In many of our articles that mention working with, we indirectly touch on the issue of formatting it. In this article, we want to touch on this topic in detail and tell you how to format a hard drive in different situations. So let's get started.
You can format a hard drive in different ways, and this procedure is required in many cases: to completely clear a partition or the entire hard drive, for, when reinstalling the system, and also after buying a new HDD. First, let's take a look at the easiest way to format a disk - through Windows.
How to format a hard disk partition in Windows
Formatting a hard disk partition in Windows is done if you want to quickly and efficiently delete existing unnecessary files on one of the hard disk partitions. Also, formatting a partition in this way is done if viruses appear on this partition.Before formatting the hard drive, re-save all the necessary data that is on it to another partition or to your cloud service. If you want to format the HDD partition due to the presence of viruses on it, then in this case it is better not to copy the data from it, as they may contain viruses. Nevertheless, if there are files that you really need on a virus-infected hard disk, then copy them to an empty USB flash drive and check it. If no viruses are found, then these files can be transferred to a formatted partition.
To format a partition, right-click on it in the explorer to bring up the context menu.
In the context menu that appears, select the "Format ..." item.
- Capacity... This parameter indicates the size of the hard disk partition, so it does not change.
- File system... In this parameter, we set the default value, that is, we format the partition in the NTFS file system, since it is the best for the Windows operating system today.
- Cluster size... The value of this parameter is also left unchanged.
- Volume label... Here you can enter the name of the section, which will be assigned to it after formatting.
- Formatting methods... Select "Quick (clear table of contents)" formatting by checking the box next to this value.
How to format the hard drive during system installation
Now let's take a look at how to properly format the hard drive with and.How to format your hard drive when installing Windows
The menu for formatting hard drives in Windows 7 and in Windows 8 are absolutely identical. To do this, when during the installation process you come to the choice of the Windows installation section - click on the inscription "Disk Setup".
If you need to format a new hard disk, then to do this, click on this disk and then click on the inscription "Format".
There are two ways to format a hard disk. The first way (described above): allocate a hard disk partition and format it. The second way: delete all partitions of the hard disk and create one, thus the hard disk will be completely formatted. You can read more about that in one of our next articles.
How to format your hard drive when installing Linux
The Linux Ubuntu installer also includes a hard drive setup process. In the case when the new hard drive will be the only one in your computer, then in the installation menu you can select automatic configuration of the drive, where it will be formatted as needed. To do this, during the installation process, select "Erase Disk and Install Ubuntu".
To format an existing partition on a hard disk in Linux, you need to select this partition, click on the "Change ..." button at the bottom and check the box next to the item: "Format partition" in the window, and click on the "OK" button, leaving its type (Ext4 or swap) unchanged. But an external hard drive in Linux is best formatted, as in Windows, in the NTFS file system.
How to format a hard drive using special programs
In principle, in order to format a hard disk or its partition, the above methods will be quite enough, but if you want to format and resize a hard disk partition in Windows and do not reinstall the system, we recommend using the Acronis Disk Director or Partition Magic.
Formatting a disk or partition in these programs is very simple: select the desired disk or partition and right-click on it, after which a context menu will appear, where you will need to select "Format" or "Format" depending on the program and its localization.
In this article I would like to touch upon a few of the most commonly used methods of formatting a hard drive. First, a short introduction about what formatting is and what file systems are the most popular today.
A bit of theory
Generally formatting means the process of partitioning a hard disk, during which a certain file system (table) is created. With the help of this logical table, in the future, all information with which it will work will be written and read from the disk surface.
These tables can be different, which is quite logical, because information can be ordered in different ways. Which table you have will depend on file system.
When formatting the disk, you will have to specify the file system (required). Today, the most popular file systems are FAT 32 and NTFS. They each have their own characteristics. For the user, perhaps the main thing is that FAT 32 does not support files larger than 4 GB. For modern movies and games - this is not enough, if you are installing Windows 7, Vista, 8 - format the disk in NTFS.
Most frequently asked questions
1) Fast and complete formatting ... what's the difference?
With fast formatting, everything is extremely simple: the computer considers the disk to be clean and creates a spare table. Those. physically, the data has not gone anywhere, just the parts of the disk on which they were written are no longer perceived by the system as busy ... By the way, this is what many software programs are based on.
When fully formatted, the hard disk sectors are checked for bad blocks. This formatting can take a long time, especially if the size of the hard disk is not small. Physically, data from the hard drive is also not deleted.
2) Is formatting often harmful for HDD
No, it's not harmful. With the same success, one can say about sabotage about writing, reading files.
3) How do I physically delete files from the hard drive?
It is trivial to write down other information. There is also a special software that deletes all information so that it cannot be restored by any utilities.
Formatting HDD in PartitionMagiс
PartitionMagiс is an excellent program for working with disks and partitions. It will be able to cope even with those tasks that many other utilities are unable to cope with. For example, it can be without formatting and data loss!
The program is very easy to use. After it boots up, just select the drive you want, click on it and select Format. Next, the program will ask you to specify the file system, disk name, volume label, in general, nothing complicated. Even if some terms are not familiar, they can be left by default by choosing only the required file system - NTFS.
Formatting the hard drive using Windows
In the Windows operating system, a hard disk can be formatted in three ways, at least the most common.
Through "my computer"
This is the easiest and most well-known method. To get started, go to "my computer". Next, click on the desired section of the hard disk or flash drive or any other device with the right mouse button and select "format".
Through the disk control panel
Let's show it on the example of Windows 7, 8. Go to the "control panel" and enter the word "disk" in the search menu (on the right, at the top of the line). We are looking for the heading "Administration" and select the item "Create and format hard disk partitions".
Using the command line
To begin with, it is logical to run this command line. The easiest way to do this is through the start menu. For Windows 8 users (with a "tricky start"), let's show it with an example.
Partitioning and formatting a disk when installing Windows
When installing Windows, it is very convenient to immediately "partition" the hard drive into partitions, immediately formatting them along the way. In addition, for example, the system partition of a disk on which you have installed the system differently and you cannot format it, only using bootable disks and flash drives.
Helpful installation materials:
An article on how to burn a bootable Windows disc.
This article describes how you can write an image to a USB flash drive, including an installation one.
The article will help you to set the boot from a CD or USB flash drive in Bios. In general, change the boot priority.
In general, when installing Windows, when you get to the disk partitioning step, you will have the following picture:
Installing OS Windows.
Instead of "next", click on the words "disk setup". Next, you will see buttons for editing the HDD. You can partition the disk into 2-3 partitions, format them into the desired file system, and then select the partition in which to install Windows.
Afterword
Despite the many formatting methods, be aware that there may be valuable information on the disc. Much easier before any "serious procedures with HDD" all to other media. Often, many users only after, having recollected themselves in a day or two, begin to scold themselves for careless and hasty actions ...
In any case, until you write new data to disk, in most cases, and the sooner you start the recovery procedure, the higher the chance of success.
Formatting the Windows hard drive
Let's consider such an interesting and not clear question for everyone - hard disk format... What is it for and how to do it?
So what is formatting? Someone may answer that this is the removal of all files from the hard disk (hard drive). Roughly speaking, this is true, but this is not only the removal of all information.
In general, formatting is a fundamental technical process of preparing a hard disk for operation. Moreover, the most basic can be done only with the help of special equipment.
There are 2 main types of hard disk formatting:
- Physical
- Logical
Physical formatting of the hard drive (low-level) is the process of splitting a new hard disk into tracks, sectors and other important technical features for its subsequent delivery for sale.
This initial preparation of the hard drive is carried out exclusively at the manufacturer's plant, using special equipment. It cannot be done independently or at home, because this requires special factory equipment.
At home, you can only perform software formatting of the hard drive. Although many who have come across this issue have seen programs on the Internet that allegedly offer to perform it - this is not true, you cannot do it at home, as mentioned above.
Boolean (high-level) - this is already quite feasible at home formatting.
In its process, boot records, sectors, the structure of the file system are created, that is, everything that is necessary for the normal operation of the hard drive in the computer.
It often happens that you need to format a new hard drive, let's describe what path it goes through to start full functioning:
- Low-level formatting - done at the factory. Further sending for sale.
- Division into sections. After the hard drive falls into our hands, it is necessary to create partitions on it. This is necessary for the correct operation of the operating system and the subsequent safety of personal data. Usually they create 3 partitions - local drives C, D, E. You can read more about this issue in the article on how to partition a hard drive.
- High-level formatting. And now the final stage before installing the operating system (OS), this stage is performed. We all usually do it when we need to format either the hard drive, or the local disk before installing the OS, or a USB flash drive.
It is of two types:
- Fast
- Complete
If we choose fast, then we get only superficial, that is, the file tables are quickly updated. Moreover, all files are still stored in place, although invisible. They are not visible due to the updated file table.
In this case, data recovery is the easiest and with almost 100% probability. It is only extremely important to remember that if you plan to restore this information, you should not write anything here.
Because the new information will simply overwrite the old files. If we perform full formatting, then a whole complex of measures for cleaning and updating the hard drive takes place.
What is also very important at this moment, all cells of the formatted partition are diagnosed for operability. If faulty ones are detected, they are marked as unusable and are not used by the operating system during subsequent work.
Now let's see how you can format a hard disk or one of its partitions. In general, it can be produced:
- In the OS itself
Let's look at the second, easiest way
First, go to "My Computer". There we see local drives C, D, E usually, although there may be fewer and more of them.
Select the disk you want to format and right-click on it. A menu for working with this section will appear. We find "format" there and click on it:
Next, the settings menu will appear, in it we leave everything as it is, it only remains to decide whether we do a quick or complete formatting. What is their difference can be seen above. As soon as we have made our choice, we press "start".
A data loss warning window will appear, if you are sure of your actions, then we agree and the process will start. If you need to format the entire hard drive, then this can only be done if you connect it to another computer or when installing / reinstalling the OS.
In general, this is all, additional information on this topic can be found in the article on how to format a USB flash drive. We have considered the question - formatting the hard drive. What is this process. What types it is divided into and how to produce it.
As a rule, the hard drive space is divided into several local drives. It is so established that the local disk on which the system is installed has the name C. On this disk, the system sets limited rights, which can only be changed by the PC administrator. Experienced OS users have long stated that in order to work correctly at a computer, it is necessary to reinstall the main operating system to the same one every six months / year (if there is no newer one). You can save user data through a backup, simply by creating a copy of all data to the OneDrive cloud.
In order to correctly reinstall / install the system, you must first format the local drive C. That is, you must first free all the memory on this drive, and only then install the system. If you put another one on the same disk on top of an existing system, then you will get a data conflict, which will not allow you to use a personal computer normally. This does not apply to the case when you install different operating systems on different local disks. If you do not have an installation disc, but you have an activation code (or a normal activator), then you can create it yourself by first downloading the operating system image. Use UltraISO and create an installation DVD from a regular DVD.
- Set the BIOS to boot from the drive (where the disk with the OS image is located) and restart (the disk must be in the drive)
- The disc begins to be read, the installation window appears in front of you. In it, you need to select "OS installation" and then select those parameters that you need. If you have come to the point where you need to select a partition for installation, select the local drive C there, but before the installer will warn you, you need to format it. Press the "Format" button and then boldly select the C drive to install the OS.
- Then the installation process goes, and you end up on an empty desktop, and the C drive is successfully formatted.
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There are three types of formatting:- We have nothing to do with the low-level one. After all, it is produced at the assembly plant using special equipment. In a service center, let alone at home, it will not work.
- The second formatting method involves dividing the logical media into several smaller sizes. That is, instead of one, we get two or more disks. This manipulation can only be done when installing the OS.
- The third kind is high-level formatting. It is divided into two subspecies. In the case of fast formatting, the files remain in their places, only the file table is updated, and the OS sees the disk as empty. This is very convenient when we do not want to completely lose data or formatted by mistake. When fully formatted, all information is erased without return, in addition, the system checks the device for serviceability. If a problem is found, data recording will not be performed.
Thus, from this article, you learned how the process of formatting a hard drive in Windows OS goes. There is nothing difficult in this, as you can see, finally consolidate your knowledge by watching a thematic video.
