According to Apple's KB article 30621: Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus): Erase Disk Compared With Initialize
TOPIC This article compares the Erase Disk... command with initialization of a disk as they relate to the Mac OS Extended format. DISCUSSION Drive Setup performs other routines that Erase disk does not. **Erase disk will only initialize the Partition selected.** (emphasis added) Drive Setup Initialize will reset the Boot Block and Partition Map as well as the Partition(s) selected. Note: Drive Setup Initialize will erase the entire hard disk. A single partition can not be selected for initialization. --- So it appears that Erase Disk will give you what you want. Alas, it does require retsering with VM off to erase and then another restart with VM turned back on (sorry I forgot to mention that before). An optimizer/defragger might be a better choice. (Never had a problem with NDD/Speed Disk or TechTool, although TT hasn't been very helpful, either. Norton's saved me a few times.) Perhaps FWB HD Toolkit can reformat an individual parition? Regards, Bob Eye Dallas, TX ----------- Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2003 09:55:48 -0700 From: Andrew Kershaw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: partitioning HD for VM > Can't you just select the partition and use > the "Erase Disk" command on the partition? > Or isn't that an option when you use the > partition as VM? (I confess I haven't tried > this on a partitioned drive.) Sure. But that doesn't necessarily reformat the partition. Someone more in the know than I will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think choosing that option just wipes the section of the desktop db/df that corresponds to the partition (essentially erasing the disk), then marks the files on the disk as deleted. I'm not entirely sure what happens if you choose to change the HFS scheme (Mac OS Standard <-> Mac OS Extended) when you erase the disk, though. "Erase Disk..." works differently on floppies, of course. I'm not sure how this affects disk fragmentation. I don't really know anything about how "Erase Disk..." works. It just might be the answer to a quick reformat. OTOH, you won't be able to erase the volume if you have VM turned on and set to use that volume... So you'll have to turn VM off before you erase the volume. You are right about Norton and TechTool. I just didn't mention them because I don't like them. ;-) -- PowerBooks is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Enter To Win A | -- Canon PowerShot Digital Cameras start at $299 | Free iBook! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PowerBooks list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/powerbooks.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/powerbooks%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
