preformatting

Hard disks are preformatted by the manufacturer in a physical structure. During preformatting, logical tracks, cylinders and sectors are created on the hard disk and the information relevant for managing the file system is stored. Since preformatting takes place at a low level, it is also referred to as low-level formatting. The preformatted logical base structure supports the file system and ensures compatibility.

Preformatting is performed using the CHS procedure, Cylinder, Head, Sector (CHS), and the LBA procedure.