External HDD Formatting Question

stephens · 02 Jul 2010

I would be grateful if anyone could advise on formatting Portable HDDs.

I want to format my Iomega USB 320GB HDD and have done internal HDDs before in Windows 7, but as it is a portable I have a few questions:-

Should I use the New "Simple Volume Wizard" in Disk Management, or simply right click on the HDD and select Format?

If I use the New "Simple Volume Wizard" in Disk Management:-

Allocation Unit Size - Is "Default" OK?
Volume Label - Is the default "New Volume" OK if I don't wish to name it?
Enable File & Folder Compression - Should I leave unchecked, so not enabled?

It will be NTFS. Many thanks for any replies. :)

BCXtreme · 02 Jul 2010

I think either method will work. Since they both ask for the same settings, though:

Default is fine for Allocation Unit Size, at least always has been for me.
If you really want the drive to be named "New Volume", I see no reason why that wouldn't work.
I've never checked Compression, and I've formatted NTFS partitions and drives many, many times. So it should be fine unchecked.

Hope this helps you!

Kirsch · 02 Jul 2010

stephens said:

Allocation Unit Size - Is "Default" OK?
Volume Label - Is the default "New Volume" OK if I don't wish to name it?
Enable File & Folder Compression - Should I leave unchecked, so not enabled?

1. Yes
2. If you don't want to rename it.. of course New Volume is OK :)
3. You don't need that enabled

Either way, I think right clicking and choosing format would be a perfectly good option

DeaconFrost · 02 Jul 2010

1. Yes, the default is fine.
2. This is up to you, but I ALWAYS label my drives.
3. Leave these unchecked. If you needed it, you'd know you needed it.

stephens · 02 Jul 2010

Many thanks for the info BCXtreme, Kirsch & DeaconFrost all seems fine now and I am busy filling the drive.

Named it "Iomega Backup" as it's easy to identify. :)