Deleting a data volume from a storage system and freeing its storage space to make it available to be allocated to a new volume is accomplished by only zeroing associated metadata for the tracks contained in the freed storage space which is then reused in a new volume allocation and an attempt is made by the new volume to read a first record R0 of a track. A determination is made as to whether a first user record R1 of the volume is stale If the first record R0 is stale. If record R1 is stale, the metadata or track format description (TFD) is modified whereby the entire track is indicated as being uninitialized and the first record R0 is uninitialized. If record R1 is not stale, the first record R0 is regenerated and the TFD is modified whereby the entire track is indicated as being initialized.