Module 1, Concepts of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Before you can work with a disk or tape drive you sometimes have to format it.

• Formatting is the process of preparing a disk or tape drive to hold data so that the operating system can read it or write to it.

• Typically, when you format a disk you will be able to set the file system (e.g. FAT or NTFS), the cluster size and the volume label.

• When you format a disk or tape, all the data on the disk is erased, so be careful!

• Most floppy diskettes are sold pre-formatted for PCs, so you may not need to format a floppy diskette before you use it. Also, you don’t need to format CD-R or CD-RW before you use it.