FORMAT
FORMAT - Formats a disk for use with MS-DOS.
/V[:label] Specifies the volume label.
/Q Performs a quick format.
/F:size Specifies the size of the floppy disk to format
(such as 160, 180, 320, 360, 720, 1.2, 1.44, 2.88).
/B Allocates space on the formatted disk for system files.
/S Copies system files to the formatted disk.
/T:tracks Specifies the number of tracks per disk side.
/N:sectors Specifies the number of sectors per track.
/1 Formats a single side of a floppy disk.
/4 Formats a 5.25-inch 360K floppy disk in a high-density drive.
/8 Formats eight sectors per track.
/C Tests clusters that are currently marked "bad."
/U "Unconditional" format - this prevents the unformat command from being used by either erasing the format, or making the information "garbled", so the unformat command reads it as an empty disk.
/AUTOTEST - formats without prompting.
/BACKUP - like autotest, but it will prompt you for a volume
label.
WHAT IS IT: This command is used to erase all data off of a
hard drive, partition of hard drive, or a floppy disk. Also used
after FDISK to reinitialize the partition. The format command can
also be used on "removable media" (i.e. - tape drives,
recordable cd's, etc...).
EXAMPLES:
format a: - Would erase all the contents of a floppy disk, usually used if you have a disk that has not been formatted, or is "data damaged".
format a: /s - Would erase all the contents of a floppy disk, and place system files on it, making the floppy bootable.
format c:/s/u/autotest - Will format C:, place system files on the drive, unconditionally format, and perform an autotest.