FreeDOS Format

There are plenty of tools built specifically for erasing data from storage media, some doing a better job than others.

As its name suggests, FreeDOS Format is a utility that scrubs off the data available on a selected drive. The application is intended for dealing with diskettes and it is console-based, which may draw users away from it.

As soon as launched it provides all the details for using it. Unlike other console-based utilities, this one does not offer the syntax in the command-prompt window. However, the information is available in the documentation that comes with it.

As far as the set of supported commands is concerned, the application allows the user to specify the volume label of the targeted disk and to call SYS in order to make the media storage bootable and to add the necessary system files.

Just like in most formatting utilities, there is the possibility to run a quick format job, which allows the process to be reverted and to recover the data.

For a more thorough operation it can perform a low-level format, an action that takes longer but ensures that the information is not easy to recover.

Also available is the option to specify the size of the floppy disk. To make things simpler for the user, a list of choices is presented by entering a specific argument.

FreeDOS Format is a complete tool for erasing the data on floppy disks but it no longer has relevance in the current context because such storage media is not a valid option for the average user.