does formating your hard drive delete everything on it?

Question

also if you get a message on your screen when you turn on your computer saying, invalid disk press any key to retry, and then you press something and it just pops up again should i do something?

Answer 1

Sorry, but only the first poster is on the right track.

When you format a hard drive, there are two basic options - quick and full. The quick option just erases the partition table (which is like the table of contents). This area is responsible for storing information that tells the drive what sectors to look in for each file. So even though you erase the table of contents, just about any recovery software out there (even the free ones) can rebuild a new table of contents and retrieve the data that used to be on the drive.

A full format is better, but not perfect. It runs over the drive setting every sector to the value of 0. However, most of the time good recovery software can still detect the value that was there before, making it possible to rebuild the drive even after a full format.

There are utilities out there like BCWipe, that can make several passes on each sector randomly writing 1's and 0's. The more passes made, the more secure the format is. The government, for example, uses a 7-pass wipe standard.

Of course, physically destroying the drive is the best way to be sure it won't be recovered.

Answer 2

If you format a drive, it WILL delete MOSTLY everything. There are specialized tools used to recover partial bits of "deleted" information, but this is rare. If you used a program, this just writes over everything on the drive with 0's and 1's so it cannot be read.

If you are getting that message in windows, than there is either a problem with your computer, or its just a small glitch. That happens to me sometimes, it says something like Cancel, retry, and something else, once i restart it usually goes away. If your getting it before windows boots up then there is something wrong with the hard disk, or you will need to reinstall windows using the recovery disk that should have come with your computer.

Answer 3

It doesn't actually remove it from the drive, but instead removes the pointer that points to the physical area on the drive.

The file systems has an so-to-speak index at the beginning that stores that pointer. By removing the pointer, the location of the file is unknown.

Without physically over-writing that spot, the file will remain there.

Regarding the message you're getting, if you have a floppy disk in the floppy drive, eject it. If the hard-disk was formatted, then it's telling you "inivalid disk" because there is no longer an operating system on your hard disk.

Answer 4

It deletes almost everything except a boot virus, to completely wipe Everything on the drive do This put in a boot able floppy drop to the prompt a: if that is so type fdisk it will ask you are you sure, check yes. after that reboot leave the disk in the type format at the prompt and follow the directions. after that it is all gone, now reinstall your operating system.

Answer 5

Be careful you could lose everything, make sure you back up your files first.

If you get that message and can't access your drive, take it in to an expert who will boot it to another drive and save your files. If you have nothing to lose, go ahead and format it.

Answer 6

once you've the homestead windows CD, positioned it in and boot off of the CD, and stick with the steps. even as requested, Reformat the not hassle-free rigidity. i doesn't installation any norton products on my pcs. There are more effective useful loose classes for Anti Virus and Anti secret agent ware.

Answer 7

Formating will delete your files. it will resolve your problem because it mwkes your drive 'new' again. but im heard that some software can undelete files even you format the drive