Complete Format - MBR, etc. How?

[Loath]

I want to try eliminating an odd problem that involves HUGE load times. It started a few formats ago and has not gone away which makes me think the issue is lodged somewhere. I figure I will try formating the SATA RAID drives in one last attempt before its time for a new mobo to see if the controller went bad.

I have already backed all my stuff up onto IDE.

How do I get a deep format done that will totally set these drives back to zero... no pun intended...

 

[Dew]

Low level format.

Most drive manufacturers offer a utility on their site. Any one should work fine.

 

[RavenD]

Download the Ultimate Boot CD and use the zero fill utility on it.

 

[Ibanez]

which utility would that be? there are quite a few

 

[RavenD]

This is the list of hard disk wiping utilities from ultimatebootcd.com

Hard Disk Wiping
AutoClave (Discontinued) 0.3
Active@ KillDisk Free Edition 3.1
Darik's Boot and Nuke 1.0.5
PC INSPECTOR e-maxx

 

[Ibanez]

Ok, thanks. I dont imagine any one zero writer is any better than another? No need for security, just deletion of the MBR etc.

 

[unhappy_mage]

Low level format.

Zero fill. Hate to repeat this again, but modern IDE disks cannot be LLFed outside the factory. All you can do is write zeros to the data area. This is an improvement. If only the drive makers would stop calling their ZF utils LLF.

And in terms of better, no. It could concievably be faster to do it under Linux rather than DOS, due to potentially faster disk drivers, but in terms of getting it wiped, any of the utilities should handle it.

 

[Bubbamike]

fdisk /mbr