How to format a hard drive before installing Windows in four different ways - step-by-step instructions. “format c:” command: what is formatting for and how to do it? How to format on the command line

Formatting refers to the process of applying special marks to the drive. It can be used for both new and used drives. It is necessary to format a new HDD to create markup, without which it will not be perceived by the operating system. If there is already any information on the hard drive, it is erased. For these reasons, formatting may be relevant in different cases: when connecting a new HDD to a computer, to completely clean the disk, when reinstalling the OS. How to do this correctly and what methods exist? This is what this article will discuss.

HDD formatting is required for several reasons:

Creating basic markup for further work with a hard drive. This is performed after connecting the new HDD to the PC for the first time, otherwise it simply will not be visible among the local drives.
Clearing all saved files. Over the years of operation of a computer or laptop, a huge amount of unnecessary data accumulates on the hard drive. These are not only custom, but also system files, which are no longer needed, but are not deleted on their own.
As a result, the drive may overflow, unstable and slow work. The easiest way to get rid of garbage is to save necessary files V cloud storage or to a flash drive and format the hard drive. This, in some way, is a radical method of optimizing the operation of the HDD.
Complete 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.

Types and Types of Formatting

This procedure is divided into 2 types:

Low level. The term " low level formatting"originally denoted a slightly different process, and was adapted for users. In the usual sense, this is a complete and irrevocable erasure of information, as a result of which all disk space is freed. If in the process were found bad sectors, then they are marked unused in order to eliminate future problems with writing and reading data.
On older computers, the Low Level Format feature was available directly in the BIOS. Now, due to the more complex structure of modern HDDs, this feature is not available in the BIOS, and real low-level formatting is done only once - during manufacturing at the factory.
High level. This method is in fact the only one available among users. During this process, the file system and file tables are formed. After this, the HDD becomes available for data storage. High-level formatting is performed after partitioning; data on the location of all files recorded on the hard drive is erased. After it, you can fully or partially restore data, unlike low-level data, where the information is completely erased.

In addition, there are two types that are used to format the internal and external HDD:

Fast. It doesn’t take very much time, since the whole process boils down to erasing data about the location of files. In this case, the files themselves do not disappear anywhere and will be overwritten new information— as a result of the operation, an empty space is designated where new files can be written in the future, “displacing” the old ones. The structure is not optimized, and if there are problems, they are overlooked and not corrected. However, such a process usually takes up to 1 minute depending on the volume, and the data can be recovered using a special software partially or completely.
Complete. All information is completely deleted from the hard drive - sectors are overwritten with zeros, at the same time the file system is checked for various errors, bad sectors are corrected (more precisely, they are marked as unsuitable for further storage of information). All this takes much more time, up to several hours. However, this way your information will be securely deleted, and it will not be possible to recover it later even with special programs.

Formatting an SSD

Nowadays, more and more often, users began to purchase laptops with built-in SSD drives, as well as buy these devices separately and replace them with morally, and maybe physically, outdated ones. hard disks. The operating principle of these data storage devices differs significantly from each other, since in hardware they represent two different components, which in fact perform the same function. We will not dwell on this topic in detail; for general purposes, we suggest reading our separate material.

Due to the dissimilarity magnetic disk with a solid-state drive, the question of formatting the latter remains open. To find out whether this procedure is necessary and, if so, how to do it, read the article at the link below.

HDD formatting methods

Formatting a drive can be done using different methods. To do this, use the built-in Windows tools and third party programs. If you want to carry out this procedure and clean the HDD, use one of the suggested options.

Method 1: Using formatting programs

There are both small utilities and powerful programs, performing additional tasks in addition to the main one, for example, partitioning the hard drive and checking for errors. To format OS partitions, you will need to create bootable flash drive with the installed program.

Option 1: Acronis Disk Director

One of the most famous utilities that works with physical disks and their partitions. Acronis Disk Director is a paid program, but very powerful, as it has many features and functions. Allows you to format hard drive, changing the file system, cluster size and volume label. The interface resembles the standard one Windows program "Disk Management", and the operating principle is correspondingly similar.

Method 3: Via BIOS and command line

To format the HDD in this way, you will need a bootable USB flash drive with a recorded OS. All data, including Windows, will be deleted, so if you need to format a drive with an installed OS, this procedure will not be possible using the previous method.

When everything you need has been prepared, follow these steps:

Connect the flash drive to your computer.
Restart your PC and go into BIOS. To do this, after start, 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).
Using the keyboard, change the device from which the computer will boot. To do this, go to the section "Boot" and the list of boot devices in first place ( "1st Boot Priority" or "First Boot Priority") insert your flash drive.

If the BIOS interface is like the screenshot below, go to "Advanced BIOS Features"/"BIOS Features Setup» and select "First Boot Device".

Please note that due to differences in BIOS versions Menu item names may be different. If your BIOS does not have the specified parameter, look for the most suitable name.

Click F10 to save the settings and exit, to confirm your actions, select the option "Y" / "Yes". After this, the PC will boot from the selected device.
In the running Windows 7 environment, 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" > "Troubleshooting" > "Command line".
Determine the drive that will need to be formatted. The fact is that when starting a PC from a bootable flash drive, the letter designations of the drives 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 to command line the following command:
wmic logicaldisk get deviceid, volumename, size, description

The easiest way to determine a HDD is by its size - it is indicated in bytes.

Once the letter has been identified, "Command line" write this (instead of X use the letter HDD):

format /FS:NTFS X: /q - with change file system on NTFS;
format /FS:FAT32 X: /q - changing the file system to FAT32;
or just
format X: /q - quick formatting without changing the file system.

All modern hard drives use NTFS. FAT32 is suitable only for very old PCs with minimal storage capacity and completely outdated operating systems.

Confirm your command entry by Enter. You can assign a volume label (disk name in Windows Explorer), adding the parameter at the end /v:IMYA DISKA.

Method 4: Formatting before installing the OS

For correct installation new version operating system, formatting is necessary. To complete it, repeat steps 1-5 from the previous method.

If you are upgrading while preserving user data and do not plan to full installation, no need to use formatting!

Now you know what formatting is, what it is, and how it can be done. The method depends on which drive needs to be formatted and what conditions are available for this. For simple and quick formatting, the built-in Windows utilities, which can be launched through Explorer. If it is impossible to boot into Windows (for example, due to viruses), the formatting method via BIOS is suitable and "Command line". And if you are going to reinstall the operating system, formatting can be done through Windows installer. Usage third party utilities, for example, Acronis Disk Director makes sense only if you additionally perform other manipulations with hard drives and this program is already installed on the PC. Otherwise, it’s a matter of taste - to use a standard tool from Windows or a program from another manufacturer.

Hello everyone Today we will talk about how to format HDD using the command line. And you know what I’ll tell you here? This information, well, I mean formatting hard drive via the command line, then you definitely need to know this information! This information, 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, but if suddenly your computer breaks down, then you need knowledge of how to use the command line, then this knowledge can be very, very useful to you, I’m telling you this honestly!

I think that you don’t need to say that formatting a disk will completely delete all the 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 anyway, but I still had to write about it..

Okay guys, back to our topic, namely how to format a hard drive using the command line. This can be done both from Windows itself and when loading it, but the main thing is that all the actions are the same, you just need to clearly understand what’s what and that’s exactly what I’ll show you now. So look, if you do all this in Windows (but keep in mind that the system disk itself cannot be formatted, because it is Windows), then you need to hold down the Win + R buttons, the Run window will appear, there you write the cmd command 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 of things. To see a list of all commands, you need to type the following command in the line:

And press enter, after which you will see this list of commands:

You can take any team, well, the very first one on the list is ASSOC, so we’ll take it. Well, you can take any command, then add a space to it and something like /? and then press enter and there will be a mini-instruction for this particular command. Well, look, I wrote the following command:

I pressed enter and this is what I thought:

Well guys, in principle it’s more or less clear, right? That is, in this way you can somehow learn to use the command line yourself. But of course this is a little boring, but what can you do? 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 look at the help on it, I have already shown how, but I think it would be better if I personally tell you about it, since I myself have used it more than once. And I didn’t just use it, there is one feature in this command, you may not be interested in it, but I’ll tell you about it anyway...

So what do you need to do to format a disk using 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 as usual, so to speak. Where the letter C is, then you indicate the drive letter there. Such as /FS:NTFS is necessary for the disk to be formatted in the NTFS file system, it is also possible in FAT32, but I recommend NTFS. Such as /X is necessary so that the disk is forcibly disconnected before formatting, this is just necessary to ensure that everything goes correctly. Attention, guys! This command does the usual formatting, that is, it’s not so fast, but if you need everything to go quickly, then you need to add the /Q key, that is, so that it’s like this:

FORMAT C: /FS:NTFS /X /Q

It will be much faster and you won't have to wait. Because without the /Q switch, formatting can take a long time if the hard drive is not small... well, there is one terabyte or more...

That seems to be it, right? But I wrote about a trick, what kind of trick? Now I’ll tell you everything guys.. The trick is that there is also such a key /A:64KB, this key is so that when formatting the cluster is changed. A standard cluster is 4KB, that is, 4 kilobytes. What general cluster size can be can be found in the help for the FORMAT command. What is a cluster? I won’t burden you, I’ll just say that a cluster is the minimum unit that can be occupied on a disk.

So, regarding the cluster, look. A 4 kilobyte cluster is usually installed on a hard drive. That is, if you have a file of 100 kilobytes, then it will be written in small parts of 4 kilobytes. Windows does not always write the entire file to one area at once. Usually part of the file is in one place, and another part is in another, this is called fragmentation and this is a normal phenomenon. Do you understand? As a result, we get this: if the cluster costs 4 kilobytes, then the file can have many parts and they can easily be scattered throughout the hard drive, and in order to read the file, it takes more time than if the file was written in one piece. If the cluster is 64 kilobytes, then a 100 kilobyte file will have only two parts on the disk, these are 64 kb and 64 kb, because these parts will fit the entire file. What remains, well, I mean two clusters are 128 kb, and the file is 100 kb, then nothing at all can be written to the remaining 28 kb, this is the only disadvantage of a 64 kb cluster. It seems that there are no more disadvantages, well, at least I don’t see them. A 100 KB file will only have 2 parts on a 64 KB cluster versus 25 parts on a 4 KB cluster, get it? Once again, about the disadvantage that I wrote, in other words, a 100 kb file on a disk with a 64 kb cluster will take up 128 kb of space. Because two clusters are 128 kb. Well, I hope it’s more or less clear, but if not, then I’m sorry, it means I’m not explaining it well..

In general, I personally always install a 64 kb cluster, I like it better, my mother also has a computer and I also installed a 64 kb one for her and the computer seems to work faster. But if you think about it, in theory it should work faster. A 64 kb cluster is the best cure for fragmentation, but does not eliminate it completely..

So what should the command be so that the cluster is 64 kb? I personally use this one:

FORMAT C: /FS:NTFS /X /A:64KB

A 64 kilobyte cluster is maximum size for file NTFS systems. Well, you can also specify the /Q key to make formatting faster.

There is another 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. This is what I do here. At 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’s usually 500 MB, I DO NOT TOUCH it AT ALL. And the one where Windows is located, then I put the FORMAT command on the command line and put a 64 kb cluster there and format it. Then I install Windows again, I don’t format ANYTHING in the installer, I just select the disk (which I formatted in a 64 KB cluster) and install it. As a result, Windows is easily installed on a disk with a 64 KB cluster

In fact, all this mess with clusters, I need it, but it’s not a necessity, almost all users have a 4 kb cluster and are happy with everything.. So you don’t have to worry about it, if you’re not interested in these clusters, then it’s not worth it 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 also a button Restore Windows or something like that, then there, in that command line, there the system drive can easily NOT HAVE THE LETTER C, but another, keep this in mind, because it is important! How to resolve the situation here? First you need to find out which letters belong to which sections. To do this you enter the following command:

And then write this command:

And you will see what sections there are and what letters belong to them, look like mine:

Then, when you have looked, you need to enter this command:

This is to exit the DISKPART subsection, so to speak:

Another piece of information that will help you is the size of the disk; it is also easy to understand 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 drive C, you need to write the following command:

And this is what the result will be:

What’s also good is that the disk size is also displayed here.

Here's another command:

This is to go to the directory, well, just drive C is shown above as an example. Well, guys, everything seems to be more or less clear? I really hope so!

That seems to be all... And if something is wrong, then I'm sorry. By the way, it’s December, the 22nd, and therefore I congratulate you on the upcoming New Year 2017. I wish you happiness and that everything goes well with you.. By the way, the year of the rooster..

23.12.2016

As you know, the “format c:” command, originally related to MS-DOS tools, for computer systems with Windows on board it is used quite often. Let many not be confused by the fact that support for MS-DOS by Microsoft was completed a very long time ago, since the system’s built-in tool in the form of a command console works exactly according to its principles, and some actions without the command line are impossible to perform at all, as well as to gain access To hidden possibilities Windows. Next, we will consider the main aspects related to formatting and its practical application, without going too much into the technical components of additionally used attributes.

What is the "format c:" command?

As is already clear, the command itself is intended specifically for producing hard formatting disk, but in this particular case we are talking purely about the system partition in which the operating system(by default, Windows is installed on the “C” drive, unless another location is specified, for example, when installing a second OS on a virtual partition).

I would immediately like to draw the attention of all users to the fact that this toolkit can only be used on the command line. For the “format c:” command itself, it is possible to use some additional attributes that allow you to activate certain options, depending on what action needs to be performed when formatting a system or logical partition.

Areas of application of the command

First, let's determine when this command may be needed, and then move on to its practical use.

For the most part, disk formatting is required when installing the operating system or reinstalling it after critical failures or virus exposure, when the system is restored using Windows or removal of virus threats turns out to be impossible.

The command can also be used when partitioning a hard drive into additional partitions using diskpart tools (however, in this case, it is not the “C” drive that is formatted, but the created logical partition). Actions with the system partition are performed only in the situations described above. Sometimes such measures even help restore the performance of the hard drive.

Some nuances associated with starting formatting

Somewhat distracting from the description of the “format c:” command, I would like to cheer up the readers. There is such a good joke when the support service receives a phone call:

Word doesn't work for me, what should I do?

Do you have Word on your C drive?

Type: “format c:” and press Enter.

Will it help?

And how! The most effective remedy!

But this is, of course, a joke. The fact is that in a loaded (working) system, no matter how hard you try, it is impossible to format the disk (system partition). Windows simply won’t allow you to do this (well, the system won’t give permission to self-destruct?).

Thus, the question of how to do “format c:” comes down to initially booting from removable media, then calling the console and using the command in its environment. Sometimes, however, you can encounter non-standard situations.

For example, a user has two Windows systems of different modifications installed. One is located on the “C” drive, the second is installed on the “D” drive. Formatting the “C” partition can be done by booting into the environment of the second system and calling the command console in it.

The same can be observed in the case when some kind of virtual machine with the tested “operating system”, which is a complete resemblance of a real computer, but in a virtual form.

View all command line attributes

But let's return to the main command "format c:". The Command Prompt allows you to perform many operations using this feature. In order not to describe absolutely all the attributes used, any user can be advised to review them themselves.

Just open the command line and enter the command “format /?” in it. After completing it, the screen will appear full list additional attributes with detailed description each of them.

Practical formatting

Now about the practical use of the “format c:” command. Windows systems will not allow you to do this, so we assume that the boot is done from removable media (installation or recovery disk or flash drive).

Entering the command in its standard form will completely format the specified partition. If you set the additional attribute “/Q”, this will lead to Quick format. The average user is unlikely to perform setting cluster sizes or other specific actions, so for now we can limit ourselves to this simple example.

Formatting when creating new partitions

Creating new partitions and bootable media looks much more interesting. True, the “format c:” command is not used in this case, as such, but familiarity with the general use of the format command may be useful to many users:

When using the "diskpart" toolkit, it is sometimes necessary to create a primary partition and then activate boot partition. At one of the stages you need to format (you can even manually specify the preferred file system), for which you enter additional operator“FS”, followed by, for example, the system type NTFS. If such a pointer is not used, formatting will be performed while maintaining the current system.

The use of such tools sometimes allows you to quickly change the disk format from unreadable (RAW) to regular. This is much faster than trying to change it using the same operating system tools.

When using the general command, if the /U attribute was not initially specified, it is possible to undo the formatting by issuing the UNFORMAT command, since the old file distribution table along with the root directory is preserved. However, such actions mostly relate to processes associated with removable media and logical partitions.

Finally

That's all briefly about the formatting command. The description of each applied attribute was not specifically considered here, since most users in practical use find them unnecessary and are mainly required system administrators or specialists involved in the repair of computer equipment (in particular hard drives).

But even the general knowledge presented above will help any user understand why the described command is needed, how and where it is used. However, situations are different, so you should not neglect using formatting via the command line, especially since the general command is used even when manually creating bootable media using the operating system, which eliminates the use of third-party software.-

Almost all users of Windows systems have heard about the presence in operating systems of such a tool as the “format c:” command to format a disk or partition. But not every user imagines the areas of use of this tool, as well as the elimination of some problems that may arise at the formatting stage.

Windows 7 “format c:” command: what is it for?

Yes, indeed, this toolkit is used specifically for formatting a hard drive or logical partition. But it works according to slightly different principles that are used in the operating systems themselves.

The "format c:" command (in Windows "format c:" is used for formatting by default, but may differ in others), can format disks and partitions different ways. For example, for removable media, quick formatting is most often used, for system disks - full formatting, sometimes it is necessary to create boot areas, etc.

The built-in tool, which can be accessed through the properties of the selected disk or removable media, does not always work. File system corruption can have consequences, especially if a fast process is used. In addition, in loaded and in this moment format the operating system system disk impossible (the operating system itself is installed on it, and quite naturally, it does not allow itself to be removed). We’ll return to these questions a little later, but for now let’s look at exactly when it may be necessary to use the “format c:” command (in Windows, “format c:”, as is already clear, can be used exclusively in a selective way and not for all media).

When is formatting required?

As for the scope of application of this command, first it is worth noting that it is in this form that it can be entered exclusively on the command line (using additional attributes). Even though the built-in tool called via GUI, while it seems to be a complete analogue of this service, it is not.

For example, many users are installing the system, so to speak, from scratch. To ensure that an installed OS of the same version on top of an existing, earlier or later modification does not inherit system errors from the previous system, the system partition must be subjected to full formatting (and not quick formatting, which only involves clearing the table of contents).

At the installation stage, the installer will offer options for action. But quite often you can encounter situations when a message appears on the user’s computer stating that such actions are impossible, since the selected partition belongs to GPT, and not to MBR. This problem can be resolved quite simply, but using the diskpart toolkit followed by formatting.

Tool “format c:”: how to format a partition in the system?

First, let's look at the simplest option. Let's say a user's hard drive is divided into two partitions (C and D). The first is systemic, the second is logical. The system will not allow you to perform actions with the “C” drive, but for the second partition you can use the disk properties call through the RMB menu through the same “Explorer” and set the formatting. The same, by the way, applies to any kind of removable storage devices.

Don't like this way? Call the command line and write the required command in it, specifying the desired letter for the corresponding section.

Note: the “format c:” command, applied specifically to the system partition, only works if a second OS is installed on a virtual partition and only if it is currently loading. This is explained simply: for example, the XP version is installed on drive “C”, and Windows 7 is installed on drive “D”, which is currently loaded. It will not be difficult to format the first disk, but the system previously installed on it will simply be destroyed.

Formatting the system disk

Now a few words about using the “format c:” command in Windows 7, if only one operating system is installed on the computer. In this case, you cannot do without starting from removable media. There are simply no other options.

Boot from a disk or flash drive, call the command console using the combination Shift + F10 or use the recovery console, then enter the original command in its original form (“format c:”) or select the proposed tool. You can, of course, add additional attributes indicating changing the file system or performing a quick format, but if we are talking about complete cleaning content, it is better not to use such solutions. The same applies to the formatting process if viruses that cannot be removed by any means have become embedded in the system partition.

Problems with command execution

Finally, execution of the "format c:" command may be blocked. In the case of installing two or more systems, this may only concern the fact that the command console itself is launched without the appropriate administrator rights.

When starting from a removable device, failures most often occur due to their damage (scratches on disks, file system errors on USB drives, etc.). Thus, before writing the installation distribution or recovery configuration to removable media of any type, they simply need to be checked visually or systematically).

Instead of a total

Of course, this is not all that can be said about the “format c:” command. If there is such a need, additional attributes that can be used as a supplement to the main tool can be viewed in the same command line by specifying “format /?” as the executable command, then select the combination that is suitable for use in this situation .

But this is only required if the user really needs such actions. Otherwise, you can use the standard string.