Why do you format a hard drive

In Windows, formatting a partition is usually done from the Disk Management tool. You can also format a drive using the format command in a command line interface like Command Prompt , or with a free disk partition software tool.

A partition usually encompasses an entire physical hard drive. That's why we often say "format a drive" when in reality, you're formatting a partition on the drive—it just so happens that the partition may be the whole size of the drive. Formatting can't usually be done by accident, so you shouldn't worry that you'll delete all your files by mistake. However, you should be cautious when formatting anything and be sure you know what you're doing. Here are some common things you might do related to formatting:.

Some devices like cameras will let you format the storage through the device itself. It's similar to how you can format a hard drive using a computer—the same thing is possible with some digital cameras and maybe even gaming consoles or other devices that might need their hard drive formatted.

Formatting the C: drive, or whatever letter happens to identify the partition that Windows is installed on, must be done from outside of Windows because you can't erase locked files the files you're currently using. Doing so from outside the OS means the files aren't actively running and can, therefore, be deleted. Formatting a hard drive is part of the "clean install" method of installing Windows.

If you want to format a device to change the file system from, say, FAT32 to NTFS, one way you can do it while saving your data is to first copy the files off of the drive so that it's empty. You might be able to recover files from a partition even after it's been formatted. Tim Fisher. VP and General Manager, Lifewire. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Updated on November 11, Ryan Perian. Lifewire Technology Review Board Member.

Article reviewed on Feb 21, Tweet Share Email. What to Know Open Disk Management , locate and right-click the disk you'd like to format. Choose Format. Enter a name for the drive. Under Allocation unit size , choose Default.

Uncheck Perform a quick format. It's a good idea to check all settings and to familiarize yourself with their functions before proceeding. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Tell us why! More from Lifewire. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Lifewire. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Get it for Android , PC. Get it for PC , Android. If you know which drive you want to format and which file system to choose, then go immediately to our instructions for formatting a hard drive in the following section. Your C drive C: is your primary drive where the operating system OS is located.

Read about deleting vs. Make sure you have an external USB also called a thumb drive or flash drive ready. Then, download the software you need:. The Windows startup app should launch automatically. Do so — you may see a message that says Windows is loading files. The Windows setup wizard will launch. Select your desired language and time, and click Next. Click Install now and wait while Windows completes the setup procedures. Follow the next steps to choose your desired version of Windows and accept the terms.

When prompted with a choice of Types of Installation , choose Custom: Install Windows only advanced for Windows 10 or Custom advanced and then Drive options advanced for Windows 7. On the next screen, select Format. Choose where you want to install Windows. Select the Primary drive and click Next. If you want to format this partition, any data stored on it will be lost. Now your drive is formatted, and everything is gone. Aside from the primary C drive C: , you can also format an internal drive or an external hard drive.

Your Windows hard drive may be partitioned into several different drives. Smaller internal drives with names like D, E, F, etc. An external drive is hardware like a USB drive or another external storage device. The process is the same for internal non-C drives and external drives. The Disk Management window will open. Select the drive you want to format internal or external by right-clicking and choosing Format….

If you want, you can also rename your drives here. A Format box will pop up where you can choose the file system for your drive. Step 2: After setting the partition label, file system for the partition, click the OK button to continue the process. You are able to format a hard drive on Windows through Disk Management. Next, I will show you the detailed steps to format a hard drive. Step 1: Press Windows and R key at the same time to open the Run window.

Type diskmgmt. Just as the picture shows. Single click the drive and then select Initialize Disk. After that, click the OK button to go on. Select the Format feature after right clicking the target partition.

Step 4: Set the volume label, file system and alloction unit size for the partition. Otherwise, it will carry out the operation according to the default settings.

Then, click OK. Step 5: Click OK in the pop-up window to finish the formatting operation. DiskPart allows you to format a hard drive, too. Step 1: Press Windows plus R key simultaneously to get the Run window. Type diskpart in the windows and then click OK. Step 2: Type a series of commands on the DiskPart page. Press the Enter key after typing each command.

The following are commands:. With methods given in the post, I succeeded in formatting my hard drive. Click to tweet. After reading the post, you must have a deep understanding of disk formatting and why do you need to format your drive. You may know the answers now.

Methods to format a hard drive are also provided for you.