When a computer is running, often all kinds of errors occur, which cannot always be eliminated by means of system recovery, sometimes you have to resort to radical measures, for example, formatting a hard disk. Also, if the hard drive is new, it is recommended to format it, thereby preparing it for the full operation of the file system. For those who do not know how to format the disk, we have prepared this article.
So, in order. Formatting a hard drive is the process of creating a markup structure that will help provide access to data in the future. Formatting can be of two types: high-level or low-level.
High-level formatting creates a boot table of sectors, that is, it records the structure of the file system. This type of formatting is necessary so that the hard drive can be used as the main one on which the operating system will be installed. As you understand, when preparing a disk for system installation, this formatting method is used. In addition, as noted above, the low-level formatting method is used. With it, the disk is partitioned into sectors and tracks. When doing this formatting, keep in mind that all data on the hard drive will be erased and cannot be restored. Low-level formatting is used to destroy data, or if there are bad sectors on the disk. How to format a disk in a low-level way? At home, this can not be done, only at the manufacturer, using special equipment. Although there are programs on the software market that mimic this formatting. For domestic needs, this is enough.
Before answering the question of how to format a disk, let's talk about the types of file systems. In almost all cases, it is recommended to use
NTFS or FAT32
file systems . The second is outdated and practically not used, since it seriously limits the size of partitions created for data storage. If you have a modern computer that has a Sata hard drive on board and with one of the latest versions of Windows installed, it is recommended to use NTFS to mark up the hard drive.
The cluster size is recommended to be set to the one specified by default, it is suitable for most tasks performed by ordinary users.
How to format a disk in Windows? If you want to format a hard drive or partition on which the operating system itself is not installed, then you should go to My computer. After that, right-click to select the desired drive, a menu will open, in which you should select "Format Disk". You can perform this procedure by going to “Disk Management”, you can do this by right-clicking on the My Computer - Management icon. Recall that you can format in this way only disks on which the operating system is not installed, otherwise you cannot format the disk.
How to format the disk on which the operating system is installed? For this method, you will need a Windows boot disk, or a third-party program, such as Acronis Disc Director. During the preboot (provided that you have booted from the appropriate media in the BIOS), select the boot disk or program. Then mark the disk.