During a "clean" installation of Windows XP, you are prompted to choose from the following format options:
Format the partition using the NTFS file system (Quick)
Format the partition using the FAT file system (Quick)
Format the partition using the NTFS file system
Format the partition using the FAT file system
Leave the current file system intact (no changes)
This article describes the differences between a Quick format and a regular format.
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When you choose to run a regular format on a volume, files are removed from the volume you are formatting and the hard disk is then scanned for bad sectors. The scan for bad sectors is responsible for the majority of the time it takes to format a volume.
If you choose the Quick format option, format removes files from the partition, but does not scan the disk for bad sectors. This option should only be used if your hard disk has been previously formatted and you are sure that your hard disk is not damaged.
If you installed Windows on a partition that was formatted by using the Quick format option, you can also check your disk by using the chkdsk /r command after the installation of Windows has completed.