What are the differences between resetting and formatting in computer science and why should they not be confused?

It is very common that these two terms be confused in computer science , given that they both look very similar, but each performs totally different functions.

This doubt or confusion between what is needed reset and format is mainly due to the fact that in the world of mobile phones, la hard reset is known as a function for erase everything and leave the phone at the factory. He is essentially treated as a formatting , which makes both functions look the same.

However, in computers, all this is changing, because in this area the difference between the two is very marked. In other words, the resetting is equivalent to restarting and formatting removes everything . To do this, we teach you a little more about each of these terms here.

What is a computer reset and when should it be done?

Especially in the world of computers and laptops , the term reset is frequently used , which has for main function of cleaning the system against any type of error that prevents its proper functioning. In this way, the equipment will be able to return to its normality or in this case to its initial state before the failure.

In general, whenever a failure occurs, the internal mechanism of the computer tries to recover, in the event that a long time passes and it cannot get out, the program or system stops completely . In this case, the computer begins to operate slowly, reaching an unmanageable point that requires attention. reset.

It is recommended to perform this process mainly when there are issues such as blue screens of death in Windows, which are usually caused by errors in drivers when Windows starts to work very slowly and is unable to recover, or a software specific that presents difficulties for its operation.

What is computer formatting and when should it be done?

When we speak of the term format, we refer to what means "Format disk". In this case, it is a process that is performed by the Hard disk, and whose objective is to be able to eliminate everything that is the inside of the storage unit. This can cause a error in the operation of the equipment .

In general, you can erase everything leaving the machine completely at zero or simply erase parts of the disc. The most common is to remove healthy installations of the operating system to those with affected or damaged files.

Therefore, we can say that formatting essentially returns the computer to its factory condition or initial configuration , where the drive is left completely empty and clean to install any software on it. This allows you to erase everything that has affected the system and similarly prepare the computer for proper functioning.

It is important to mention that there are two types of formatting:

• The first is the low level, where unity is left completely clean as a factory
• Le high level which results in the loss of all data, removing all those disabled files and all references.

In other words, it do not erase everything , but instead allows you to maintain or recover some external programs. However, it will depend more on user needs and equipment failures.

How do I know when my computer needs to be formatted? Symptoms of the disease

Formatting completely erases information on the storage drive of a computer . In many occasions, a backup of the most important files is taken for the users to avoid their loss.

In general, this process should be performed whenever the computer exhibits any of the following symptoms:

• When the system is unstable or a complete installation of the operating system is justified.
• Si the presence of viruses that cannot be destroyed is suspected .
• Computer is working very slowly.
• For delete junk files from your hard drive which cannot be erased easily.
• It cleans the system of everything type of error which affects PC performance.

Completing this process will essentially help you to rejuvenate your hard drive , this is why a system newly formatted and installed will be a lot faster than those who already have some time (weeks or months).

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