Installation for Advanced Format Hard Drives?

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  1. Posts : 31
    Windows 7 x64
       #1

    Installation for Advanced Format Hard Drives?


    Hello,

    I recently got a new Western Digital Hard Drive (WD5000BPKT: Scorpio Black) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LR1RPK/..._26725410_item for my laptop and on the wrapping it says to be aware of advanced formatting.

    If I installed Windows 7 Home Premium x64 SP1 U (media refresh), do I need to install the software WD says to do to partition your HDD for optimal performance?

    I am unsure how exactly the new advanced formatting technology works and what I have to do to get the most out of my HDD. I may not even be sure that the WD5000BPKT supports Advanced formatting.

    Here is WD page about Advanced Format Utility: Product Features

    Thanks
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 6,830
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32-Bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit
       #2

    Hi bancosrs

    You should have no problems doing a clean install on the AF hard drive . Windows 7 will automatically align the drive to 1024.

    Press enter when you see the screen that says Press any key to boot from cd or DVD…( image below )



    When you get to this screen ( image below )



    Press Shift and F10 . You will get a command prompt window . It should open up to X:\Sources . In there input these commands and press enter after each line .

    DISKPART
    LIST DISK
    SELECT DISK 0
    CLEAN
    CREATE PRIMARY PARTITION
    SELECT PARTITION 1
    ACTIVE
    FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="ANYTHING YOU WANT HERE" QUICK
    ASSIGN LETTER=C
    EXIT
    EXIT


    Back on the image above press Install Now . Check the I accept the license terms box and click on Next. Click on the Custom (advanced) option. Then choose
    Disk 0 Partition 1: Window (C:\) and click Next

       Note
    Doing the commands above you will not get the hidden partition System Reserved
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 31
    Windows 7 x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Now if this was a completely new HDD would I have to input any of the commands before the installation, or are those just for reinstalling a clean version of Windows 7?

    Basically, I already installed Windows without doing the diskpart commands. I had just recieved this HDD in the mail today and assumed I did not have to clean it (unless AF needed me to).

    Stupid question, but by skipping those steps should I go back and reinstall windows?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 6,830
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32-Bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit
       #4

    If you received the drive in the mail I don't think its been formated but if you just proceed with the installation without formatting it first you will get the hidden partition .

    It's a clean drive you will have to do a clean install anyways
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #5

    Don`t create a partitoin for Windows 7 and you will end up with a sytem reserved partiton and a windows 7 partition. Create a partition before hand and you won`t get a system reserved partition. Simple as that.

    Better not to have a system reserved partition if you don`t need it, a waste of a primary partition in my opinion.

    Example.
    Last edited by AddRAM; 22 Apr 2015 at 17:50.
      My Computer


  6. whs
    Posts : 26,210
    Vista, Windows7, Mint Mate, Zorin, Windows 8
       #6

    This looks like a normal HDD. There is nothing special you need to do. Your Windows 7 installation should be fine.

    Yes, you probably have the extra 100MB active system partition. But that is OK. When you make images of the system, make an image of the 100MB partition once and stick it in a safe place. That little partition never changes unless you make a double boot. Then image it again. Then image C and in the future you need only C images. The 100MB partition you only need to dig out if you ever have to change the disk again because that little partition contains your bootmgr.

    PS> just saw that AddRAM and I disagree. I think he has good reasons to dread the 100MB partition. Here is a compromise. Copy the bootmgr to C and you can forget the 100MB partition.

    Bootmgr - Move to C:\ with EasyBCD
      My Computer

  7.    #7

    There no reason to avoid the hidden partition, and the Diskpart Clean command is used more for troubleshooting install failures. You were correct to simply boot the installer to do a normal Clean Install Windows 7.

    Why do you have two threads on this same subject here? It is frowned upon by the Admins and wastes our time.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 31
    Windows 7 x64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Out of general curiosity. With AF technology do you have to pay attention to anything with the mobo or dual booting?

    I saw a topic about WD Advanced Format Drive and needing special drivers to install a WD Advanced Format Drive on an Intel chipset.

    And for dual booting. Say, for example, Win 7 / ubuntu. Will you need to partition the drive in a certain way or can you go ahead and doing everything like you would with a normal HDD?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 13,576
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #9

    Stop worrying about this advanced format technology, just install windows, it will take care of any formatting.

    If you`re ready to go, you should have windows installed in 15 minutes.

    Clean Install Windows 7

    If you really want to use ubuntu, you don`t have to install it, you can just run it from a cd.

    https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD
      My Computer

  10.    #10

    It says in the Product Description it only requires special alignment if you try to run a legacy OS like XP. So it shouldn't require anything special for Clean Install Windows 7 or Dual Boot - Windows 7 and Linux - Windows 7 Forums.

    How is performance so far?
      My Computer


 
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