If the Perform a quick format box is checked, uncheck it before proceeding. Steer clear of custom allocation sizes unless you know what you’re doing. This will choose the best allocation size based on the size of the hard drive. NTFS is almost always the way to go, so unless you need FAT32 for a specific program you’re planning on running, choose NTFS. Windows should give you three options: NTFS, FAT, and FAT32. Next, you’ll need to choose a file system. We used the name TestDrive for this tutorial. In the text box next to Volume Label, go ahead and give your hard drive a name. Here you’ll be able to give the hard drive a name, choose which file system the drive will use, and determine the allocation unit size. After clicking Format, a small window will appear. If you’re formatting any other drive, keep reading. If you want to format C, we suggest using this tutorial. In order to format C you’ll need to boot an operating system from another source - this can be a CD drive, flash drive, or even a floppy drive if necessary. *Note: if you’re trying to format the C drive - the primary partition that your operating system is installed on - you can’t do it this way. A clicking mistake here would be highly unfortunate. Before doing this, it’s best to make absolutely certain that you’ve chosen the correct drive. Find the drive you’d like to format, right click on it and choose Format. Up in the top right corner of the window, there should be a list of drives. Second, you’ll want to choose the drive you’re trying to format. Click it, and a window should appear that looks similar to the one below. The easiest way to do this is to click on the Start button and type diskmgmt.msc into the search bar.Īfter typing this, Microsoft’s instant search function should quickly narrow it down to just one option. Fitbit Versa 3īefore we begin, it’s important to know that formatting a drive will erase everything on it, so you’ll want to make sure that you back up or save anything that you don’t want to lose.Īfter you’ve saved everything you don’t want erased from the drive, the first step is to open Disk Management.

Format external hard drive windows 7