Does NTFS format erase drive?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Barbara Clark
  • Start date Start date
B

Barbara Clark

If I plug in a new drive which already has data on it (formatted NTFS)
and use Disk Manager to partition it and to format it as NTFS, will it
lose its data? Is formatting just telling XP that the drive is NTFS
or is it actually writing to the drive?

I can't find a way to tell XP that the drive is NTFS and to assign a
drive letter to it.

Thanks,
Barb
 
If I plug in a new drive which already has data on it (formatted NTFS)
and use Disk Manager to partition it and to format it as NTFS, will it
lose its data?

Yes.


Is formatting just telling XP that the drive is NTFS

No.


or is it actually writing to the drive?
Click to expand...


Yes. It removes *everything* that's on the drive.
 
Barbara Clark said:
If I plug in a new drive which already has data on it (formatted NTFS)
and use Disk Manager to partition it and to format it as NTFS, will it
lose its data? Is formatting just telling XP that the drive is NTFS
or is it actually writing to the drive?

I can't find a way to tell XP that the drive is NTFS and to assign a
drive letter to it.

Thanks,
Barb
Click to expand...


Formatting the drive will erase your data...
go into disk management and assign it a drive letter...
but DO NOT format it
 
Formatting will delete all your files.

Try this instead:
Right click on the My Computer icon, select Manage, then under the Storage
option
select Disk Management.

Now in the right hand pane right click on the Drive or partition that you
want to
and then click 'Add', and pick a letter from the pull down list.

JS
 
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