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Partition Magic - Partition Manager Software

Resize/Move partition without data loss. Extend system partition easily and safely. Create, delete and format partion with simple steps. Copy partition and disk to transfer data with ease. Support disk and partition size larger than 2 TB. Keep your data safe even in case of power outages or hardware failure.
Partition Magic - Partition Manager Software buynow download

Formatting Hard Disks

  • Within each of the partitions information has to be organized in a way understandable for the operating system that uses the partition. This organization is the file system. Format and location of information (the logical structure of a partition) for MS-DOS and Windows is created by the FORMAT program.

    FORMAT program performs the following functions:
    • It creates the boot record
    • It creates the file allocation table (FAT)
    • It marks bad clusters so they are not ever used afterwards
    After formatting logical disks created by the FDISK program are organized as follows:
    • Logical disks start with the boot sector
    • One or several copies of file allocation table (FAT) are placed after the boot sector
    • Next goes the root folder
    • Next goes the data area
    Each logical disk has to be formatted with FORMAT separately.

    Formatting a partition is done by issuing a DOS command:

    FORMAT C:

    To create a system (bootable) logical disk, it has to be formatted with FORMAT with /S parameter:

    FORMAT C: /S

    Another way is to transfer the system to the partition that has been formatted with /B parameter is booting the computer from a system diskette and issuing the command

    SYS C:

    IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, COMMAND.COM files that are necessary for the operating system to be booted are copied from the diskette to the disk. Initial loader code is written to the boot sector.

    Note
    • Other operating systems provide hard disk formatting means to create file systems that are recognizable by these OSes.
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