Does anyone know of any freeware or opensource NTFS (Quick) Formatting Utilities?

I need something that I can boot from CD. I want to install Win2k on a 160Gb hard drive, but I dont want to wait 4 hours for Windows to format the partition. Any suggestions or sources for freeware?

9/12/2005 6:20:28 PM

In Windows Setup just select the "Quick Format" option. Before setup begins just be sure to delete any partitions, create a new one and select it to be the installation partition. On the next screen choose to format it as NTFS (Quick).

... and it shouldn't take 4 hours to reformat the drive.

[Edited on September 12, 2005 at 6:24 PM. Reason : I do this way too often.]

9/12/2005 6:23:20 PM

can you not just hit NTFS (QUICK) during setup when its asking how you want the partitions to be?? If not, then it probably actually needs to be formatted for whatever reason so start waiting...

9/12/2005 6:24:10 PM

NTFS (Quick) is not an option. I can just choose NTFS.

9/12/2005 6:39:20 PM

then there's a reason it's like that.. start waitin

9/12/2005 6:39:40 PM

^ yep.

There are certain conditions where it will not let you choose the quick format option. Usually when I set up Windows it is an option.

But formatting (at least doing it properly) is going to take roughly the same amount of time no matter what the tool is. The "quick" formatting tools just erase the very beginning of the drive and replace the file allocation table. A full format will zero and map the drive.

It shouldn't take 4 hours but you might as well start waiting anyway.

[Edited on September 12, 2005 at 6:50 PM. Reason : +]

9/12/2005 6:45:08 PM