How to Format Hard Drive from Command Prompt in Windows 10, 8, 7?

How to Format Hard Drive from Command Prompt in Windows 10, 8, 7?

Geeks - Formatting a hard drive means wiping all the data from the drive and preparing it for use with a new operating system or file system. There are several ways to format a hard drive, including using the Windows operating system's graphical user interface (GUI) or using the command prompt. In this article, we will focus on how to format a hard drive from the command prompt in Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7.

Before we begin, it's important to note that formatting a hard drive will erase all the data on the drive, so make sure to back up any important files before proceeding.

Here's how to format a hard drive from the command prompt in Windows:

Open the command prompt as an administrator:

In Windows 10, right-click on the Start button and select "Command Prompt (Admin)".

In Windows 8, go to the Start screen and type "cmd". Right-click on the "Command Prompt" icon and select "Run as administrator".

In Windows 7, click on the Start button and type "cmd" in the search box. Right-click on "Command Prompt" and select "Run as administrator".

Type the following command to list the available drives:

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diskpart

list disk

This will show a list of all the available disks on your computer. Make a note of the number of the hard drive you want to format.

Type the following command to select the hard drive you want to format:

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select disk [number]

Replace [number] with the number of the hard drive you want to format.

Type the following command to create a new partition on the selected hard drive:

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create partition primary

Type the following command to select the new partition:

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select partition 1

Type the following command to format the selected partition:

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format fs=[file system] quick

Replace [file system] with the file system you want to use for the partition. Some common file systems include NTFS (for Windows), exFAT (for removable drives), and FAT32 (for compatibility with older systems).

Type the following command to assign a drive letter to the formatted partition:

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assign letter=[drive letter]

Replace [drive letter] with the letter you want to assign to the partition.

Type the following command to exit the diskpart utility:

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exit

That's it! You have successfully formatted the hard drive from the command prompt. You can now use the drive to store files or install a new operating system.

It's worth noting that formatting a hard drive is just one way to prepare a drive for use. If you want to completely erase all data on the drive and make it impossible to recover, you can use a tool like DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) to securely wipe the drive. This is often necessary when disposing of an old computer or selling a used hard drive.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions or need further assistance.