Why does a computer floppy disk have to be “formatted”?
A floppy disk must first be organized so that data (information) can be stored on and retrieved from it. This is similar to filling a file cabinet with empty, labeled file folders before using it to file documents. The data on a floppy disk, as well as on a hard disk, is arranged in concentric tracks (a series of increasingly larger circles, all with the same center point). Sectors, which hold blocks of data, occupy arc-shaped segments of the tracks. Most floppy disks are “soft-sectored,” meaning that formatting is necessary to identify sectors and, consequently, to retrieve data. “Hard-sectored” floppy disks use physical marks to identify sectors; these marks cannot be changed and the disks cannot be reformatted. The way in which sectors are organized and labeled dictates the system, DOS or Macintosh, with which the disk will be compatible….
