reformatting

Reformatting is the process of changing the format, structure, or presentation of data or media. It is performed to improve compatibility, organize information, or reset a system to a clean state.

In computing, reformatting most often refers to disk reformatting. This involves erasing existing data and creating a new file system on a storage device. Low-level formatting, once common on hard drives, is largely hardware-specific; high-level formatting creates or updates a file system such as NTFS, ext4, or FAT32. A quick format typically marks files as deleted and writes minimal metadata, while a full format may verify data integrity and overwrite sectors.

In text and document workflows, reformatting means changing layout or presentation without altering core content. This can include adjusting margins, fonts, line spacing, and paragraph styles, or converting a document to another format or markup language. Reformatting is common when preparing manuscripts for different publishers or platforms.

In data processing, reformatting can mean converting data representations to a different encoding or schema. Examples include migrating data from CSV to JSON, or converting character encodings to UTF-8. The goal is interoperability and consistency across systems.

Reformatting carries risks such as data loss and incompatibilities; backups and validation are standard precautions. It is a routine operation in IT maintenance, data migration, and content creation.