most important of which are:

• HDDs;
• solid state drives SSD;
• USB flash drives;
• memory cards in various designs.

You can not only format them, but also create or change sections, for example, merging, deleting, copying and resizing.

The program has access to work with RAID arrays and provides user interaction with MBR and GPT. Some operations can be performed using built-in wizards, which greatly facilitates the user’s work.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that each version of the product has its own limitations, in particular on maximum size drive. For example, in the Home Edition it is 8 TB, and in Master Free it is only 4 TB. The user is also recommended to pay attention to the installation process, since unnecessary utilities can be installed along the way.

Rice. 2 – EASEUS Partition Master window fragment

Aomei Partition Assistant

A program for formatting a hard drive with the name Aomei Partition Assistant is a product that is distributed free of charge, but has decent functionality. It provides a number of functions that are not available to others. free products and therefore belongs to a completely different class.

This software package, like the previous product, has a Russian-language shell and supports modern OS Windows family and Linux and, accordingly, the file systems running under their control: FAT 12/16/32, NTFS, Ext2/3/4, exFAT/ReFS.

In parallel with work on physical media The program also performs operations on virtual disks.

As for the special functionality, it is implemented in the form of access to disks invisible to other software. The program allows you to check them, test them and a number of other useful operations. All this against the backdrop of minimal system requirements, ranging from processor version to volume available memory on disk.

This software product is able to work even under such conditions when the device has 128 disks installed and the volume size is 16 TB. It is also one of the few products that can work with SSHD, flash drives and flash cards. Is it worth mentioning that it supports UEFI Boot, and all operations performed are performed without damaging user information, as assured by the creators?

Rice. 3 – Aomei Partition Assistant Window

MiniTool Partition Wizard

This program for formatting a hard drive is more modest, but much more popular, not only in the domestic space, but throughout the world. It is free and provides interaction under Windows operating systems, including the most latest versions different bit depth, while processing and disk partitions EXT, as well as Linux Swap.

The software interface has a Russified shell and provides work with partitions with a capacity of more than 2 TB. It is quite simple and will be understandable even for a novice user. The functionality of the interface is quite wide and even includes the new-fangled migration from HDD to SSD.

The software product also performs a number of basic operations with disks and their partitions, including their cloning, creation and modification. An additional operation can be considered the conversion of FAT/FAT32 file systems to NTFS while maintaining the integrity of user data, which is complemented by functionality Reserve copy stored information and a data recovery utility after failures. If desired, the user can test their disks by testing their performance.

Like some of the programs described above, this one can convert disks from MBR to GPT, and this is important when a frequently used device wears out. system partition. In parallel with this, it is possible to assign active partitions and interact with them.

Rice. 4 – MiniTool Partition Wizard Window

HDD Low Level Format Tool

This program for formatting a hard drive belongs to a different category than those discussed above software. Therefore, it deserves special attention. This is not a large software package with wide functionality, but a small program that only has the ability to low-level formatting in its set of functions.

This option provides given settings the ability to restore the functionality of storage media. Moreover, this functionality applies to both hard drives and flash drives. The only problem for the user in this case is complete destruction data on the media without the possibility of their further recovery.

Unfortunately, there are no other operations that this product can perform with media.

Rice. 5 – HDD Low Level Format Tool window

Acronis Disk Director

This program for formatting a hard drive is also quite interesting. Its peculiarity is that it can be launched from any media. So, you can install it on a boot disk or flash drive and even without a full-fledged operating system be able to work with disk partitions.

Such functionality is especially important in emergency situations, when it is more important for the user to restore the functionality of the system, and not just create additional section for more convenient storage of data or installation of a game. The program's functionality is suitable for working with disks and under Windows control, and under Linux control. However, this product has one significant drawback, which is noticeable when compared with the above programs - its cost.

In fact, this application belongs to the category of shareware products. After the specified trial period has expired, the user is offered two options - purchase a license or remove the software product. Therefore, it can be safely used and compared with other programs on a free basis, but for a limited period.

Otherwise, this is a full-fledged tool for working with disks and their partitions with wide functionality. It includes all the basic operations for working with partitions, including formatting, and also allows the PC owner to view the information stored on these partitions in a general way.

Rice. 6 – Window Acronis Disk Director

Standard Windows OS Tools

When describing programs for formatting disks, one cannot fail to mention standard means operating systems, available to users without downloading third party software. This can be done using the example of operating systems of the Windows family. The peculiarity of these systems is that they have several tools for working with hard drives and their sections.

The first tool is quite simple and this utility is available to the user from the Explorer program. In order to use it, for logical hard section disk can be called context menu, and in it select the “Format” item. After this, a form will become available in which you can specify the desired parameters of the formatting operation.

This functionality will be available for all logical disk partitions, except for the active one system disk. In this case, you need to use a slightly different tool, available exclusively from command line. Working with it requires special skills that are only available to experienced users.

Important! To access them you must have boot disk, as well as exhibited in BIOS settings, forcing the PC to boot from removable media, and not from the hard drive, in order to provide the functionality necessary for the system. This is provided by a small utility called diskpart. But its main problem is that the user does not receive high-quality visualization of the actions being performed, and any error in their execution can cost the functionality of the system.

This state of affairs forces users to resort to using third-party software products.

Rice. 7 – Formatting utility window

Formatting your hard drive before installing Windows

In the video I will show you how to format HDD. This may come in handy when you reinstall the Windows operating system.

Low-level formatting is hard marking disk or flash drive into sectors and tracks with data recording for its operation. During this process, all information that was on the media is completely erased, without the possibility of its recovery.

Use Cases

Low-level formatting of a flash drive or hard drive is performed only if it is necessary to prevent the leakage of confidential information if the media is transferred to other parties. This process is used by government services that work with information. limited access, or private structures (to preserve industrial and commercial secrets). In addition, low-level formatting of flash drives and hard drives leads to blocking of damaged segments of the media when this process. Despite the fact that modern hard drives can automatically skip bad sectors (although the possibility of failure exists for them too), older generation drives are not able to do this. It is useful to carry out this process for preventive purposes to ensure reliable operation of information storage devices.

How to do low-level formatting?

This process is performed by the hard drive manufacturer using specialized equipment. It is almost impossible to fully implement it at home. However, there is software, which is as close as possible to the formatting low level, which is quite enough to save confidential information recorded on the medium. One such program is HDD Low Level Format. Using it, you can perform low-level formatting of a flash drive or hard drive. The first step is to install this software and run it. A window will appear with an offer to purchase the full version of the program, which, unlike free option, has no limitation in the speed of the rewriting process. The user is given a choice: purchase full version or continue to work for free. Next, a list of media that are available for the formatting process will be offered. You must select the required drive and click the continue button. Next, a window will open in which information about the media will be displayed, including the percentage of formatting completed. A warning will appear indicating that all data will be lost. If the user agrees to this, the process starts. After it is completed, you can close the program. However, you should know that low-level formatting erased all information on the disk, marked sectors and tracks, recorded service data, but did not record the file table, therefore, you will not be able to access such media. To do this, you need to perform high-level formatting. Let's look at what this requires.

Formatting a disk in the Windows operating system

1. Go to the “My Computer” section and select the desired media from the list. Click on it right click mouse and select “Format”.

2. In the window with parameters, click “Start”.

3. A data loss warning will appear. Click “Ok”.

4. The formatting process begins, which will end quite quickly. When finished, close the window. That's it, the device is ready for use.

Seagate Instant Secure Erase technology protects the data on the drive by instantly restoring it to its original factory settings and changing the encryption key, resulting in any data remaining on the drive being destroyed by cryptographic erasure. This means that, if necessary, all data on the disk can be instantly rendered unreadable. additional information about Seagate Instant Secure Erase technology deployment options.

ISE technology requires a self-encrypting drive (with or without FIPS certification). SED drives allow you to secure the active reader through passwords, fingerprints, and other authentication methods, as well as cryptographically erase the drives using ISE technology when they are removed from service or repurposed.

Components needed to instantly securely erase disk data

• Seagate self-encrypting drive, uncertified or FIPS certified.
• A computer with operating system Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8.
• A copy of SeaTools™ software for Windows OS (1.2.0.6 or later new version), which can be downloaded here: .

1. Go to the tab Downloads.
2. On the Utilities tab of the SeaTools Software for Windows window, select Select OS, and then select the desired OS from the drop-down menu.
3. Click the button Downloads.

• An adapter cable with a SATA connector and a USB plug for a laptop or a double SATA connector when connecting to motherboard desktop computer.

Performing an instant secure erase

1. Disconnect the drive you want to clean from the system and connect it to the computer using an adapter cable with a SATA connector and a USB plug. Note. The SeaTools app cannot perform instant secure erase data on the boot disk.
2. Install and launch the application SeaTools for Windows. You may be prompted to install the Microsoft.NET 4.0 package if it is not already installed on your computer. You can download the platform installation package on the official Microsoft website. While downloading it, agree to make changes to your computer and accept the terms of the license agreement.

   More information about the SeaTools application, as well as information about preliminary actions To install it, see the SeaTools () page on the “Downloads” tab.

3. When you open SeaTools, you will see the format options available. hard disks, including them serial numbers and model numbers. Select the desired drive.
   ATTENTION! Make sure it's selected correct disk, since all data on it will become unreadable and will be permanently deleted. By default, SeaTools does not allow you to erase data on your primary or boot drive.
4. Go to the tab Basic checks(Basic Tests) and scroll down to Advanced checks(Advanced Tests). A warning message will appear on the screen asking you to confirm your selection by pressing F8.
   ATTENTION! Advanced Tests is a mode that removes all data from the disk. Seagate Technology LLC is not responsible for any loss of data. If the drive is selected correctly, press F8.
5. Go to the Advanced Tests menu and then select SED Crypto Erase. If there is no such item, make sure you have a SED disk. Note. If you don't have a SED drive, select Overwrite Erase and SeaTools will fill the entire drive with zeroes, thereby destroying the data. This procedure may take several hours depending on the size of the disc.
6. The SED Crypto Erase dialog box will appear on your screen. Enter the 32-character PSID found at the top of the disc label. You can enter the number on the keyboard or use a 2D barcode scanner.
7. Press F8 to begin the cryptographic erasure process. The dialog box will disappear. If the ID was entered incorrectly, the process will be stopped with a FAIL status. Note. The PSID may contain zeros. It is important not to confuse them with the letters "O". If the ID was entered correctly, within a few seconds the disk status will change to “SED Crypto Erase - Pass”.

   If the ID is entered correctly, within a minute the disk status will change to SED Crypto Erase - Pass(Cryptographic erasure of SED data - Passed).

The disk will be restored to its original factory settings, and all data stored on it will become unreadable and will be permanently deleted. The disk can then be taken out of service, reused, or returned for warranty repair or due to the end of the lease term.

Usually, if it is necessary to format a flash drive, we use the standard procedure provided in the Windows operating system. But this method has a number of disadvantages. For example, even after cleaning the storage media special programs can restore deleted information. In addition, the process itself is completely standard and does not include fine adjustments for a flash drive.

Low-level formatting is used to solve this problem. In some cases this is the most ideal option.

The most common reasons for needing low-level formatting are as follows:

1. The flash drive is planned to be transferred to another person, and personal data was stored on it. In order to protect yourself from information leakage, it is best to perform a complete erasure. This procedure is often used by services that work with confidential information.
2. I can’t open the contents on the flash drive; it is not detected by the operating system. Therefore, it should be returned to the default state.
3. When accessing a USB drive, it freezes and does not respond to actions. Most likely, it contains broken areas. Low-level formatting will help restore information on them or mark them as bad blocks.
4. When a flash drive is infected with viruses, sometimes it is not possible to completely remove the infected applications.
5. If the flash drive served as an installation distribution for the Linux operating system, but is planned for further use, it’s better to erase it too.
6. For preventive purposes, to ensure the reliability and performance of the flash drive.

To perform this process at home, you need special software. Among existing programs 3 copes best with this task.

Method 1: HDD Low Level Format Tool

Method 2: ChipEasy and iFlash

This utility is very helpful when the flash drive fails, for example, it is not detected by the operating system or freezes when accessing it. It’s worth saying right away that it does not format the flash drive, but only helps you find a program for its low-level cleaning. The process of using it is as follows:

You can read more about using the iFlash website in the article on restoring Kingston drives (method 5).

If there is no utility for your flash drive in the list, then you need to choose another method.