12 the difference between the formatting of the main partition and the additional one. How to format your hard drive

Formatting hard drive- creation process file system on its section, accompanied by the deletion of data and the creation of a new FS structure. Functionality for formatting hard drives and solid-state drives is contained in almost all modern operating systems, but the standard mechanism is not always optimal and applicable. About how to format hard drive in several ways, this material will tell you in more detail.

Format HDD regular means very simple. To do this, you need to select the desired partition in Explorer, right-click and select “Format” from the pop-up menu.

In the menu that opens, select formatting options. It is recommended to use NTFS as the file system, and leave the cluster size as standard. Checking the box next to “Quick formatting” significantly speeds up the process, but only the FS table is created anew. The data itself physically remains on the disk, although it becomes inaccessible. If you do not check the box, all data will be physically erased (filling each memory cell with zeros), but the process will take a long time. A hard drive with a capacity of several terabytes will take hours to format. But such formatting allows you to permanently destroy data, for example, when transferring the drive to a new owner.

An alternative way to format the HDD using standard means is through the “Control Panel”. To do this, you need to find the “Administration” menu, select “Computer Management” in it and in the left column find “Disk Management.” The menu that opens will display all drives in the form of a structure. The advantage of this method is that this way you can format disks that do not have a partition and therefore are not displayed in Explorer.

How to format a hard drive via the command line

To format a disk via the command line, there is a utility command called format. To use it, you need to run the command line as an administrator and enter format command.It should look like this:

format [drive letter]:- formatting will happen without any questions, into the same FS that is on the disk, in a slow way (with complete erasing).

format [drive letter]: /q — the “/q” flag triggers a quick format, without physically clearing the contents of its memory. The flag can be placed in combination with any other keys.

format [drive letter]: fs:[file system]— formatting the selected partition into one of the supported file systems: NTFS, FAT, FAT32.

format [drive letter]: fs:[file system] /q- the same thing, but with quick formatting.

How to format your hard drive before installing Windows

To format your hard drive before installing Windows, you must select full installation, wait until the menu for selecting a partition to install appears, click on the desired drive and press the “Format” button at the bottom. The system will independently determine the optimal formatting method, file system type and cluster size. The whole process takes less than a minute.

Before you format your hard drive, installing Windows may require creating additional system partitions to load the OS. The screenshot below shows that such a partition takes up 100 MB. It stores part of the system bootloader.

The disadvantage of formatting this way is that you can't manually manipulate the parameters. Ordinary users do not need this, but sometimes it is necessary that instead standard system NTFS was the same FAT32. For example, such a need arises on tablets with Intel processors and two installed OS (Windows + Android), like the ten-inch Chuwi Hi10. In order for the Windows partition to be visible from Android, it must be formatted in a compatible file system. Work with NTFS without special plugins and third party programs The “green robot” can’t.

The correct answer to this question is “not at all.” The computer's BIOS is intended for slightly different purposes and does not have functionality for working with the HDD. Usually, “formatting from Bios” is popularly known as formatting via the command line in a text-based operating system (for example, MS-DOS). The advantage of this solution is that you can even work with a system partition that is not in use.

To format a hard drive using a boot disk with DOS, you need to create an image of such an OS, write it to a flash drive and copy the formatting utility there. Instead of DOS, you can also use a special program for working with HDDs, for example, GParted. This option is preferable as it is more functional.

To format a HDD from BIOS using a bootable USB flash drive, you need to download. This is an automatic installer that will download and write the latest version of Gparted to a flash drive.

After creating the flash drive, you need to restart the PC, go to Bios (usually by pressing DEl or F2) and find the Boot menu. In it you should select the item containing the words “ Boot device priority" or similar in meaning. Among them, you should put your flash drive first. Then you need to press F10, agree to save the settings and wait for loading from the flash drive.

In the loaded menu of the GParted program, you need to select the language, select the disk and find the item responsible for formatting. You can select the file system, cluster size, format type, and other options.

Many users believe that formatting is nothing more than first deleting all data from the hard drive in order to write new ones. This is true, but in fact, deleting data from the hard drive is a side effect of formatting. This procedure comes in two types: low-level and logical.

Low level hard formatting disk, is done at the stage of its production. In this case, the markings necessary for the correct positioning of the heads are created on the “screw”.
Logical, executed after it is divided into partitions, which are named: drive D:\ E:\, etc. Logical formatting creates a boot sector, a file structure, and a partition table with a boot record. The entire disk space of the formatted “screw” is divided into clusters.

In addition, formatting can be normal or accelerated. In the usual case, the file structure is deleted and broken clusters are checked, which are rejected and are not used in the future for recording information.

During quick formatting, only the file table is deleted. All new data is written over old data.

Working with a hard drive using standard Windows OS tools

Many people ask how to format a hard drive using their own operating system. There is nothing simpler:

If you decide to format the hard drive partition where your operating system is located, then using Windows it is impossible to do this. This operation must be done via DOS and using any LiveCD.

If you are wondering how to format a hard drive via BIOS, you should read the instructions to the end and follow all the steps described below.

By formatting a “screw” via BIOS we mean using boot disk, which is launched by setting up the device in the BIOS.

Restart your PC.
Before starting the OS, enter the BIOS, select the BOOT tab, where select the required device as the boot device (depending on what media the boot disk is located on).
Save the changes and restart your PC.
After loading the disk, press the key combination Shift+F10.
After opening command line type format /FS:NTFS X: /q - where X is the required partition. For file Fat systems 32 type format /FS:FAT32 X: /q - where X is the required partition.
Then press Enter and type Y as confirmation.

Now all that's left to do is wait.

Working with a hard drive when installing Windows OS

Working with the hard drive with third-party programs

There are a lot software solutions for working with disks. Most popular program to format the hard drive it's Acronis Disk Director Suite. It is very easy to use; it is most often present in various LiveCD builds.

Questions and answers

Several hundred people daily ask our specialists the question: how to low-level format a hard drive from a flash drive.

In fact, there are times when removing a virus requires deleting the entire boot sector. And for this there are certain software tools, such as SeaTools for DOS. When this program is launched as standard, it creates bootable usb the media from which you load and select one of three types of hard drive cleaning.

Actually completely low level such a procedure cannot be called, but the possibility complete removal data with deleting the zero track and sectors of the hard disk, as well as filling everything disk space zeros, closest to the concept low level formatting.

How to completely format a hard drive so that the data on it cannot be recovered?

Indeed, even after reformatting, data can be restored with special software. If you need to permanently delete all information from the hard drive, for example, when reselling a PC, then use the program to completely format the hard drive Eraser HDD.

After downloading, the program is immediately ready to work and does not require additional settings. By clicking the Start button, you will see a list of sections of your “screw” under the numbers. Select the number of the partition that requires full formatting, paste it into the window and click Apply. After which you will be asked for confirmation for the last time. permanent deletion all information. After confirmation, reboot and go through the hard drive initialization procedure.

Formatting a hard drive may be necessary when you need to clear the hard drive of absolutely all information stored on it. This can be done and standard means Windows, but priority is to use specialized programs.

The need to format a hard drive may arise when reinstalling the operating system, viruses, which can only be gotten rid of by formatting or purchasing new hard disk.

There are several programs for this, and one of the most popular and convenient is Acronis Disk Director. This multifunctional utility, which can be useful to the average user more than once. For example, to create and delete partitions, change their size and position, restore partitions in case of failures or errors. But we are most interested in another possibility - formatting the hard drive.

The program performs a full high-level format, during which the drive surface is checked and then the file system table is written.

Using the program is quite simple. First, of course, you need to install it. Then select the drive that we are going to format. Select this disk with the left mouse button, find it in the menu on the left and select Format.

A window appears that prompts you to select the type of file system that the disk will receive when formatting, the cluster size and will give you the opportunity to view more detailed information.

If you don't know what settings to choose for the File System and Cluster Size parameters, leave everything as it is by default - Acronis knows what is required of it.

The screenshot shows that Disk 1 and the Program Docs section are selected

If you need to format the disk on which the operating system is installed, you will have to use another method. Windows will not allow itself to be uninstalled so easily, so most likely if you try to use the above method, you will receive an error message. The method will be discussed further. This is also relevant for those users who purchased a hard drive in a store, installed it in their computer, but the operating system refuses to see it.

So we need to put the program on external media, for example, on a flash drive. We connect it to the PC, select Tools in the program itself and launch the Bootable Media Builder.

This same master will open, with whom we will work.

The first step is to choose how to represent the disks. Select the option that is highlighted in red in the screenshot.

The second step is Linux kernel parameters. We skip it by clicking Next.

The third step is to select boot components that will be written to your flash drive. We check all the boxes and move on to the next step.

The fourth and final step is to select the boot disk type. Select our media and click Next.

After that, reboot the computer and set the BIOS to boot from a flash drive. You can read about how to do this here, by finding the BIOS Settings section in the article.

After you boot from the flash drive, format the disk in the manner that was described at the very beginning of this article. Good luck!

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How to format a hard drive

Formatting a hard drive is a software process of applying marks to elements of the magnetic platter memory area and creating a new one. file structure carrier. Without labels and file structure hard system The disk is a useless device; it is impossible to write information to it due to the physical and software features of the processes of recording, storing and reading information.

Physically, nothing happens to it when formatting a hard drive, but at the software level, its logical structure is organized on the media - a certain order necessary for recording, storing, editing and deleting data. Otherwise, the logical structure of the disk is called a file system. Depending on the selected file system, the speed of access to information, maximum length file name, number of files in one directory, storage efficiency, search methods, recording information, etc. will differ.

Formatting a hard drive is divided into two types. These are low-level and high-level formatting.

Low-level formatting is a process by which special electronic marks called servo marks are applied to the magnetic surface of the polished platters of your HDD. They contain service information about the positioning of the reading heads and the position of sectors and tracks of the disk, which determine the physical format of the drive. This procedure is performed on special factory equipment, since before this the media does not contain any information about the sectors and tracks of the plate(s), due to the absence of which, working with the media is impossible. Due to the coefficient of volumetric expansion of materials (which is known to many school lessons physics), from which HDD platters were made in the past and stepper motors that controlled the positioning of the heads, sectors and tracks were shifted relative to the read heads. Thus, when, according to the controller, the head was in the desired sector, it could physically be on the adjacent track. Because of this, the hard drive malfunctioned and bad (inoperative) sectors appeared (if the controller thinks that the head is in the first sector, but in reality it is positioned, for example, above the 5th, then the first four sectors are inaccessible to it). Such hard drives required repeated low-level formatting throughout their entire service life, which required the complete and repeated destruction of all data on the hard drive platter(s).

In new HDDs, this problem was solved by using a voice coil in the read head mechanism, due to which the influence of thermal expansion was compensated by recalibrating the operating parameters of the disk heads (to put it simply, 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 manufacturing facility to create the physical structure of the manufactured hard drive before it is tested and shipped end user;
on old ones hard drives to reset the file system (due to the coefficient of linear expansion of materials when heated during long-term operation of the HDD, the head moves slightly in relation to the formed grid of tracks and sectors);
complete, reliable and irrevocable erasure of all information stored on the hard drive, for example, before sale own computer or the hard drive itself.

High level HDD formatting– the process of forming the file structure of a hard drive, which consists of creating a master boot record, a file table, a file system structure and, depending on the formatting option, checking the surface of the hard drive 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: quick and full. During the quick process, the file table is updated, which stores file names and paths to them, attributes, etc. After this, its new structure is formed, and the main one is created boot record disk or its logical partition. Upon completion of the process, the operating system will detect the hard drive or logical drive as clean, although physically all the 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 subsequent rewriting of each sector with zero bits of information. Also, during full formatting, all sectors of the hard drive will be checked for functionality. If a bad sector is detected, it will be replaced with a functional one that is in reserve, or simply excluded, as a result of which the usable volume of the HDD will slightly decrease.

High-level formatting hard drives and their sections must be performed in following cases:

during reinstallation of the operating system to reset all data located on them and form a new disk structure;
during partitioning of the drive into logical drives;
for high-quality testing 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 Windows family located on the disk or its partition, which is designated as system. It contains the master boot record and Windows system files, thanks to which the software 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 connected to the computer hard drives are not systemic. The second and subsequent hard drives are non-system, so the procedure for formatting them is no different from formatting removable USB drives.

Let's consider methods for forming the file structure of non-system hard drives using tools built into the operating system and using third-party software products designed to work with hard drives.

2.1. Formatting using BIOS

One way to format a hard drive is to use a bootable USB flash drive or CD with installation distribution Windows operating system, the so-called LiveCD or bootable media with one of the programs for formatting storage media. There are versions of programs, such as AcronisDiskDirector, that can boot directly from a flash drive, which means they work without an operating system. The latest versions of Acronis have a bootable media creation wizard. Such a flash drive will allow the AcronisDiskDirector program to boot from the BIOS and format the hard drive.

In addition to third-party programs, formatting a hard drive with BIOS can be done by booting from the installation disk with the Windows distribution using the command line or the operating system installer. All these options will be discussed in more detail below.

2.2. Formatting using Windows

The Windows operating system contains all the tools necessary to format hard drives. In this section, we will consider all the methods to format a hard drive using the tools provided by the Windows operating system.

2.2.1. Through properties

The simplest way to prepare a hard drive for work, clear it of unnecessary information and form a new system is to format it through the context menu.

2.2.2. Through “Creating and formatting hard disk partitions”

The second method to format a hard drive using the Windows operating system tools is the Disk Management snap-in, located in the Computer Management system console.

"Disk Management" - system Windows 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 rebooting the operating system, which will not distract the user from his main work.

You can start Disk Management using one of the following methods.

Via the Start menu

Via "My Computer"

Via "Control Panel"

We have 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 dialog box and system signal.

2.2.3. Command line

In addition to formatting hard drives through graphical interfaces, the operating system, since the days of the console MS-DOS, allows the formation of a new file system of the hard drive with the deletion of all files and, with full formatting, checking its surface for integrity, through the use system commands, entered in command console, also called the Windows command interpreter.

The command line allows the user to interact with the computer directly, without any intermediary in the form of an outsider software. It is a window for entering text commands understandable to the operating system with many parameters for direct control of the operating system or computer hardware. Naturally, using the command line, you can quickly format the hard drive. To do this, launch the system console using any of the listed methods or a more convenient method for you.

Through the Run window

Via the Start menu

Using Windows Explorer

The command line is launched by calling the file “cmd.exe” located in the “System32” folder of the system directory of the Windows operating system. To launch the command line, you can go to the path c:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe or use the shortcut to launch 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 with 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 drive without a name by pressing “Enter” (see screenshot).

The process of formatting a hard drive, depending on the specified parameters and storage capacity, can last from several seconds to several tens of minutes. Formatting is accompanied by the inscription: “Creating file system structures.”

At the end of the process, the console window will display the message: “Format 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

HDD utility Low Level Format Tool or abbreviated HDDLLFT is designed for low-level formatting of hard drives and media digital information 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 drive through the utility does not require any special user knowledge.

Please keep in mind that in free version HDD Low Level Format Tool formatting speed is limited to 50 Mb/s, which with significant volumes of modern hard drives during a full format with checking the drive for bad sectors may result in several hours of work. The second disadvantage of the program is the inability to specify the cluster size.

3. Formatting the system hard drive

System hard a disk is, as a rule, a high-speed (with a platter rotation speed of 10,000 rpm, although it can also be with a standard 7200 rpm) hard drive on which the operating system is installed. Based on this, it will not be possible to format it using Windows. Formatting a system hard drive is carried out using a different method, the essence of which is no different from forming a new file system for a regular hard drive. The only difference is that the utility to create a new file system will have to be launched from installation disk or flash drives.

3.1. Formatting using a bootable USB flash drive or disk

3.1.1. Through the Windows operating system installer

One of the most common methods to format a hard drive used as a system drive is to use removable media or a CD and a Windows OS installation distribution.

We will not consider how to create bootable media; many articles have been written on this subject on the Russian-language segment of the Internet. Let's get straight to the point.

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 via the command line by booting from the installation disk/flash drive

Another simple option to format the disk on which the operating system is located is to use the command line by booting from a disk or flash drive with installation files for the Windows operating system.

3.2. Acronis Disk Director

After a few seconds of fixing the operation, the hard drive formatting procedure will start.

Be careful, the program will not display a warning window asking you to confirm the operation and will not notify you that all data on the hard drive has been destroyed.

Formatting will happen within a few seconds, since the utility uses a quick formatting algorithm. At the end of the procedure, the window will close automatically, and the hard drive with a cleared file table and a new file system will be ready for further use.

3.3. Paragon Partition Manager

Paragon Partition Manager is the most powerful free software product for working with hard drives. Naturally, you can use it to format any hard drive or partition. In addition, the utility can work with backup copies, change and create logical partitions, install multiple operating systems on a disk, etc.

The same is done through the main menu of the program.

4. Possible errors and ways to solve them

One of the many problems that users face when formatting a hard drive is the use of outdated software. This happens because the user has not updated the disk management program that he trusts for several years. Also, using queries like “download hacked acronis” often leads to the most popular sites, which have been at the top of search engines for many months and contain outdated versions of the software.

Make sure your hard drive software is up to date, especially if you are using one of the latest Windows versions.

The second problem is an error when trying to format the disk being used, especially for system partitions. Also, some application can use the hard drive or its partition, even in read mode, while the user is trying to format it. The way out of this situation is to use bootable LiveCDs or media with a Windows distribution.

An error in the process of formatting the hard drive due to the huge number of bad sectors occurs when trying to full formatting hard drive, the surface of which is replete with damaged memory cells. Run a HDD scan, for example, with the Victoria utility, with reassignment of damaged areas or their exclusion from the area used for storing information.

I would be grateful if you use the buttons:

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How to format a hard drive via BIOS: step-by-step instructions

The BIOS itself does not have a format function. This system utility is only a cleaning tool that bypasses the loading of the operating system. This question arises because the media is not formatted from the inside, because the version of the OS being used is recorded on it. Below you will find the main ways to format a hard drive via BIOS and instructions for them.

How to format a hard drive from a boot disk or flash drive

Full formatting of a hard drive is equivalent to an operation to destroy all its data. internal memory. After this procedure, you can reinstall the operating system without fear of errors or other unpleasant moments. Just before you clean your hard drive completely, you should check if everything is necessary files you copied. It will be difficult to recover information, and in some cases it will not be possible to do so at all. Formatting a hard drive via BIOS is carried out in several ways:

using external media;
using a special utility;
during Windows installation.

The first method of formatting a hard drive via BIOS involves booting from some drive. It uses a flash drive, CD or DVD. One of them must contain a special wrapper program for cleaning. The most commonly used is a Live CD, designed specifically for this purpose. You can copy it using the popular UltraISO utility. After preparing such a boot device, follow the instructions on how to completely format your hard drive:

With the computer turned off, insert the prepared media into the drive or USB connector.
When starting, pay attention to which key will be indicated next to the phrase “Enter Setup”. This could be F8, F12, F2 or Del. The latter is more often used on laptops. Press this button several times.
When going into the BIOS, go to the BOOT menu and change the priority from Flooppy to CD-ROM or USB-FDD, taking into account the type of boot media you have.
To save the settings, click F10, then Y and Enter.
Restart your computer. If the steps were performed correctly, the program image will load, where you can clean up the desired partition.

The second option, how to format drive C via BIOS, is based on the use of a special program called ERD Commander. It helps even if the system fails to boot. You need to download its ISO image, which you then burn to a DVD or flash drive. If you were able to complete these steps, follow these instructions:

Using the method described above, enter the BIOS menu and change the boot order, which depends on the external media with the recorded program.
Restart your computer. In the menu that opens, go to the MicroSoft Diagnostic and Recovery Toolset item, and then click “Next” 2-3 times and in the “Cleaning” window that opens.
Select the desired section.

Formatting your hard drive when installing Windows

The next method is how to format a hard drive through BIOS. It is carried out during the process of reinstalling the operating system using the Windows distribution. During this procedure, it is possible to clear any of the partitions. The peculiarity of this method is that all programs that were used previously will be deleted, and the operating system itself will be updated.

The concept of distribution is a form of software distribution. It contains a set of utilities necessary for the initial initialization of the OS. You can download the distribution yourself or use the one included with your computer. disk drive for recovery. In the first option, you will have to burn the ISO image to a CD or flash drive again. Further actions are as follows:

Similar to the instructions described above, set the CD-ROM or USB-FDD to boot first.
After the reboot, the recovery console will launch - as a user, select the OS there to log in to.
Enter the administrator account password. If it's not there, press Enter.
In the command line that appears, type format c:, then confirm by pressing Enter.
If desired, set the file system - NTFS or FAT. Choose between fast and in a complete way cleaning. As a result, the command could be format c: /Q /FS:NTFS. Here Q refers to quick cleaning.
Wait for the cleaning operation to complete, and then follow the system prompts.

Video: how to format a hard drive in Windows 7

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How to format a hard drive via BIOS

The BIOS itself is not equipped with a function called “formatting” as such. It acts more like a tool in the disk cleanup procedure, bypassing system startup. The hard drive contains the operating system, which at the moment is used, so the media can be formatted from the inside. In this article you will learn how to format a hard drive through Bios in various ways.

To completely format a hard drive means to destroy all data stored in the internal memory. After completing the formatting procedure, you can safely install new system. You don’t even have to worry about all sorts of errors or other problems. Remember that before starting the procedure, you should definitely check whether copies of your important files anywhere. Once the drive is formatted, you will not be able to recover necessary files, unless you copied them prematurely to some other medium.

So, using “BIOS” you can format your hard drive in the following ways:

Using an external storage device.
Using a special program.
During the system installation procedure.
Formatting from external media

So, how can you format your hard drive? Let's start by using a third-party boot device. The essence of this method is that for formatting you need to load some kind of external drive. Among the most common types of storage devices, it is worth noting a flash drive and a CD/DVD drive. Using their example, everything will be described step by step below. Such drives must have a special cleaning program written on them. For example, the “Live CD” program is widespread. It is intended specifically for formatting procedures.

So get ready boot device and follow these steps:

Connect the device to the appropriate connector: if it is a flash drive, you should connect it to the USB connector; if it’s a disk, then into the drive. In this case, the computer must be turned off.
Turn on your computer. Be careful here: you should have time to see which key should be pressed when selecting “Enter Setup”. On different systems provided different keys: “F8”, “F2”, “F12” or “Del”. The last key is usually used on laptops. Press the corresponding key several times to have time to enter the settings before the system boots.
Were you able to enter the BIOS? Now you need to select the “BOOT” menu. There you should change the device priority settings. Set the priority from “Flooppy” to a value depending on the device you connected: “USB-FDD” or “CD-ROM”.
Save the changed settings. To do this, press “F10”, and then confirm saving by pressing “Y” and “Enter”.
Now restart your PC. If all actions were performed correctly, you will see the program image after downloading. There, clear the required partition on your hard drive.

"ERD Commander"

The next method of formatting a hard drive through BIOS is based on the use of a special program called ERD Commander. This software allows you to boot even if the system startup fails. Download the ISO image of the program, burn it to external media and complete the following steps:

We learned how to enter the BIOS above. Perform the same actions and set the device priority in the same way. Here the download will already be carried out thanks to the program.
Now restart your PC. A special menu should open. There, select “MicroSoft Diagnostic and Recovery Toolset”, and then click “Next” until a window with the “Cleaning” item appears.
Here you should select the disk partition you need to clean.

How to format a hard drive via “BIOS” when installing/reinstalling the system

Now let's look at another way to format a hard drive. Carry out the cleaning procedure directly during the system reinstallation process. Here we use the Windows distribution package, which was previously recorded on the media. This method allows you to clean any partition of your hard drive. All programs previously installed on the partition selected for formatting will be deleted, and a new operating system will be installed there. Therefore, the method is quite convenient, especially for those who just want to install the system on a clean partition of the hard drive, that is, to carry out complete reinstallation systems.

You can find the system distribution kit on disk or download it from the Internet. Well, maybe one of your friends has it lying around on some storage device. If you download the distribution, install it on external media as an ISO image.

So, for formatting you need to follow these steps:

As we described above, you should choose an external drive as a priority.
Now restart your PC and the Recovery Console should appear on the screen. You must select the system you want to log into.
To log in, you must enter the administrator password. Just press "Enter" if you haven't installed it.
A command line will appear in front of you. There you should type “format c:”. Now confirm by pressing “Enter”.
Specify the file system: “FAT” and “NTFS” are available. Select a cleaning method: the fastest and complete ones are presented there. As an example, let's show what it looks like in the end: format with: /Q /FS:NTFS. IN in this case we selected "NTFS" and "Q" stands for quick wipe.
Now just wait for the cleaning to complete. Then everything will be clear: the system will tell you.

Conclusion

So, this article discussed the question “How to format a hard drive through Bios.” We have discussed three accessible and understandable ways to format a hard drive. Choose the one that suits you best. They are all effective, efficient and quite convenient. We hope that the data parsing method is clear to everyone, and the article will be useful for all PC users who need help regarding the topic of formatting.

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Methods to format a hard drive

During everyday work on the computer, after repeated installations and removal of various programs, we notice that the operating system is working slower and slower, and in turn, warnings appear about the absence of one or another DLLs, interfere with its proper functioning. If even special cleaning programs do not allow you to return the system to normal functioning, then the only thing left for us to do is to format the hard drive before reinstalling the operating system. Formatting is not a complicated process, but it requires strict adherence to certain rules so as not to lose important data. We will try to fully cover the topic of how to format a hard drive.

How to format an external hard drive

A few words about how to format an external hard drive. External hard disk, like the “internal” one (the one installed in system unit) are formatted in a similar way. Therefore, the steps below apply to formatting both external and internal hard drives.

Quick or Full Format?

To perform a format operation, in addition to the fat32 or ntfs file system, you can select quick or full format.

Quick formatting clears only the table of contents of the section, while in full all data stored on the disk is completely erased, after which it is impossible to restore it. Therefore, if you have a new hard drive or you do not want previously saved information to be restored after formatting special programs, select Full Format.

What is important to do before formatting

First of all, do not forget to transfer to another hard drive or flash drive all the data that you do not want to lose: documents, images, photos, videos, etc.
It will also be useful to save groups address book Outlook. Copies of the address book are saved in files with the wab extension.
On an external USB drive or on a second drive, prepare everything necessary drivers and programs, especially anti-virus software, which must be installed before connecting to the Internet for the first time on a newly installed operating system.
Don't forget to write down the files and folders that are most important to you!
All data that was not previously saved will be completely lost after you format the hard drive!!!

How to format a non-system disk partition

In order to format a partition that does not contain Windows system XP, go to Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, Computer Management.

On the left side of the window that opens, select “Disk Management”. Then right-click on the disk and select “Format”. In this window, it is possible to format only non-system partitions; this item is not active in system partitions.

How to format HDD when installing Windows XP

The proposed method allows you to format hard drive during the installation of Windows XP, which means that, firstly, you will save time, and secondly, the installer will perform formatting if you plan to reinstall Windows XP.

First, prepare a Windows XP CD. Then in the BIOS change the priority to boot from the installation CD. Restart your computer and select the appropriate installation process: first click Install, then agree to license agreement by pressing F8 and select the drive you want to format.

If Windows was previously installed on the drive, press C. After selecting the file system (FAT32 or NTFS), the installer will prompt you to format the drive.

How to format hard drive when installing Windows 7

During the initial steps of installing Windows 7, the boot loader will ask you to select a disk partition in which to install the system. Then label the hard drive and select Disk Setup.

will appear additional set tools with which you can create and delete partitions, change their sizes, and format them. From the list, select “Format” and use the system prompts.

How to format via DOS

Despite the fact that the operating room MS-DOS system is no longer in such demand, however, it is still necessary for BIOS updates.

To format the hard drive, you can use a bootable floppy disk with DOS. To create it, go to “My Computer”, right-click on drive A, and select “Format” from the drop-down menu. In this window, check the “Create a bootable MS-DOS disk” checkbox.

In addition, you can do bootable USB flash drive from DOS using the WinToFlash utility. To do this, in “Advanced Mode” select “Create a drive with MS-DOS”, and then point to the drive that you want to make bootable.

So, after loading DOS from a floppy disk or drive, just enter the following command: format C: (or D or E, depending on the partition to be formatted).

How to format via command line

Using this command, you can format the media via the command line. To do this, in Windows 7, click on “Start” and enter cmd in the search bar. Then, in the command prompt console that opens, enter format C: or the other partition you want to format.

How to remove partitions on your hard drive

It is usually recommended to format the hard drive before direct use of any computer equipment. This procedure must be followed by every PC owner. Due to the special quality and volume inherent in the current hard drives, they can be freely used throughout the entire period of use, without resorting to additional reformatting.

Why formatting is required

In some cases and over a certain period of time, it is necessary to format the hard drive (hard drive), as this allows you to easily update it. Due to the fact that the Windows operating system sometimes gets clogged, that is, it contains irrelevant, old files on the disk that are not used by current programs, formatting will be very useful. It will help get rid of such files that occupy a certain amount of memory space and can have a negative effect on system productivity.

For their convenience, PC owners periodically install and remove the applications they need from their computer. As a consequence of this, a file dump arises and grows rapidly, causing serious problems: each application, having become part of the OS, affects the configuration of the entire environment. The solution to effectively solve this problem in the most optimal way is to format the HDD (hard drive) after certain periods of time and reinstall the operating system.

Despite the radical nature of this method, it is the most effective, because it destroys not only useless files, but also malware and viruses. For this reason, it is recommended that before formatting the hard drive, rewrite the main data to some other media so as not to lose it.

It is worth noting that when formatting in sectors of hard service labels are created on the disk, which are necessary for searching for data and working with it correctly (reading, writing, deleting). In addition to this procedure, formatting creates service information intended for the file system. Due to the fact that unpartitioned disks are useless for use, formatting acts as a priority operation to prepare a new “untested” disk for successful operation.

Thus, to reduce the risk of losing important data in the uncertain future, formatting will help achieve:

guaranteed fast cleaning of the hard drive;
effectively detecting the presence of badblocks (damaged disk sectors);
high-quality monitoring of all kinds of defective areas.

Quick or regular formatting: process analysis

The user has two types of formatting according to the capabilities of the Windows OS - quick (Quick Format) or normal (Format). The uninitiated user will see the difference in them only in the time spent on performing each of these processes. But besides the visible factor, there is a more significant difference.

Quick formatting is a special disk cleaning method that allows you to create a table of files without overwriting it or deleting information on the hard drive. In terms of time, quick formatting occurs faster than regular formatting. As such, a quick format simply resets the file table: important information data can be restored - it is not destroyed. This method is appropriate when the user is confident that there are no damaged segments and the hard drive has not been previously formatted.

Resorting to normal formatting, the PC owner always completely empties the disk of files and checks it for the possibility of incorrect, damaged segments. It is precisely the verification time that stretches, affecting the total duration of the entire process.

High-level formatting was discussed above, but practice shows that the understanding of the term low-level formatting is no less popular. When performing such an operation, special markings are applied to the disk plane, which are necessary for standard operation of the drive. This also allows you not only to save data and have open access to them, but also to provide correct operation internal circuits of the drive, in addition to hiding existing mechanical surface defects.

Can data be restored after formatting is complete?

Low-level formatting does not provide for the possibility of restoring previous information.

High-level formatting, in turn, gives significant chances to partially restore erased data. This is explained by the fact that at the time of formatting, new logical structures arise with selective overwriting of data.

Formatting Options: Practical Tour

It will be better to format a hard drive yourself if you move from theory to practice. Let's look at several methods, moving from the simple and most understandable to the more complex.

Formatting options:

The simplest formatting method: open “My Computer”, right-click on the required type of formatting, select “Format” in the menu that appears and select the “Start” button.
A special path in Windows: Open “Start” and go to the “Control Panel” to the “Administrative Tools” file, select “Computer Management”, and then “Disk Management”. We find the required disk and, to format it, perform the operations presented in the simple procedure.
Important: There may be slight differences in the path depending on the version of Windows.
Command line: by pressing “WIN + R” and in the window that pops up, writing CMD followed by pressing ENTER, open the command line.
There we write: format d: or format c: to start the process relative to the drive D:\ or C:\. After entering, by pressing ENTER you will see on the display: “ATTENTION, ALL DATA ON THE FIXED DISK WITH: WILL BE DESTROYED! Should I start formatting?

When ready to delete data, select Y and press ENTER.
When available removable media With installation file operating system. Those who have an installation disk and are familiar with installing Windows probably know when it's best to format drives. Perhaps this approach is used by few people only for formatting. However, it is very convenient if after the procedure the user plans to reinstall Windows.

There are many reasons why you might want to format your hard drive and delete information from it: clean Windows installation to get rid of the virus or malware, because you throw away or give the disc to someone. In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about formatting a drive, including in Windows 10.

The steps you need to take to format a hard drive depend on several conditions: whether it is your only hard drive and whether you have a spare computer or not.

You cannot, for example, format a hard drive that is currently running Windows 10. In order to format a disk or reinstall Windows (or another operating system), you need to boot from the installation Windows disk, USB flash drive or liveCD.

Formatting is the process of erasing all data on a hard drive. But keep in mind that a quick format does not actually delete your data from your hard drive. The hard drive will appear empty, but physically your data will still be there and can be easily recovered. A quick format is suitable if your drive is brand new or you want to reinstall Windows, but it is not suitable if you want to recycle the hard drive or give it away/sell it.

Attention: Before formatting the drive, make sure you have removed important data and documents from the hard drive. Although files can be recovered in some cases, it is still better not to take risks.

How to format a hard drive: partitions

Before you format your hard drive, you need to understand what hard drive partitions are. The hard drive's capacity can be divided into smaller pieces called partitions. You can format one partition while leaving the rest untouched.

This is useful in certain situations, but if you want to format all hard disk or use all the disk space in one partition, you also need to delete the hard disk partition information.

How to format a hard drive from BIOS

Many readers ask how to format a hard drive from the BIOS. Although you can perform many different operations through the BIOS, you cannot use it to format your hard drive or create or delete partitions.

If you need to format a drive and can't do it from Windows, you can create a bootable CD, DVD, or USB flash drive and run free tool formatting from a third party.

One such option is livecd Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN). This program will completely delete all data from your hard drive, allowing you to clean install OS or give away the disk. This process is irreversible, keep that in mind.

DBAN is only available as a CD/DVD-R image, but if you don't have a CD drive or a blank blank, you can easily create a bootable flash drive using a downloaded iso file.

Download and run the Universal USB Installer program, insert the flash drive into your computer and follow the program's instructions. You will be asked to select Linux distribution you want to install (in this case the latest version of DBAN) and then the location of the iso file on your computer and the drive letter of the USB drive. After this, click the “Create” button.

In the BIOS, you need to change the boot order of devices and set your USB drive as the main boot drive. After you have saved the settings, restart your computer.

Your computer should automatically download DBAN, which will allow you to completely delete all data on your hard drive (options are possible). After DBAN is loaded into RAM computer, it is advisable to remove the bootable USB flash drive from the computer so as not to accidentally “overwrite” it.

How to format a RAID drive

If you have two or more drives configured as RAID array, then you can use different methods to format these drives. Before you use any of them, make sure you have completed the ones you want to keep.

Use the software utility that came with your RAID controller or motherboard.
Go to Controller BIOS RAID and look for an option to format the drive(s) or configure RAID as separate disks(this will delete data from all drives).
Disconnect the drive you want to format and connect it to another SATA port on motherboard, which is not part of the RAID controller. Then format the drive using the Disk Management utility in Windows

How to quickly format a hard drive

Windows Vista, 7, 8 and 10 have a built-in tool for managing tough disks (see below), but it will be faster to do this:

Go to Windows Explorer
Click on the desired disk right-click (you cannot format the partition on which the OS is installed).
Select Format. By default, the checkbox is set to the “fast” formatting method. You can leave the rest of the settings unchanged and click “Start”. Within a minute your disk will be formatted.

Using the Disk Management utility

Enter diskmgmt.msc in the search engine Windows line Vista, 7, 8 or 10 and select the result shown. The Disk Management snap-in opens. This tool is not as flexible as, for example, the well-known Acronis, but it is quite enough to format a partition or resize it.

When you connect new hard drive to your computer, you may be surprised that it doesn't appear in Windows Explorer. The reason is that it must be initialized and formatted first - you can do this in Disk Management.

When you launch Disk Management, all drives on your computer will be analyzed. You will be able to initialize required disks, if required.

If your disk capacity is more than 2 TB, you need to select a table GPT partitions(GUID Partition Table). This partition table will also allow you to create more than 4 partitions.

Right-click on the drive that says “Not initialized” and select “Initialize.”

Once this is done, right-click on it and select “Create simple volume”. Specify the partition of the new disk volume and the letter you want to assign to it.

You can quickly format a disk in a similar way.

Resizing a Partition

You can use Disk Management to expand or shrink the partition. Simply right-click on the desired volume and select the appropriate option. If you want to reduce the partition, the program will tell you how much free space you can get by reducing the partition. New size you can adjust the disk using sliders.

If free space is missing on the disk, the “Extend volume” option will be inactive.

So, today we learned how to format a hard drive, how to delete data completely from a hard drive, how to change the size hard section disk and how to format it RAID disk. I hope the article was useful to you.