Formatting refers to the process of applying special marks to the drive. It can be used for both new and used drives. Formatting a new HDD is necessary to create a partition, without which it will not be perceived by the operating system. If there is already any information on the hard drive, then it is erased.
For these reasons, formatting can be relevant in different cases: when connecting a new HDD to a computer, to completely clean up the disk, when reinstalling the OS. How to do it correctly and what are the ways? This is what this article is about.
HDD formatting is required for several reasons:
- Creation of basic markup for further work with the hard drive
It is performed after the first connection of the new HDD to the PC, otherwise it will simply not be visible among the local drives.
- Clearing all saved files
Over the years of computer or laptop operation, a huge amount of unnecessary data accumulates on the hard drive. These are not only user files, but also system files that are no longer needed, but are not deleted on their own.
As a result, drive overflow, unstable and slow operation can occur. The easiest way to get rid of garbage is to save the files you need to cloud storage or to a USB flash drive and format the hard drive. This is in some way a radical method of optimizing HDD performance.
- Full reinstallation of the operating system
For a better and cleaner OS installation, it is best to use a blank disk.
- Error correction
Fatal viruses and malware, bad blocks and sectors, and other problems with the hard drive are often corrected by creating a new partition.
Formatting steps
This procedure is divided into 3 stages:
- Low level
The term "low-level formatting" has been adapted for users. In the usual sense, this is overwriting information, as a result of which all disk space is freed. If bad sectors were found in the process, then they are marked unused in order to further eliminate problems with writing and reading data.
On older computers, the Low Format feature was available directly in the BIOS. Now, due to the complex structure of modern HDDs, this feature is not available in BIOS, and the real low-level formatting is done once - during manufacture at the factory.
- Breaking down sections (optional step)
Many users split one physical disk into multiple logical partitions. After that, one installed HDD becomes available under different letters. Usually "Local disk (C :)" used for OS, "Local Disk (D :)" and subsequent ones for distributing user files.
- High-level
This method is the most popular among users. During this process, the file system and file tables are formed. After that, the HDD becomes available for data storage. High-level formatting is performed after partitioning, data on the location of all files written to the hard drive is erased. After it, you can fully or partially recover the data, as opposed to the low-level one.
Formats
There are two types that are used to format the internal and external HDD:
- Fast
It does not take very long, since the whole process is reduced to overwriting data on the location of files with zeros. In this case, the files themselves do not disappear anywhere and will be overwritten with new information. The structure is not optimized, and if there are problems, they are skipped and not fixed.
- Complete
All information is completely removed from the hard drive, along with this, the file system is checked for various errors, bad sectors are corrected.
Ways to format HDD
Formatting the hard drive can be done in different ways. For this, they are used as built-in Windows tools or third-party programs. If you want to carry out this procedure and clear the HDD, then use one of the proposed options.
Method 1: Using Formatting Programs
There are both small utilities and powerful programs that perform additional tasks in addition to the main one, for example, partitioning the hard drive and checking for errors. To format partitions with the OS, you will need to create a bootable USB flash drive with the installed program.
Acronis Disk Director
One of the most famous utilities that works with physical disks and their partitions. The program is paid, but very powerful because it has many features and functions.
Allows you to format the hard drive by changing the file system, cluster size and volume label. The interface resembles a standard Windows program "Disk Management", and the principle of operation, respectively, is similar.
Method 3: Via BIOS and command line
To format the HDD in this way, you need a bootable USB flash drive with the recorded OS. All data, including Windows, will be deleted, so if you need to format the drive with the installed OS, this procedure will not be possible with the previous method.
Follow these steps:
- Connect the USB flash drive to your computer.
- Reboot your PC and go to BIOS. To do this, after starting, press the enter key - usually this is one of them: F2, DEL, F12, F8, Esc or Ctrl + F2 (the specific key depends on your configuration).
- Use the keyboard to change the device from which the computer will boot. To do this, go to the section "Boot" and the list of boot devices in the first place ( 1st Boot Priority) put your USB stick.
If the BIOS interface is as in the screenshot below, then go "Advanced BIOS Features"/BIOS Features Setup and select "First Boot Device".
- Click F10 to save the settings and exit, to confirm your actions, press "Y"... The PC will then boot from the selected device.
- In the running environment with Windows 7, at the very bottom, click on the button "System Restore.
In the options window, select "Command line".
In Windows 8/10 also select "System Restore".
Then press the buttons in sequence Diagnostics\u003e Troubleshooting\u003e Command Prompt.
- Identify the drive to be formatted. The fact is that when you start a PC from a bootable USB flash drive, their letter designations may differ from those that you are used to seeing in Windows, so first you need to find out the real letter of that hard drive. To do this, write the following command on the command line:
wmic logicaldisk get deviceid, volumename, size, description
The easiest way to determine the HDD is by its size - it is indicated in bytes.
After the letter has been determined, write this on the command line:
format / FS: NTFS X: / q - with the change of the file system to NTFS
format / FS: FAT32 X: / q - with the change of the file system to FAT32
either just
format X: / q - fast formatting without changing the file system.Push Enter every time the command line asks you to, until the process ends.
Clarifications: Instead X use the letter of your HDD.
You can also assign a volume label (drive name in Windows Explorer) by replacing the command / q on / v: IMYA DISKA
Modern hard drives use NTFS. For older PCs, FAT32 is fine.
Please note that due to differences in BIOS versions, the menu item names may differ. If your BIOS does not have the specified parameter, then look for the most appropriate name.
Method 4: Formatting before installing the OS
If you plan to format the disk before installing a new version of the operating system on it, then repeat steps 1-5 from the previous method.
Now you know what formatting is, what it is, and how you can do it. The method depends on which drive you want to format and which conditions are available for that.
For simple and quick formatting, the built-in Windows utility is sufficient, which can be launched through Explorer. If it is impossible to boot into Windows (for example, due to viruses), then the formatting method via BIOS and the command line is suitable. And if you are going to reinstall the operating system, then formatting can be done through the Windows installer.
Using third-party utilities, for example, Acronis Disk Director, makes sense only if you do not have an OS image, but you can create a bootable USB flash drive with the program. Otherwise, it's a matter of taste - to use a standard Windows tool or a program from another manufacturer.
Formatting a hard disk is a software process of labeling elements of the memory area of \u200b\u200bmagnetic platters and creating a new file structure of the media. Without labels and the structure of the file system, a hard disk is a useless device, which cannot be written to due to the physical and software features of the processes of recording, storing and reading information.
Physically, during the formatting of the hard disk, nothing happens to it, but at the program level, its logical structure is organized on the medium - a certain order necessary for recording, storing, editing and deleting data. Otherwise, the logical structure of a disk is called a file system. Depending on the selected file system, the speed of access to information, the maximum length of the file name, the number of files in one directory, the efficiency of the drive, methods of searching, recording information, etc., will differ.
Hard disk formatting is divided into two types. This is low-level and high-level formatting.
Low-level formatting is a process by which special electronic tags, called servo tags, are applied to the magnetic surface of the polished platters of your HDD. They contain service information about the positioning of the read heads and the position of sectors and tracks on the disk, which determine the physical format of the drive. This procedure is performed on special factory equipment, since before that there is no information on the carrier on the sectors and tracks of the plates (s), due to the absence of which it is impossible to work with the carrier. Due to the volumetric expansion coefficient of the materials (which is known to many of the physics lessons in school), from which HDD plates were made in the past and the stepper motors that control the positioning of the heads, sectors and tracks were displaced relative to the read heads. Thus, when, in the controller's opinion, the head was in the desired sector, it could physically be on an adjacent track. Because of this, the hard drive malfunctions and bad (inoperative) sectors appeared (if the controller considers that the head is in the first sector, but in reality it positions, for example, above the 5th sector, then the first four sectors are inaccessible to it). Such hard drives needed repeated low-level formatting throughout their entire service life, which required complete and repeated destruction of all data on the hard disk platter / platters.
In new HDDs, this problem was solved by using a voice coil in the readhead mechanism, due to which the effect of thermal expansion was compensated for by recalibrating the operating parameters of the disk heads (if it is simpler, everything was solved at the software level by simple redirection).
Low-level formatting is necessary to solve several problems and is performed in such cases:
- at the production facilities of the manufacturer to create the physical structure of the manufactured hard disk before testing it and delivery to the end user;
- on old hard disks to reset the file system (due to the linear expansion coefficient of materials when heated during long-term operation of the HDD, the head slightly shifts in relation to the formed grid of tracks and sectors);
- complete, reliable and irreversible erasure of all information stored on the hard drive, for example, before selling your own computer or the hard drive itself.
High-level HDD formatting is the process of forming the file structure of a hard disk, which consists in creating a master boot record, file table, file system structure and, depending on the formatting option, checking the surface of the hard disk platters for the presence of bad sectors, followed by their replacement or deactivation. High-level formatting prepares the hard drive for use by the operating system to store data on it.
High-level formatting is divided into two types: fast and full. During the quick process, the file table is updated, which stores the names of files and paths to them, attributes, etc. After that, its new structure is formed, and the master boot record of the disk or its logical partition is created. Upon completion of the process, the operating system will define the hard or logical disk as clean, although physically all information on it will remain intact, with the exception of the file table - all data in it will be marked as non-existent and will be overwritten with new bits of information during operation.
Full formatting is a procedure for clearing the file table, as during quick formatting, but with the subsequent rewriting of each sector with zero bits of information. Also, during full formatting, all sectors of the hard drive will be checked for operability. If a bad sector is found, it will be replaced with a working one, which is in reserve, or simply excluded, as a result of which the useful volume of the HDD will slightly decrease.
High-level formatting of hard drives and their partitions should be performed in the following cases:
- during reinstallation of the operating system to reset all data on them and form a new disk structure;
- during partitioning of the drive into logical disks;
- for a high-quality check of magnetic plates for the presence of damaged sectors;
- immediately after low-level formatting to form the file structure of the disk by the manufacturer or user (mandatory procedure);
- deleting all information on the hard drive.
2. Formatting a non-system hard drive
Any operating system of the Windows family is located on a disk or its partition, which is designated as the system one, which contains the master boot record and Windows system files, thanks to which the software part interacts with the hardware. There may be several such partitions, but, as a rule, the user has one operating system installed, which implies the presence of a single system partition. All other partitions and hard drives connected to the computer are not system ones. The second and subsequent hard disks are non-system ones, therefore the procedure for formatting them is no different from formatting removable USB drives.
Consider the methods of forming the file structure of non-system hard drives by means of tools built into the operating system and using third-party software products developed to work with hard drives.
2.1. BIOS formatting
One of the ways to format a hard disk is to use a bootable USB flash drive or CD with the installation distribution of the Windows operating system, the so-called LiveCD, or bootable media with one of the programs for formatting media. There are versions of programs such as AcronisDiskDirector that can boot directly from a USB flash drive, which means they work without an operating system. The latest versions of Acronis have a Bootable Media Builder. Such a flash drive will allow AcronisDiskDirector to boot from the BIOS and format the hard disk.
In addition to extraneous programs, you can format the hard disk with BIOS by booting from the installation disk with the Windows distribution using the command line or the operating system installer. More details about all these options will be discussed further.
2.2. Windows formatting
The Windows operating system contains all the tools you need to format hard drives. In this section, we will consider all methods to format the hard drive using the tools provided by the Windows operating system.
2.2.1. Through properties
The easiest way to prepare a hard drive for work, clear it of unnecessary information and create a new system is formatting through the context menu.
2.2.2. Through "Creating and formatting hard disk partitions"
The second method to format a hard drive using Windows operating system tools is the Disk Management snap-in located in the Computer Management system console.
"Disk Management" is a Windows system service, designed to manage flash drives, hard drives and their partitions. This program allows you to format hard drives connected to your computer in one of three file systems and create new partitions on them. Almost all actions are performed without restarting the operating system, which will not distract the user from the main work.
You can start Disk Management in one of the following ways.
Through the start menu
Through "My Computer"
Through the "Control Panel"
We launched the Computer Management service. Next, you need to go to its subsection called "Disk Management", which, in turn, is located in the "Storage Devices" section.
During formatting, you will not see any windows with the progress of the operation, except for the inscription "Formatting" in the "Status" line (see screenshot).
Our hard drive is formatted in the selected file system and is ready for further use. You will be notified about this by a dialog box and a system signal.
2.2.3. Command line
In addition to formatting hard drives through graphical interfaces, the operating system, since the time of the console MS-DOS, allows the formation of a new file system of the hard drive with the removal of all files and, with full formatting, checking its surface for integrity by using the system commands entered into the command a console, also called the Windows command interpreter.
The command line allows the user to interact with the computer directly, without any intermediaries in the form of third-party software. It is a window for entering text commands that are understandable to the operating system with many parameters for direct control of the operating system or computer hardware. Of course, using the command line, you can quickly format the hard disk. To do this, launch the system console using any of the listed methods or in a more convenient way.
Through the "Run" window
Through the start menu
Through Windows Explorer
The command line is launched by calling the "cmd.exe" file located in the "System32" folder of the Windows operating system directory. To start the command line, you can go to the path c: \\ Windows \\ System32 \\ cmd.exe or use the shortcut to start the command interpreter.
Having launched the command line, we will see a black window on the screen, where you can enter text commands that are understandable for the Windows operating system, starting from its first versions.
If you did not enter a label, the operating system will ask you to enter it before formatting, or leave the hard disk unnamed by pressing "Enter" (see screenshot).
The process of formatting the hard drive, depending on the specified parameters and the volume of the drive, can last from a few seconds to several tens of minutes. The formatting is accompanied by the inscription: "Creation of file system structures."
At the end of the process, the following message will appear in the console window: “Formatting completed” and the results of the operation will appear.
Now our hard drive is formatted using the system console and is ready for further use.
2.3 Formatting a disk using the HDD Low Level Format Tool
The HDD Low Level Format Tool, or HDDLLFT for short, is designed for low-level formatting of hard disks and digital storage media based on memory chips. It copes with the task perfectly even in cases where the magnetic surface of the plate is severely damaged.
Carrying out the procedure for formatting a hard disk through the utility does not require any special user knowledge.
Keep in mind that in the free version of the HDD Low Level Format Tool, the formatting speed is limited to 50 Mb / s, which, with significant volumes of modern hard drives, during full formatting with checking the drive for bad sectors can result in several hours of work. The second drawback of the program is the inability to specify the cluster size.
3. Formatting the system hard drive
A system hard disk is, as a rule, a high-speed (with a rotational speed of the platters equal to 10,000 rpm, although it can be with a standard 7200 rpm) hard drive on which the operating system is installed. Based on this, it will not work to format it using Windows. Formatting the system hard disk is carried out by a different method, the essence of which does not differ from the formation of a new file system of a conventional hard drive. The only difference is that the utility to create a new file system will have to be launched from the installation disk or flash drive.
3.1. Formatting using a bootable flash drive or disk
3.1.1. Through the installer of the Windows operating system
One of the most common methods to format a hard drive used as a system drive is to use a removable media or CD and a Windows installation distribution.
We will not consider how to create bootable media, many articles have been written on this subject in the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet. Let's get down to business right away.
- We insert the bootable USB flash drive into the USB socket of your computer or laptop (or a CD into its drive).
- We reboot or turn on the computer.
- As the device to which the system control will be transferred, we select our media (in our case, this is a 4 GB USB flash drive for booting from under UEFI).
- Depending on the Windows assembly, we select the option to install the operating system (with a different bootloader interface, using third-party assemblies, the essence of the process will remain the same).
- Select the installation language. It will naturally be Russian, just like the keyboard layout, time format, etc.
- We click "Full installation ...".
- We press "OK" to confirm our intentions.
Immediately after loading the basic I / O system and carrying out initialization and testing of the equipment, we begin to click on the button for quickly selecting the bootable media.
This key can be "F9" or "F11" (see the manual for your motherboard or laptop), and this data is also displayed during BIOS boot.
When a similar black screen with an inscription appears, press any button on the keyboard.
Information will be read from the bootloader program to which the BIOS passed control.
In the next window, just click "Install -\u003e".
We accept the operating system operating conditions, preferably after reading them.
We dwell on the second option so that we can get into the hard disk setup menu.
Using the keyboard and mouse manipulator, select the required hard drive, if several are connected to the computer, and click "Disk Setup".
The toolbar will change slightly.
Click on the "Format" button.
A standard window will appear warning that all files and programs on the disk will be destroyed.
After clearing the table of contents, the hard drive will be formatted and ready to install the operating system.
This method is reasonable to use in cases where the Windows operating system cannot format the hard drive, for example, because it is used by some application or is a system partition.
3.1.2. Formatting the system hard drive through the command line, booting from the installation disk / flash drive
Another simple option to format the disk where the operating system is located is to use the command line, booting from a disk or flash drive with the installation files of the Windows operating system.
3.2. Acronis Disk Director
- To start the Bootable Media Creation Wizard, go to the "Backup and Restore" tab on the program control panel, which is designed in the style of the ribbon, like in Microsoft Office, starting with the 2007 edition.
- Click on the "Create bootable media" item.
- Depending on the version of the program, a window may appear prompting you to select the type of bootable media. It is recommended that you select the Windows PE-based boot loader option. Click "Next".
Select the type of Acronis bootable media to create.
- Then we confirm our intentions to write the program files to the USB flash drive, after destroying all the files on it, and wait for the end of the recording process.
We are loading from the created drive.
To do this, we restart the computer and select our USB flash drive as bootable media. This is done by changing the priority in the list of boot devices (menu item "Boot") in your BIOS or by pressing the hotkey for selecting boot devices.
In most cases, during the initialization procedure, which occurs before loading the operating system, you must press the F11, F9 or another key to bring up the boot menu. In it, select the USB drive and click "Enter".
We are waiting for the download of the program.
Usually, this procedure takes a little longer than loading Acronis Disk Director in Windows.
- We select our hard drive and call the procedure for formatting it using any method:
- In the dialog box that appears, select the parameters for formatting the hard drive:
- file system - it is recommended to use NTFS, due to the support for files larger than 4 GB, which is not available for FAT and FAT32;
- leave the cluster size "Auto" if you have no idea what this value is. However, for storing a huge number of small files, it is recommended to choose a cluster size less than 4 KB;
- volume label - enter the name of the hard disk or leave the field blank.
- If you are sure of the actions you are performing, check the correctness of the specified parameters and click on the "Continue" button.
We select the necessary components, on the basis of which the wizard will create a bootable USB flash drive.
The AcronisDiskDirector program is enough to format the hard disk. If you would like to have a tool to create backup copies of your partitions, also choose AcronisTrueImage.
Having set all the parameters, we turn our attention to the toolbar located at the top of the screen. Click on the button with the name "Apply pending operations (1)".
After a short load of the list of operations, a small window will appear with their detailed descriptions and parameters.
After a few seconds of committing the operation, the procedure for formatting the hard disk will start.
Be careful, the program will not display a warning window asking about the confirmation of the operation and will not notify you about the destruction of all data on the hard disk.
Formatting will take place within a few seconds, as the utility uses the fast formatting algorithm. At the end of the procedure, the window will close automatically, and the hard disk with the cleared file table and the new file system will be ready for further use.
3.3. Paragon Partition Manager
Paragon Partition Manager - is the most powerful of the free software products for working with hard drives. Naturally, it can be used to format any hard drive or its section. In addition, the utility can work with backups, modify and create logical partitions, install several operating systems on a disk, and so on.
- We load the LiveCD or the installation distribution of the Windows operating system, which includes the Paragon Partition Manager program.
- We write the image to removable media and boot from it, specifying the highest boot priority from the USB flash drive in the BIOS or choosing the drive with the Paragon Partition Manager distribution as the boot device.
- We select our program using the mouse cursor or cursor keys and the "Enter" button, depending on the graphical menu and the bootloader used to create the LiveCD.
- The main menu of the utility will appear, where we select "Partition Manager" in the list on the left, and then in its right frame.
In the next window, in the list of your hard drives, select the one you want to format.
This can be done both in the "Disk panel" tab, and in the lower frame called "Partition list".
- We call the context menu of the magnetic drive and select the "Format" command in it, which is located in one of the first places.
- We indicate the file system and the new label of the hard drive.
- Click "Additional parameters" if you want to change the number of sectors in one cluster. Also here you can specify whether to perform formatting using the built-in Windows command "format", which we got acquainted with when formatting the disk from the Shell, or use the developers' own algorithm.
Click "Format".
The program will not ask for confirmation of the operation, but it will not start the execution of the command specified to it.
To do this, click on the "Apply the pending changes" button, which is located in the toolbar under the main menu.
Use the magnifying glass button to view the pending changes.
- In the dialog, we agree to make changes by clicking "Yes".
- We are waiting for the notification of the completion of the program.
The same is done through the main menu of the program.
4. Possible errors and ways to solve them
One of the many problems users face when formatting a hard drive is using outdated software. This happens due to the fact that the user for several years has not updated the program for working with disks, which he trusts. Also, the use of queries like “download hacked acronis” often leads to the most popular sites, which for many months have been in the first places of search engines and contain outdated versions of software.
Make sure that your hard drive software is up to date, especially if you are using one of the latest versions of Windows.
The second problem is an error when trying to format the disk in use, especially for system partitions. Also, some application can use the hard drive or its partition, even if in read mode, while the user is trying to format it. The way out is to use bootable LiveCDs or Windows distribution media.
An error in the process of formatting the hard drive due to the huge number of bad sectors occurs when trying to perform a complete formatting of the hard drive, the surface of which is replete with damaged memory cells. Run an HDD check, for example, with the Victoria utility, with the reassignment of damaged areas or their exclusion from the area used for storing information.
In recent years, the computer literacy of the population has slightly increased. In any case, many people know about programs, and some can already figure out their own home router themselves, since nothing sensible can be achieved from the technical support of most domestic providers.
But still, the overwhelming majority of users do not know anything about the computer, which would be more difficult than spending time on social networks. In particular, in the event of some serious software failures that can be eliminated only by a complete reinstallation of the OS, they have no idea how to format a disk with Windows 7.
Of course, such a need does not arise very often, but if a beginner encounters it, then there can be a lot of problems. That is why it will probably be useful for you to read this article in order to form your own idea of \u200b\u200bthe process.
The essence of formatting. What is it for?
Formatting is the process by which the surface of the hard disk is marked. The most basic is low-level formatting, which is done only at the factory. We are interested in a high-level process that changes logical partitions on disks.
Before formatting a disk with Windows 7, the user must determine the file system type, cluster size and other technical characteristics of the newly created partition. This should not be taken lightly, since the survivability of the carrier and the amount of free space on it depend on these operations.
What is the best cluster size?
In particular, if you set the maximum possible and store only text documents on such a disk, then you will waste free space. Let's assume that you have defined 512KB. That is, by writing only one 20B text document file to disk, you occupy a whole cluster, 99% of which will be wasted.
How do I format the system partition?
If you know a little about computers, then remember very well the procedure for standard preparation of a new section. You can right-click on its icon and select "Format" from the context menu. But there is one problem.
The fact is that you cannot format the system partition (on which the system is installed). If you try, a warning will appear stating that this operation cannot be performed. How to be?
Using a boot disk
Since there is a goal of learning how to format a Windows 7 disk, you will have to get out the boot disk from which you installed the system. If there is none, you need to do it yourself. To do this, you need to write the image downloaded from the network (or created by yourself) to
You need to insert it into the drive, restart the computer, and set the boot from the CD / DVD drive in the BIOS. How to do this, you will have to find out on your own, since different manufacturers provide different versions of BIOS with radically different interfaces.
As a rule, all the information you need should be posted on the motherboard manufacturer's website. So, having learned how to format a disk through the BIOS, you will have to find this information.
So, immediately after booting from the optical drive, you will be taken to the OS installation menu. Since we are talking about Windows 7, even the "greenest" beginners can relax: everything is so clear there (almost at the level of intuition) that even a child can handle it.
Immediately after the first dialog box appears, select the "Install" item in it. Next, the required OS version is selected (if you enter the key, the installation program will select the required one). After that, the work with disks appears. Having finally understood how to format the system drive, find out its letter in advance, otherwise you can easily lose your entire collection of music or movies.
This is what we need. Select the required section by clicking on it with the left mouse button. At the very bottom of the window there should be a link "Disk settings". By selecting it, you will see the appearance of other options. You need the "Format" section. Select the required file system and click "OK". Then you can either continue with the installation of Windows, or install some other operating system.
Since the system itself offers to format the disk during installation, in the absence of any experience, it is better to leave the default settings.
Live CD
If you have ever dealt with system administration, then you probably know about Live CDs, which in the case of Windows OS are often called BartPE. From such a medium, you can not only boot from under the "BIOS", but also get a fully functional system as a result. Since it will not work to format the system disk from under the working OS (this is not Linux, after all), this option may be the only correct one.
Since the system from the "live CD" is loaded into RAM, you can right-click on any disk (including the system one) and then select the "Format" item in the context menu. All subsequent actions are no different from those that we have already described in this article.
The same can be done using the installation disc with any Linux distribution. As a rule, they all have a Live CD-mode, so you don't have to perform any dances with the console. The same Ubuntu, the interface of which is as simple and intuitive as possible, is ideal.
Another variant
But it often happens that two systems are installed on one disk at once. In particular, this happens due to inexperience, when a person mistakenly puts several copies of an identical OS on one physical disk at once.
This cannot be done, because such a combination may well cause problems when loading and running programs. In addition, the human factor cannot be excluded when users delete system files from the second system from under the first system. Of course, there is no need to talk about stable work in the latter case.
So how to format the Windows 7 drive then? Everything is much simpler here.
Cleaning through the context menu
To do this, go to "My Computer", and then select the disk on which you do not need a copy of "Windows" installed. There is no need to worry about the "distribution" of the Windows from under which you are currently working. We have already indicated that in this case the system itself will not allow you to do this.
Next, you should click on the section you need with the right mouse button, and then select "Format" in the menu that appears. A dialog box will also appear in which you must specify the type of file system. It all depends on your preferences and requirements.
Choosing a file system
The main (and most reliable) is NTFS, but FAT32 is acceptable if necessary. We have already written about determining the size of a standard cluster above. As for the type of formatting, here again everything depends only on you.
But! You need to take a close look at how to format an NTFS hard drive. It should be noted that the reliability of this file system is based on the fact that it creates a large enough recovery partition.
In the event that you are preparing a disk, the volume of which is off scale for several hundred GB, this can be waived. But it is not worth marking up disks with a volume of 40 GB and below. However, where can you find such "dinosaurs" now? But if you have a need to prepare the hard drive of some old computer, then our recommendations will certainly be useful to you.
If you check the box "Quick (Clear the table of contents"), then the process will not take much time, but it will still be possible that deleted files from the disk can be recovered.
If you are going to sell this hard drive, we recommend that you uncheck this box. After clicking on the "Start" button, all data will be erased from the media, including the operating system installed there. This may take some time, which will directly depend on both the power of your computer and the size of the disk.
We carry out cleaning through "Disk Management"
This method is somewhat more reliable. Having understood Windows 7 using this method, you must first click on the "Start" button, and in the menu that appears, select the "Control Panel" item. In the Panel that opens, look for the "Administration" option.
In the dialog box that opens, select the "Computer Management" shortcut. A window for managing the utility of the same name will open, in which we are interested in the item "Storage devices". In it, you must double-click on the "Disk Management" line.
After all these manipulations, a window will open with a list of storage devices installed in the system. Select the required disk in it, right-click on it. The same context menu will open, in which you should select the "Format" item. You have already been familiar with the further steps above.
Using a command line emulator
So we got to the most "advanced" method, which is used only by the most experienced users. So formatting a disk with Windows 7 is very convenient and quick, but you need to remember or write down all the commands that we give you in the text below.
It is best to just copy them and then paste them into the command line using the right mouse button ("Paste" item).
Once again, pay attention: carefully monitor the drive letter that you need to format. An error can lead to the fact that you will lose data that are of considerable value (at least for you).
First you need to run the emulator with administrator rights. This is done simply. First, click on the "Start" button, look for the "Search" field there. You drive the CMD command into it, and then press the Enter key. A window with search results will open on the right side, in which you need to right-click on the file of the same name, and select the "Run as Administrator" option in the context menu.
Having decided how to format the disk partition with the system or unnecessary data, first of all write the format Y: command in the command line, where instead of Y there should be the letter of the partition you need. We repeat once again: make no mistake! There have been cases when absent-minded users were deprived of all archives with family videos.
After that, you need to press the Enter key, after which the data will be fully formatted. Important! When using the command line emulation mode, there are no warnings about the possible loss of important data in case of an error, so be extremely careful when entering commands!
A little about flash drives
If the external drive asks to format it before use, you can also use the command line. All steps are exactly the same, but the main command will have a slightly different look: format Y: / Q. As in the previous case, the letter Y is the designation of your disk, which you need to change to the value relevant for your case, and the Q key stands for Quick, which indicates a quick format with a simple cleaning of the table of contents.
What is it for? The fact is that you should not completely format flash drives once again, since this once again reduces the number of rewriting cycles.
Today I want to tell you about such a wonderful program as. What's so great about her? - you ask. And the fact that it can be used (data from a flash drive after formatting) or a disk, and the most interesting thing is that this program is available to any Windows user through the command line, in other words, does not require installation. And don't be intimidated by the phrase “command line” - its use is much more convenient and simpler than it seems at first glance.
So, after we inserted the flash drive into the USB connector, we launch the command line. To do this, click Start and in the search bar we write cmd, and press Enter.
We write in the command line that appears, thereby launching the disk management program. Push Enter.
In the list of devices we find our USB flash drive - it can be recognized by its size. In my case it is Disc 6... Therefore, further we write the command. If your flash drive is number 4, then you need to enter the command. If under the number 2, then, respectively. Push Enter.
Then we enter the command clean, which will delete all files from a flash drive or disk. Push Enter.
Then we enter the command. Thus, we select the specified section and move the focus to it. Push Enter.
Then we execute the command. The system marks the partition as active. Push Enter.
Now it is necessary. It can be fast or complete. Full formatting is done with the command format fs \u003d NTFS... If you don't want to wait and time is running out, then we do a quick formatting with the command format fs \u003d NTFS QUICK... Push Enter.
We are waiting for the end of formatting.
Now you need to assign a letter to the flash drive. We do this using the command assign... We press Enter.
A letter is automatically assigned to the USB flash drive, and after that, the media autorun is triggered.
Now you can exit the program. Enter the command exit and press Enter.
The last thing to do is to copy the files of the operating system distribution kit (the one for which we made a bootable USB flash drive) onto our flash drive. After that, our flash drive will be bootable, and will boot absolutely everywhere, on any device. With its help, you can install your operating system anywhere.
I want to note that with the help of the program, you can carry out a lot of manipulations with both hard disks () and flash drives. The example considered today is only a small part of all the possibilities. I will consider other commands and examples of working with this program in the following articles.
Also read on this topic:
Formatting a flash drive to NTFS
How to recover data from a USB flash drive after deleting or formatting?
How to change disk size in Windows 2000 / XP / Vista / 7/8. Free software EaseUS Partition Master Free
How to create a bootable UEFI USB stick for installing Windows 8.1 and 10?
How to freeze a row in Excel?
How to create a disk image using Daemon Tools?
Hello everyone Today we will talk about how to format a hard drive using the command line. And you know what I'll tell you here? This information, well, I mean formatting the hard drive through the command line, then you need to know this information! This infa, so to speak, is included in the list of the most important information that a more or less advanced user should know.
My opinion is that everyone should be able to work with the command line. Well, not that everyone, just if suddenly the computer breaks down, then you know how to use the command line, then this knowledge can be very, very useful to you, I honestly tell you!
I think that you do not need to say that formatting the disk will completely delete all files on it, everything in general, and programs and all sorts of photos, music, everything will be deleted on the disk that you format! I hope that you understand this and so, but I still had to write about it ..
Okay guys, back to our topic, namely how to format hard using the command line. This can be done both from the Windows itself and when loading it, but the main thing is that all actions are the same, you just need to clearly understand what's what and that's what I'll show you now. So look, if you will do all this in Windows (but keep in mind that you cannot format the system disk itself, because there is Windows on it), then you need to hold down the Win + R buttons there, the Run window will appear, you write the cmd command there and click OK :
Then a black window will appear, like this:
Well, I think that you already understand that this black window is the command line. Here you can enter all sorts of commands and do something. In general, you can do a lot. To see a list of all commands, then you need to type the following command in the line:
And press enter, after which you will see the following list of commands:
You can take any command, well, the very first on the list is ASSOC, so let's take it. Well, you can take any command, then add a space to it and such as /? and then press enter and there will already be a mini-instruction for this particular command. Well, look, I wrote the following command:
I pressed enter and this is what it seemed to me:
Well guys, in principle it is more or less clear, right? That is, in this way you can somehow learn how to use the command line yourself. But this is certainly a little boring, but what can you do then! Today I will show you how to format a disk using the command line, for this you need to use the following command:
Yes, you can see the help for it, I have already shown how, but I think it would be better if I personally tell you about it, since I myself have already used it more than once. And I didn’t just use it, there is one feature in this team, you may not be interested in it, but I’ll tell you about it anyway ...
So what needs to be done to format the disk with the FORMAT command? You need to write the following command:
FORMAT C: / FS: NTFS / X
This is a standard command, it will format the disk in the usual way. Where the letter C is, then there you indicate the drive letter. Such as / FS: NTFS is needed in order for the disk to be formatted in the NTFS file system, it is also possible in FAT32, but I recommend NTFS. Such as / X it is necessary for the disk to be forcibly disconnected before formatting, it is just necessary for everything to go exactly right. Attention guys! This command does the usual formatting, that is, not so fast, if you need everything to go quickly, then you need to add the / Q key, that is, so that it is like this:
FORMAT C: / FS: NTFS / X / Q
It will already be much faster and you will not need to wait. For without the / Q key, formatting can take a long time, if the hard drive is not small .. well, there is one terabyte and more ...
It seems to be all, right? But I wrote about the chip, what kind of chip? Now I’ll tell you guys everything .. The trick is that there is also such a key / A: 64KB, this key is so that the cluster is changed during formatting. A standard cluster is 4KB, that is, 4 kilobytes. What the size of the cluster can be, you can see it in the help for the FORMAT command. What is a cluster? I will not load you, I will say that a cluster is the minimum unit that can be occupied on a disk.
So, regarding the cluster, look. Here on the hard disk, a cluster of 4 kilobytes is usually placed. That is, if you have a file of 100 kilobytes, then it will be written in small portions of 4 kilobytes. Windows does not always write a file entirely in one area. Usually, part of the file is in one place, and the other part is in another, this is called fragmentation and this is normal, as it were. Do you understand? As a result, we get this, if there is a 4 kilobyte cluster, then the file can have a lot of parts and they can be easily scattered all over the hard disk and to read the file, it takes, as it were, more time than if the file was written in one piece. If there is a cluster of 64 kilobytes, then a file of 100 kilobytes will have only two parts on the disk, these are 64 kb and 64 kb, because these parts will contain the entire file. What will remain, well, I mean two clusters is 128 kb, and a file is 100 kb, then nothing can be written to the remaining 28 kb, this is the only minus of a 64 kb cluster. It seems that there are no more minuses, well, at least I don't see them. A 100 kilobyte file will only have 2 parts with a 64 kb cluster versus 25 parts with a 4 kb cluster, you know? Once again, about the minus that I wrote, in other words, a 100 kb file on a disk with a 64 kb cluster will take 128 kb of space. Because two clusters are 128 kb. Well, I hope that it is more or less clear, but if not, then excuse me, then I am not explaining well ..
In general, I personally always put a 64 kb cluster, I like it better, my mother also has a computer and I also put 64 kb for her and the computer seems to work faster. But if you think about it, then in theory it should still work faster. A 64 kb cluster is the best cure for fragmentation, but it doesn't completely eliminate it.
So what should be the command for the cluster to be 64 kb? I personally use this:
FORMAT C: / FS: NTFS / X / A: 64KB
The cluster is 64 kilobytes, which is the maximum size for the NTFS file system. Well, you can also specify the / Q switch to make formatting faster.
There is also such a joke. The fact is that there may be such a jamb that Windows does not want to be installed on a disk with a 64 kb cluster, there is such a thing. Here I do this. First, I just stupidly install Windows, format the disk and everything is as usual. Then I reboot and go to system recovery and there I launch the command line, the system disk, well, that small, service disk of the type, it is usually 500 MB, I DON'T TOUCH it AT ALL. And the one where the Windows is, then I put the FORMAT command on the command line and put a 64 kb cluster there and format it. Then I put the Windows back in, I don't format ANYTHING in the installer, I just select the disk (which I formatted in a 64 kb cluster) and put it. As a result, Windows is quietly put on a disk with a 64 kb cluster
In fact, this whole mess with clusters, then I need it, but this is not a necessity, almost all users are sitting with a 4 kb cluster and are happy with everything .. So here you can not worry, if these clusters are not interesting to you, then you should not change the cluster, that's it, my jokes so to speak.
Please note that in the command line, well, where the installer is, there is still a Restore Windows button or something like that, then there, in that command line, there the system disk may NOT HAVE the LETTER C, and another, keep this in mind, because it is important! How can the situation be resolved? First you need to find out in general to which sections which letters belong. To do this, you enter the following command:
And then write this command:
And you will see what sections are and what letters belong to them, here's how I have it:
Then when you look, you need to enter this command:
This is to get out of the DISKPART subsection, so to speak:
You will also be helped by such infa as the size of the disk, it is also easy to understand from it what kind of disk it is. There is also a command that will show you what is on the disk, this will also help you understand where which disk is, well, for example, to see what is on disk C, you need to write the following command:
And this is the result:
What's also good is that the disk size is also displayed here.
There is also a command like this:
This is to go to the directory, well, here above is just drive C for example. Well guys, everything seems to be more or less clear? I really hope so!
This seems to be all .. And if something is wrong, then I'm sorry. By the way, now is December, the 22nd, and therefore I congratulate you on the upcoming New Year 2017 .. I wish you happiness and that everything is fine with you .. By the way, the year of the rooster ..
23.12.2016
