External HDD Low Level format

[Sully Kubillas]

Hi,

I have an external Samsung HDD where I saved Windows 7 system images of my computer. Now I am planning to upgrade to Windows 10. To save images of this new system shall I have to low level format the HDD to prevent errors?

Thank you for your precious help,

Sully

 

[BradtheRad]

I saved an image of my Win 7 system to a portable USB hd. I'm examining the contents now.

It created 11 folders (visible). I'm looking for any hidden files. I open a dos window. Run 'dir/a'. It displays everything including hidden items.

There are hidden folders and a hidden file called 'bootmgr'. These are easy to remove, if you know how to change file attributes.

In any case I think it is adequate if you perform a quick format rather than a long format.

Naturally, successful recovery depends on your having some alternate means to start up your laptop. This would be either from your recovery disk or some other disk (cd, dvd, etc.).

(I would like to test this hd in my Win 7 laptop, but it is usb. My laptop requires sata. Therefore I have no idea if this usb hd will really start up my laptop.)

Some people report they do not like Win 10. It's wise to leave yourself the option to fall back to Win 7.

 

[ads-ee]

Personally I think win 10 is rather ugly, I really dislike the direction towards minimalist interfaces with no (or very little) demarcation of boundaries between items. That trend started with the ugly ribbon interface of word etc. where you have minimal visual clues if something is clickable or not as everything is on a flat minimalist background.

Thank goodness they relegated that idiotic win 8 ui to an extension of the start button. That touchcentric approach sucks and is not user friendly for someone who can actually touch type. I also tend to use Black for all backgrounds so fingerprints always show up and are really annoying.

 

[retrogear]

(I would like to test this hd in my Win 7 laptop, but it is usb. My laptop requires sata. Therefore I have no idea if this usb hd will really start up my laptop.)

The hard drive inside your external usb is standard sata with a usb conversion interface. Everyone I've opened is.

PS - it probably would not be bootable, though

Larry G

 

[ads-ee]

What does SATA have anything to do with boot capability from USB? Either your laptop has the for it (which win 7 does) or it doesn't (like say XP).

Now there was some ways around it in XP (I never tried them), but from vista on UEFI was added and systems started natively supporting USB boot.

- - - Updated - - -

Everyone I've opened is.

Are you by chance a surgeon and have found a lot of people (that you've opened) that have ate a HDD? ;-)

 

[D.A.(Tony)Stewart]

Nobody could convince me to switch to Win10. But one can save images on any reliable formatted drive without reformatting. Two drive image backup is safer.