How to Format Hard Drive
The Windows operating system provides some good tools for Formatting computer hard drive, but many users still think that formatting a hard drive is very hard job. This article will teach you the simple steps to format a hard drive. Whether you are using Windows or DOS, the process is not difficult.
Formatting the secondary Hard Drive:
Let's suppose you have the Windows operating system (Windows 95/98 or later) and intend to format a secondary drive to create a new and blank hard disk. The process is pretty simple:
1. Double-click the My Computer icon.
2. Click on your secondary drive icon and select it. Then open the File menu and select the Format option.
3. Windows will display a window displaying the formatting options. Select the Format Type then enter a suitable disk label.
4. If you wish to be able to boot from this second drive, make sure you check the Copy system files box.
5. Next, you simply click in Start. Windows will warn you that all data will be deleted - just confirm and say OK.
In a few minutes your secondary hard drive will have been formatted.
Formatting the Primary Hard Drive:
If you want to format the primary (boot) hard drive, then you cannot do it in Windows. You need to use DOS - here are the steps:
1. Insert a bootable floppy disk into the A: drive. A bootable floppy is easily created in Windows - check this article to see how to do it.
2. Switch on the computer. After some clacking sounds, the screen will show the A:\ prompt.
3. Now type in the command cd c:\ to switch over to the C: drive.
4. Now you need to enter the command format c: \s. what does this do? Well, it formats the hard disk and transfers the appropriate system files to make it a startup disk.
5. After a few minutes, the format should be done. Enter the new volume label.
6. Now simply eject your startup floppy disk and restart the computer. The hard disk should now be able to boot to the C:\ prompt.
Another method:
1.To format a hard drive with Windows XP or 2000, insert Windows CD and restart your computer.
2.Your computer should automatically boot from the CD to the Windows Setup Main Menu.
3.At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.
4.Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.
5.If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. To bypass the repair, press ESC.
6.Use the ARROW keys to select the partition or the unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition. Press D to delete an existing partition, or press C to create a new partition.
7.Type the size in megabytes (MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition with the maximum size.
8.Select the format option that you want to use for the partition (Recommended: NTFS), and then press ENTER.
9.After the Windows Setup program formats the partition, follow the instructions that appear on the screen to continue installing Windows.
The Windows operating system provides some good tools for Formatting computer hard drive, but many users still think that formatting a hard drive is very hard job. This article will teach you the simple steps to format a hard drive. Whether you are using Windows or DOS, the process is not difficult.
Formatting the secondary Hard Drive:
Let's suppose you have the Windows operating system (Windows 95/98 or later) and intend to format a secondary drive to create a new and blank hard disk. The process is pretty simple:
1. Double-click the My Computer icon.
2. Click on your secondary drive icon and select it. Then open the File menu and select the Format option.
3. Windows will display a window displaying the formatting options. Select the Format Type then enter a suitable disk label.
4. If you wish to be able to boot from this second drive, make sure you check the Copy system files box.
5. Next, you simply click in Start. Windows will warn you that all data will be deleted - just confirm and say OK.
In a few minutes your secondary hard drive will have been formatted.
Formatting the Primary Hard Drive:
If you want to format the primary (boot) hard drive, then you cannot do it in Windows. You need to use DOS - here are the steps:
1. Insert a bootable floppy disk into the A: drive. A bootable floppy is easily created in Windows - check this article to see how to do it.
2. Switch on the computer. After some clacking sounds, the screen will show the A:\ prompt.
3. Now type in the command cd c:\ to switch over to the C: drive.
4. Now you need to enter the command format c: \s. what does this do? Well, it formats the hard disk and transfers the appropriate system files to make it a startup disk.
5. After a few minutes, the format should be done. Enter the new volume label.
6. Now simply eject your startup floppy disk and restart the computer. The hard disk should now be able to boot to the C:\ prompt.
Another method:
1.To format a hard drive with Windows XP or 2000, insert Windows CD and restart your computer.
2.Your computer should automatically boot from the CD to the Windows Setup Main Menu.
3.At the Welcome to Setup page, press ENTER.
4.Press F8 to accept the Windows XP Licensing Agreement.
5.If an existing Windows XP installation is detected, you are prompted to repair it. To bypass the repair, press ESC.
6.Use the ARROW keys to select the partition or the unpartitioned space where you want to create a new partition. Press D to delete an existing partition, or press C to create a new partition.
7.Type the size in megabytes (MB) that you want to use for the new partition, and then press ENTER, or just press ENTER to create the partition with the maximum size.
8.Select the format option that you want to use for the partition (Recommended: NTFS), and then press ENTER.
9.After the Windows Setup program formats the partition, follow the instructions that appear on the screen to continue installing Windows.
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