How to format a hard drive with Windows 10

Formatting is the process of marking the data area on media of information - disks and flash drives. This operation resorts in different cases - from the need to correct program errors before deleting files or create new sections. In this article we will talk about how to format in Windows 10.

Formatting drives

This procedure can be performed in several ways and using different tools. There are both third-party programs and the built-in tools that will help solve the task. Below we also tell me how the formatting of ordinary working disks from those to which Windows is installed.

Method 1: third-party programs

On the Internet, you can find many representatives of such software. The most popular are Acronis Disk Director (Paid) and Minitool Partition Wizard (there is a free version). Both of them contain the functions they need. Consider the option with the second representative.

If several sections are located on the target disk, it makes sense to remove them first, and then format all the free space.

1. Click on the disk in the top list. Please note that you need to choose the entire drive, and not a separate section.

   

2. Click the "Delete all sections" button.

   

   Confirm your intention.

   

3. Run the operation with the "Apply" button.

   

4. Now choose an unoccupied space in any of the lists and click "Creating a section."

   

5. In the next window, set up the file system, the size of the cluster, enter the label and select the letter. If necessary, you can choose the volume of the section and its location. Click OK.

   

6. We apply changes and wait for the completion of the process.

The disadvantage of this method is that in the presence of several volumes, they can be formatted only separately, since their removal is not provided.

Equipment "Disc Control"

1. Press the PCM on the Start button and select "Disk Management".

   

2. Select the disc, click on it with the right mouse button and go to formatting.

   

3. Here we see already familiar settings - a label, file system type and cluster size. Below is the option of formatting method.

   

4. The compression feature allows you to save space on the disk, but slows down some access to files, as it requires the background unpacking them. Available only when the NTFS file system is selected. It is not recommended to include on drives that are designed to install programs or operating system.

   

5. Click OK and wait for the end of the operation.

   

If there are multiple volumes, they need to be removed, and then create a new one on the entire disk space.

1. Click PCM on this and select the corresponding item of the context menu.

   

2. Confirm removal. We do the same with other volumes.

   

3. As a result, we get the area with the status "not distributed". Press PCM again and go to the creation of volume.

   

4. In the starting window "Masters" by press "Next".

   

5. Configure size. We need to take all the space, so we leave the default values.

   

6. We assign the letter to the disk.

   

7. Configure formatting parameters (see above).

   

8. Run the procedure with the "Finish" button.

   

Command line

For formatting in the "command line" use two tools. This is the Format command and the DiskPart console disk utility. The latter has functions similar to the snap-in "Disk Management", but without a graphical interface.

Read more: Formatting the drive via the command line

System disk operations

If there is a need to format the system drive (the one on which the Windows folder is located), it can be done only when installing a new copy of "Windows" or in the recovery environment. In both cases, we will need a bootable (installation) carrier.

Read more: How to install Windows 10 from a flash drive or disk

The procedure in the recovery environment is as follows:

1. At the Installation Stage, click on the "Restore System" link.

   

2. Go to the section specified in the screenshot.

   

3. Open the "command line", after which format the disk using one of the tools - Format commands or DiskPart utilities.

   

Keep in mind that in the recovery environment, the letters of the disks are subject to change. Systems usually goes under the Litera D. You can make sure that you can command

Dir D:

If the drive is not found or there is no "Windows" folder, then we swore other letters.

Conclusion

Disk formatting - the procedure is simple and understandable, but when it is executed, it should be remembered that all data will be destroyed. However, they can be tried to restore with a special software.

Read more: How to restore deleted files

When working with the console, be careful when entering commands, since the error can lead to the removal of the desired information, and using the Minitool Partition Wizard, use the operations on one: this will help avoid possible failures with unpleasant consequences.