How to Format Windows

Formatting a New or Non-Primary Hard Drive

1. 
   Open the Disk Management tool in Windows. If you want to format a hard drive connected to your PC that isn't the primary (Windows) hard drive, use this method. Here's how to open the tool:^[2]

   1. Press ⊞ Win+S to open the search bar.
   2. Type disk management.
   3. Click Disk Management in the search results.
   4. A list of partitions appears in the top-half of the window, while a list of physical hard drives appears at the bottom.
2. 
   Create a partition if the drive is brand new. You'll only need to do this if you see Unknown or Not initialized next to the disk number in the bottom half of tool. Here's how to prepare a new drive for formatting:^[3]

   1. Right-click the drive and select Initialize Disk.
   2. Check the box next to the hard drive.
   3. Select MBR (Master Boot Record) if the drive is smaller than 2TB, or GPT (GUID Partition Table if it's 2TB or larger.
   4. Click OK.
   5. Right-click the "Unallocated" box to the right of the disk and select New Simple Volume.
   6. Click Next.
   7. Specify a partition size (optional) and click Next.
   8. Select a letter for the new drive and click Next.
   9. Skip to Step 5.
3. 
   Right-click the drive or partition you want to format. A context menu will expand.
4. 
   Click Format on the menu.
5. 
   Type a name for the hard drive into the "Volume label" field. This is how the drive will be identified on your computer (e.g., Games, Music, New Drive).
6. 
   Select NTFS from the "File system" drop-down menu. This is the file system typically used with Windows 10. If you don't have specific instructions to choose another file system, this option is what you need.
7. 
   Select Default from the "Allocation unit size" menu. If you have specific instructions to specify an amount here, you can do so. Otherwise, the default option works for most.
8. 
   Check the box next to "Perform a quick format" (optional). A full format can take several hours because it also checks the drive for damage.^[4] A quick format just formats the drive without doing an in-depth check.
9. 
   Click OK to format the drive. A confirmation window will appear.

   1. Formatting can take while (sometimes hours) depending on your hard drive(s). If you're using a laptop and it isn't plugged in to a power source, plug it in now.
10. 
    Click OK to confirm. The drive will now be formatted with the selected parameters.