This procedure ensures that the hard drive is physically working as expected, that each sector is a reliable place to store data, and that existing data is unrecoverable. In a quick format , this bad sector search and basic data sanitization is skipped entirely and Windows assumes that the hard drive is free of errors.
A quick format is very fast. You, of course, can do whatever you like—either method will get the drive formatted. However, especially for older and brand new drives, we'd prefer to take our time and do the error checking right now instead of letting our important data do the testing for us later on. The data sanitization aspect of a full format is nice, too, if you're planning on selling or disposing of this drive.
The final format option is the Enable file and folder compression setting that is unchecked by default, which we recommend sticking with.
The file and folder compression feature allows you to choose files or folders to be compressed and decompressed on the fly, potentially offering considerable savings on hard drive space.
The downside here is that performance can be equally affected, making your day-to-day Windows use much slower than it would be without compression enabled. File and folder compression has little use in today's world of very large and very inexpensive hard drives. In all but the rarest occasions, a modern computer with a large hard drive is better off protecting all the processing power it can and skipping on the hard drive space savings.
Review the settings you've made in the last several steps and then click OK. As a reminder, here's what you should see:. Look back at whatever previous steps you need to if you're wondering why these are the best options. Windows is usually pretty good about warning you before you might do something damaging, and a hard drive format is no exception.
Click OK to the warning message about formatting the drive. Just as the warning says, all the information on this drive will be erased if you click OK.
You can't cancel the format process halfway through and expect to have half of your data back. As soon as this starts, there's no going back. There's no reason for this to be scary but we do want you to understand the finality of a format. The hard drive format has begun! If you chose a quick format , your hard drive should only take several seconds to format. If you chose the standard format , which we suggested, the time it takes the drive to format will depend almost completely on the size of the drive.
A small drive will take a small amount of time to format and a very large drive will take a very long time to format. Your hard drive's speed, as well as your overall computer's speed, play some part but the size is the biggest variable. There's a little overhead involved so don't worry if your drive isn't completely empty. That's it! Your hard drive has been formatted and it's ready for use in Windows. You can use the new drive however you want—back up files, store music, and videos, etc.
If you'd like to change the drive letter assigned to this drive, now is the best time to do that. When you format a drive in Windows, data may or may not truly be erased. Depending on your version of Windows, and the type of format, it's possible the data is still there, hidden from Windows and other operating systems but still accessible in certain situations. There is technically a difference between deleting and erasing a drive.
If you want to format your hard drive so you can install Windows again from scratch , your hard drive will be automatically formatted as part of that process. You can also format a hard drive via Command Prompt using the format command. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Install this data erasing software on your computer and run it to enter its main interface. Select the hard drive that you want to wipe and click on the Wipe Disk feature from the left pane.
Select a wipe method from the list and click on OK to go on. Once the wiping process completes, you will find that all the data on the hard drive has been erased permanently. In addition, this tool can help you reinstall Windows 10 without losing data.
If you want to reinstall Windows 10 without any data loss, MiniTool Partition Wizard is what you are looking for. This powerful software can help you Migrate Windows 10 OS to a new drive easily. Tip: Since the free edition does not support this function, you need to install the MiniTool Partition Wizard Pro or more advanced edition for the migration. Click here to know more about edition comparison.
Buy Now. In the pop-up window, select the Option B to copy the system required partitions only and click on Next to go on. Select the hard drive connected to your computer and click on Next.
Then you will see a warning message saying all the data on the target disk will be destroyed. Click on Yes to confirm this operation. Select a copy option based on your needs and click on Next to continue. Once all the above steps are finished, you can connect the target drive to your Windows PC and set your computer to boot from the drive.
Recently, my Windows computer works very slowly. I want to perform a clean reinstallation to speed up my computer. This PC provides a step-by-step guide that helped me reinstall Windows 10 smoothly. Click to tweet.
This post walks you through detailed steps based on 2 different cases. In addition, you can utilize MiniTool Partition Wizard to erase hard drive and reinstall Windows 10 with ease. If you have any questions about this software, you can send us an e-mail via [email protected].
We also appreciate any opinions about this topic in the comment area. Here you need to prepare a password reset disk and follow the steps below to unlock computer without a password. Download Partition Wizard. Summary : How do I wipe my hard drive clean and reinstall Windows?
Note: The first option will remove apps and settings, but keeps your personal files. The second option will remove all of your personal files, apps, and settings and speed more time to complete.
Note: Bear in mind that all the data on the USB flash drive will be formatted, so please back up important files in advance. Tip: The higher the wiping level you select, the more time the wiping process will take.
Note: Please back up all important data on the hard drive in advance. Does emptying recycle bin permanently delete files? In theory, you empty the Recycle Bin and the files will be deleted from the hard drive permanently. Cancel Submit. Just run the tool and follow the instructions How satisfied are you with this reply?
Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. I always start by searching the web. Ken Blake. With a modicum of care, it should never be necessary to reinstall Windows any version.
I've run Windows 2. I never reinstalled any of them with a single exception--a problem that I worked on for weeks unsuccessfully , and I have never had anything more than an occasional minor problem. If you have problems, post the details of them here; it's likely that someone can help you and a reinstallation won't be required.
In reply to Ken Blake's post on May 25, Thanks Mr. Ken Blake, I mean that seriously. I'm kind of stuck in an endless loop here. Please advise Sorry, no, I can't help with your restore problem,, but probably someone else here can.
In reply to Ken Blake's post on May 27, Ok - thanks.
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