To Format Media

To format media is to prepare the media for use with a particular file system. When you format media, you overwrite any existing information on the media. You can format the following media:

• Floppy diskette

• Zip disk

• Jaz disk

To format media, perform the following steps:

1. Right-click on the object that represents the media on the desktop, then choose Format. A Media Format dialog is displayed.

   

2. Select your format options in the Media Format dialog. The following table describes the elements on the dialog:

   Dialog Element	Description
   Quick Format	Select this option to format without certification, or with limited certification of certain tracks on the media.
   Long Format	Select this option to perform a complete format. For some devices this might include certification of whole media by the drive.
   File System Type	Select the type of file system in which you want to format the media. Select from the following options:  PCFS (DOS): Select this option if you want to use the media on an MS-DOS operating system. UFS (UNIX): Select this option if you want to use the media on a UNIX operating system. UDFS (UNIX): Select this option if you want to format the media in Universal Disk File System (UDFS). NEC (DOS): Select this option if you want to format the media in the NEC file system.
   Volume Label	Type a name for the media in the text box.
   Slice Editor	Click on this button if you want to slice a Zip disk or Jaz disk. This button is only available if you select UFS in the File System Type drop-down list. For more information, see the next section.

3. Click Format to format the media.