Cisco Systems 7500 Series manual Formatting a Flash Memory Card, Router# format slot0

Chapter 4 Performing a Basic Configuration of the System

Using the Flash Memory Cards in the RSPs

Formatting a Flash Memory Card

A Flash memory card that shipped with your chassis contains the Cisco IOS software image you need to boot your router. You do not need to reformat it.

In some cases, you might need to insert a new Flash memory card and copy images or back up configuration files onto it. Flash memory cards shipped as spare parts are shipped unformatted and blank. Before you can use a new blank Flash memory card, you must format it. Use only Intel Series 2+ Flash memory cards.

Note For a Flash memory card that was formatted on an RSP1, RSP2, or RSP7000 to be compatible in an RSP4, the Flash memory card must be formatted with a boot or Cisco IOS software image that is compatible with the RSP4.

Currently the Cisco IOS release required for Flash memory card compatibility with all RSPs is Cisco IOS Release 11.1(8)CA1 or a later release of 11.1 CA.

Caution To prevent system problems, use Flash memory cards in the RSP4 that were formatted on an RSP1, RSP2, RSP7000, or RSP4 running Cisco IOS Release 11.1(8)CA1 or a later release of 11.1 CA.

Caution The following formatting procedure erases all information on the Flash memory card. To prevent the loss of important data that might be stored on a Flash memory card, proceed carefully. If you want to save the data on a Flash memory card, copy the data to a server before you format the card.

Use the following procedure to format a new Flash memory card (the procedure assumes you have already booted your router):

Step 1 Using the procedure in the “Installing and Removing a Flash Memory Card in an RSP” section on page 4-20, insert the Flash memory card into slot 0. (If slot 0 is not available, use slot 1.)

Step 2 To format the Flash memory card, use the format slot0: (or format slot1:) command as follows:

Router# format slot0:

All sectors will be erased, proceed? [confirm]

Enter volume id (up to 30 characters): MyNewCard

Formatting sector 1

Format device slot0 completed

Router#

Note For this example, an 8-MB Flash memory card was used, and at the line “Formatting sector,” the system counted the card’s sectors backward from 64 to 1 as it formatted them. For 16-MB Flash memory cards, the system counts backward from 128 to 1, and for 20-MB Flash memory cards, the system counts backward from 160 to 1.

The new Flash memory card is now formatted and ready to use.

	Cisco 7500 Series Installation and Configuration Guide
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