How to format a system SSD drive

[simontompkins]

Hi

I've just installed a vertex 4 ssd and I'm going to need to format it again and put it in a new motherboard. How do I format it without another PC

[mikeo]

Pop over to the OCZ WEB site, they have a very useful set of tools (http://www.ocztechnologyforum.com/).

Options:-
1) Either attach your SSD as a secondary drive to another system (a mate with a PC comes in handy here) and then use the OCZ Toolbox to Secure Erase it.
http://www.ocztechnology.com/ssd_tools/ and choose the correct one (IE. for your Vertex 4).

2) Use a bootable disk with something like Parted Magic to Secure Erase your SSD (there are a number of guides on how to do this floating around the WEB... GOOGLE is your friend here).
Here you go : http://www.overclock.net/t/1227597/h...h-parted-magic
Just as a heads-up... if you use the latest version of Parted Magic to creatable your bootable disk and it wont boot (can freeze at the desktop), then try one of the older versions (5.8, or 5.9 work on just about any machine and are not so fussy as the later versions).

If you have not yet. Then I would take this opportunity to check what firmware is running on the drive (can be done via the OCZ Toolbox). If it's not the latest (IE. 1.4, or or preferably 1.5) I would definitely update it, as there are significant speed increase that come with the latest firmware. If updating the firmware then PLEASE read the warnings about "shutting your PC down between flashes", this definitely means "shutdown" and not "restart". It's just that a number of folks have got themselves into a fix by just doing a restart.

Nice drives these. I've just replaced my Vertex 2E 128GB with a Vertex 4 and am looking to get a larger one to replace one of my old data drives.

Good luck.

PS. Doing a Secure Erase effectively returns your drive to factory fresh out of the box state.