W2K install - formatting takes forever

[azagahl]

When I install Win2KSP4 it wants to format 190 GB and it takes about an hour.

Is there anyway to do a "quick" format?

Further annoyances:

If I shut my computer down and restart while it is reformatting, leading to a "damaged" partition, or sometimes if I just have pre-existing FAT32 partitions, it won't recognize all of the disk. So I have to reboot into DOS 7.1 and use Ranish Partition manager to fix the disk up for it

Furthermore, it claims the disk is only 127 GB but it will go ahead and add 190 GB partition to it. I assume this is some residual 48-bit LBA bug that MS never fixed...

[chilifrei64]

Format it on an already installed machine then take it out and stuff it into machine you are installing.. it it sees a blank useable partition.. it shouldnt want to format....

It has been a while with W2k.. unsure as to if this is true or not

[dirtwarrior]

You can use a disk manager. There are many out there but I use ontrack. It formats my 120 gb in about 5 minutes. It also can zero fill HD but it takes a little longer. Then format to use.

Hope this helps

Edited October 28, 2005 by dirtwarrior

[cluberti]

Is this a Windows 2000 RTM CD, or have you slipstreamed SP4 onto it? I know W2K prior to SP3 had issues with large hard disks formatted for FAT32. You may have less trouble if you just format it NTFS .

[InTheWayBoy]

No, they just never included the "Quick" format option with 2000...only XP and above have it. As everyone has already mentioned, if you do the format before install with a seperate program you can achieve the same results.

[wizardofwindows]

format it in another pc i agree,wonder why 2000 like that crappy format maybe they rushed it out lol

[dirtwarrior]

Its always faster to use a 2nd party format utility