Formatting

The process, which gives rise to the deletion of data space of a storage media. Formatting writes metadata describing the blank medium in the form of the selected file system to the disk. There are two levels distinguished - high (high-level format) and low-level (low-level format). The high-level format is performed by a regular user. The low-level format is performed by the hard drive manufacturer immediately after its physical construction.

Similar Terms

• Firmware
• Flash memory
• Floppy disk