From: Chris Robinson 

So it's documented then?  I'd just assume that undocumented meant anything
that didn't appear when you do a "FORMAT /?" a the dos prompt.  I
pulled this tip straight from a mag I read yesterday - I haven't tested it.

Chris.

"Mark.Lewis" wrote:

> i've used format /u for a long time... at least since they came out with the
> version that saves unformating information... why? the u meant
"unconditional,
> don't save any unformat info"... undocumented? been there since
DOS v6.xx at
> least...
>
>  G> From: "Geo." 
>
>  G> cool, that is useful. I added a note on my website about that
>  G> one so I don't lose it.
>
>  G> Geo.
>
>  G> "Chris Robinson"
 wrote in
>  G> message news:3E9AA49B.78ED7B90{at}NOSPAMtotalise.co.uk...
> >> I hadn't heard of this one before so I thought I'd share it
with you.  A
> >> while back I was looking for DOS utilities that would completely wipe a
> >> hard drive.  I found some useful ones (usually from the manufactureres
> >> of the drive).  Today I found this tip in an issue of
"Computing":
> >>
> >>     Use the undocumented "U" switch when formatting
a drive.  It's a
> >> switch that tells Format to rewrite sectors irrespective of what's in
> >> them.  e.g. "FORMAT C: /U" will rewrite all the
sectors irrespective of
> >> what's in them.
> >>
> >> Pretty useful I thought, although it did remind me of the annoying
> >> amount of "undocumented" switches - why are they
undocumented?  "hey,
> >> our software can do this task but we're not going to tell you
about it"
> >>
> >> Chris.
> >>
>
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>

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