DIGIT-ARC read-only archive · snapshot: July 23, 2026

Frequent formatting damages HDD ?

28 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/frequent-formatting-damages-hdd.103499/

ironfreak
ironfreak Original post #1
Dec 3, 2008 at 4:54 PM
I've this query since long time in my mind-

Frequent formatting, partitioning, etc can damage/corrupt any hard disk ???

Throw your opinions...:smile::smile:

Also share your experience if u have faced any such problem.....;)

Thanks already.
esumitkumar
Dec 3, 2008 at 5:17 PM
I dont think so formatting HDD can damage ur disk
lets see what others say

Offtopic : ur avatar suggest u support Raj T ... :x ...Very Very Bad !! It will start another Mumbaikars vs Indians fight so change that ...otherwise ur wish ...
rhitwick
Dec 3, 2008 at 5:18 PM
No, it doesn't.

[offtopic]
Personal opinion, I don't like the guy in ur Avataar.
[/offtopic]
ironfreak
Dec 3, 2008 at 5:31 PM
I dont think so formatting HDD can damage ur disk
lets see what others say

Offtopic : ur avatar suggest u support Raj T ... :x ...Very Very Bad !! It will start another Mumbaikars vs Indians fight so change that ...otherwise ur wish ...

//offtopic// I still like the original Hallowed Be Thy Name //offtopic//

No, it doesn't.

[offtopic]
Personal opinion, I don't like the guy in ur Avataar.
[/offtopic]

Chill dudes....:D:D
what the technology has to do with it ?

Anyways, Im not talking abt permanent damage to HDD but say slow performance, time to detect, crashing OS (windows esp:cool:), hanging so many times, slow booting, slow copying, etc.. I've kinda experienced this with my 4 years old PATA hard disk which I've formatted, partitioned, repartitioned soooo many times....

THhats why asking...
esumitkumar
Dec 3, 2008 at 6:10 PM
//offtopic// I still like the original Hallowed Be Thy Name //offtopic//
he he he ..that is good too .. but I dont like slow ..have u listened to original Das modell and newer Das modell by Rammstein ..Rammy roxxx

and Regd Raj ..please read here why we hate him read here

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/showthread.php?t=100750&highlight=Patna
M
Dec 3, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Raj :mad:

Remove it :mad:
T
Dec 3, 2008 at 6:38 PM
^^ ++∞

There shouldn't be any harm to the disk by frequent formatting.
esumitkumar
Dec 3, 2008 at 6:42 PM
haan bhai ironman(freak)....spiderman keh raha hai ..maan jaa :D :D :D
rhitwick
rhitwick #11
Dec 3, 2008 at 8:02 PM
Chill dudes....:D:D
what the technology has to do with it ?

/Offtopic ans for offtopic question: I HATE him. He's a black spot in Indian politics history. I think I've to stop replying ur queries as I don't want to c his sh1tface:mad:


It doesn't matter how many times u format, generally PATA HDDS doesn't last long. 4yrs is very long in ur case. Again, if u unplug n plug d HDD frequently then its pins gets bent (Already lost 2 HDDs like this). Again, if ur HDD has developed any physical bad sector, then its hard to recover and d bad sector will increase day by day.
damngoodman999
Dec 3, 2008 at 9:31 PM
"CHANGE YOUR AVATAR" iron freak
ironfreak
ironfreak #13
Dec 3, 2008 at 10:12 PM
ata bas ka ? :D
M
mrintech #14
Dec 3, 2008 at 10:15 PM
Is he your Motivation? :(
damngoodman999
Dec 3, 2008 at 10:17 PM
great !!! i format my hard more 500 times
esumitkumar
Dec 3, 2008 at 10:56 PM
^^ hmmm Mr Intech oops MRINTECH :D
ironfreak
ironfreak #21
Dec 4, 2008 at 8:59 AM
^^^
He is that guy Peter Petrelli in Heroes right ????? (spelled correctly?)
R
Raccoon #22
Dec 4, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Formatting will likely damage your disk in the sense that it will wear out faster. The reasons are obvious - anything that makes it thrash around will cause wearing... formatting, installing OS, programs, etc., etc.

It doesn't matter how many times u format, generally PATA HDDS doesn't last long. 4yrs is very long in ur case.

Why dont PATA discs last long?? Whats more you get 5 year warranty on HDDs now (at least on Seagate, dont know about others). They wont give such a long warranty unless they are confident about the life of their product!

An HDD should last much longer than 4 years... provided you use it "sensibly".
R
realdan #23
Dec 4, 2008 at 1:52 PM
and i have pata hdd going bad just letting it sit around in some cabinets..these things once used need to be up and running occasionally otherwise it might get rusty and lazy and failed to wake up from its slumber..
excess of anything can be bad even if normal doses do you good..
saqib_khan
Dec 4, 2008 at 3:19 PM
I m using my PATA HDD for more then 8 years & still not a single bad sector. It's samsung, BTW.

Man, these electronic things work on luck :)
R
realdan #25
Dec 4, 2008 at 5:18 PM
yeah if everyone is lucky like it is in your particular case..the manufacturer would be struggling to survive :)
R
Raccoon #26
Dec 4, 2008 at 5:36 PM
No dude... for HDDs especially that cannot apply. Most people rapidly run out of space, apps and OS rapidly keeps getting bigger and bigger. Even if HDDs last forever, there will always be a big demand for new ones.

Also, HDDs need to be very reliable... imagine loosing very important data! You guys make it sound that a lower HDD life is the norm! It should be the other way around... most HDDs should last (many/most do) well over 5 years... those that dont have either been mishandled or are not upto the mark in quality.
clmlbx
clmlbx #27
Dec 4, 2008 at 11:18 PM
well I don't think so

I format every 2-2.1/2 months atleast

this is sata . I used to do samething with my last pata drive . used around 7-8 years without any problem or bad sector . and selled it in same way .perfect working conditions
ironfreak
ironfreak #28
Dec 5, 2008 at 11:12 AM
Im not sure if there's real HDD problem. I've this external USB case and I connect PATA hard disk in it. It works sooooooooo slow... even slower than my flash drive while copying... and if I cancel copying in between, the system hangs and I have to format that HDD.. the window never opens no matter what I do.. all the data gets corrupt... is this hard disk problem or because I use that USB thing ????