Partition on new SATA HDD

[stevenrw]

Indulge a dummy if you will...

I'm just about to install a new 500gb SATA drive as an archive/backup disc. I understand there's no slave/master relationship with SATA drives etc but I have one question regarding formatting.
The smart money seems to be on doing a "Normal" format (NTFS) rather than a "Quick" format since the normal method will run chkdsk to verify the HDD is OK. (It's brand new so there's no guarantee that it is free of bad sectors etc).

Windows (XP Home) will (assuming auto recognition has been set in the BIOS) recognise the drive and allocate a drive letter. I can then format from windows. As I'm using this essentially as an archive (Not loading O/S etc, but maybe using it for Acronis backup) I only need the single volume. Will the formatting create the single (logical) partition automatically? So I can just get on with using the drive?

[Rik]

As far as I can remember, Steve, yes.

[Ray]

You will probably find that Windows won't show your new disk to start with, you will need to initialise the disk first from the Computer Management console using the Disk Management section, you should also do the format from here.

[stevenrw]

Thanks for the head up SheltieUk.
When you say "Initialise" do you suggest XP will not have allocated a drive letter and that doing so manually in Disc manager then "Initialises" the volume (renders the drive recogniseable and ready for formatting?)

[Steve]

XP will not always allocate a drive letter to  a new disk once you've found it in disk management you allocate a drive letter and then do what you wish in terms of partitioning ,format and formatype i.efat32 or ntfs.

just make sure you pick the right disk.

[Ray]

Thanks for the head up SheltieUk.
When you say "Initialise" do you suggest XP will not have allocated a drive letter and that doing so manually in Disc manager then "Initialises" the volume (renders the drive recogniseable and ready for formatting?)

That's right.

[Sebby]

Windows may assign it a drive letter that you don't want, in which case you'll need to do some shuffling. You can do this in Disk Management (in Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management).

[Glenn]

Or just right click on My Computer and select manage

[Rik]

All roads lead to Rome, eh Glenn.

[drummer]

All roads lead to Rome, eh Glenn.

Indeedy.

Start > Run > diskmgmt.msc > OK

I nominated my external drive as "Q" and whenever I plug it into any computer, it shows as "Drive Q".

That said, is there more than one way of skinning a domestic feline?

Oh, and I have two Western Digital SATA drives and I've needed to install WD drivers before Windows recognizes them.  Seems like I'm alone on this though.

[Rik]

Odd, I start my removables at R.