FORMAT

Formats a disk for use with MS-DOS.

The FORMAT command creates a new root directory and file allocation table
for the disk. It can also check for bad areas on the disk, and it can delete
all data on the disk. In order for MS-DOS to be able to use a new disk, you
must first use this command to format the disk.

Syntax

    FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/F:size][/B|/S] [/C]

    FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/T:tracks /N:sectors] [/B|/S]
    [/C]

    FORMAT drive: [/V[:label]] [/Q] [/U] [/1] [/4] [/B|/S] [/C]

    FORMAT drive: [/Q] [/U] [/1] [/4] [/8] [/B|/S] [/C]

Warning: Do not format a floppy disk at a size higher than it was designed
         for. For more information, see <Format--Notes>.

Parameter

drive:
    Specifies the drive containing the disk you want to format. You must
    specify a drive parameter. If you do not specify any of the following
    switches, FORMAT uses the drive type to determine the default format for
    the disk.

    If the disk was previously formatted and you do not use the /U switch,
    the old file allocation table and root directory are saved to allow
    unformatting of the disk if necessary. If you realize that you formatted
    the wrong disk, use the <UNFORMAT> command as soon as possible.

Switches

/V:label
    Specifies the volume label. A volume label identifies the disk and can
    be a maximum of 11 characters. If you omit the /V switch or use it
    without specifying a volume label, MS-DOS prompts you for the volume
    label after the formatting is completed. If you format more than one
    disk by using one FORMAT command, all of the disks will be given the
    same volume label. The /V switch is not compatible with the /8 switch.
    For more information about disk volume labels, see the DIR, LABEL, and
    VOL commands.

/Q
    Specifies a quick format of a disk. With this switch, FORMAT deletes the
    file allocation table (FAT) and the root directory of a previously
    formatted disk, but does not scan the disk for bad areas. Use the /Q
    switch to format only previously formatted disks that you know are in
    good condition.

/U
    Specifies an unconditional format of a disk. Unconditional formatting
    destroys all existing data on a disk and prevents you from later
    "unformatting" the disk. You should use /U if you have received read and
    write errors during use of a disk. For information about unformatting a
    disk, see the UNFORMAT command.

/F:size
    Specifies the size of the floppy disk to format. When possible, use this
    switch instead of the /T and /N switches. Use one of the following
    values for size:

    160 (or 160K or 160KB)
       160K, single-sided, double-density, 5.25-inch disk

    180 (or 180K or 180KB)
       180K, single-sided, double-density, 5.25-inch disk

    320 (or 320K or 320KB)
       320K, double-sided, double-density, 5.25-inch disk

    360 (or 360K or 360KB)
       360K, double-sided, double-density, 5.25-inch disk

    720 (or 720K or 720KB)
       720K, double-sided, double-density, 3.5-inch disk

    1200 (or 1200K or 1200KB or 1.2 or 1.2M or 1.2MB)
       1.2-MB, double-sided, quadruple-density, 5.25-inch disk

    1440 (or 1440K or 1440KB or 1.44 or 1.44M or 1.44MB)
       1.44-MB, double-sided, quadruple-density, 3.5-inch disk

    2880 (or 2880K or 2880KB or 2.88 or 2.88M or 2.88MB)
       2.88-MB, double-sided, extra-high-density, 3.5-inch disk

/B
    Reserves space for the system files IO.SYS and MSDOS.SYS (as hidden
    files) on a newly formatted disk. In previous versions of MS-DOS, it was
    necessary to reserve this space before using the SYS command to copy the
    system files to the disk. This switch is maintained in MS-DOS version
    6.0 for compatibility reasons only.

/S
    Copies the operating system files IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and COMMAND.COM
    from your system's startup drive to a newly formatted disk that you can
    use as a system disk. If FORMAT cannot find the operating system files,
    it prompts you to insert a system disk.

/T:tracks
    Specifies the number of tracks on the disk. When possible, use the /F
    switch instead of this switch. If you use the /T switch, you must also
    use the /N switch. These two switches provide an alternative method of
    specifying the size of the disk being formatted. You cannot use the /F
    switch with the /T switch.

/N:sectors
    Specifies the number of sectors per track. When possible, use the /F
    switch instead of this switch. If you use the /N switch, you must * also
    use the /T switch. These two switches provide an alternative method of
    specifying the size of the disk being formatted. You cannot use the /F
    switch with the /N switch.

/1
    Formats a single side of a floppy disk.

/4
    Formats a 5.25-inch, 360K, double-sided, double-density floppy disk on a
    1.2-MB disk drive. Some 360K drives cannot reliably read disks formatted
    with this switch. When used with the /1 switch, this switch formats a
    5.25-inch, 180K, single-sided floppy disk.

/8
    Formats a 5.25-inch disk with 8 sectors per track. This switch formats a
    floppy disk to be compatible with MS-DOS versions earlier than 2.0.

/C
    Retests bad clusters. By default, if a drive contains clusters that have
    been marked as "bad", FORMAT does not retest the clusters; it simply
    leaves them marked "bad". Use the /C switch if you want FORMAT to retest
    all bad clusters on the drive. (In previous versions of MS-DOS, FORMAT
    always retested any bad clusters.)

Related Command

For information about restoring disks after using the FORMAT command, see
the <UNFORMAT> command.