The most frequently asked question: "How to format a hard drive on a laptop or desktop computer?" Why is this necessary? This article will describe how to conduct this procedure and its purpose.
Format the internal hard drive using the built-in software tools
The Windows operating system already has built-in utilities that allow formatting without using third-party software. This process can be performed in two ways:
- Formatting using the disk control panel. In this case, you need to call the context menu by moving the cursor to the "My Computer" icon on the desktop and clicking on the right mouse button. Next, select "Management", after which a new window will open in which all available functions will be displayed. In the left part of it you need to select "Storage devices", and after that - "Disk Management". In the right part of the window, all storage media, their file system will be displayed, and the opportunity to work with them will be provided.
- Formatting with Explorer. To complete the task, just move the mouse cursor over the "My Computer" icon and, left-clicking on it, open a new window. In its left part all information storages will be displayed. Select the required drive, hover, right-click, and in the context menu that appears, select the "Format" function. Next, set all the necessary parameters and click on the "Start" button.
Formatting BIOSa Hard Drive
This function is performed in the following cases:
- Software installation. It is performed both through the built-in capabilities of any distributions, and when attracting third-party programs such as Acronis. It should be remembered that if this operation is carried out with a drive that was already in operation, then before formatting the hard drive on a laptop or desktop computer, you must make a backup copy of all the information on it.
- When replacing the HDD. The essence of the work is to break the new hard disk into logical partitions and then install the software. In this case, you can do with the standard features of the installed software and not use other programs.
View media files
Many people want to repeatedly watch their favorite movies, listen to music or rummage through a family photo archive, resorting to using a large screen TV and DVD player or any other device that supports reading information from external media via USB. However, standard plastic media (CD) sooner or later scratch and, as a result, fail. And the amount of information recorded on them is negligible. And what way out of this situation can be found? Ordinary hard drives for laptops and the so-called "pockets" (special devices for connecting hard drives to other devices) come to the rescue.
But that is not all. It is worth remembering that a DVD player or the same car radio supports only one format of an external drive, and in order for everything to work correctly, you must format the hard drive in fat32 before recording multimedia files. So, the device will recognize an external source and normally read all the information.
What if the hard drive asks to format it?
During the operation of hard drives, situations arise in which the operating system may suddenly ask you to format the internal hard drive. This can be associated with a number of various reasons, the main of which is a malfunction in the drive. Particular attention should be paid to the fact that carrying out the procedure using the built-in software tools is not recommended, since all information stored on the drive will be deleted. Before formatting the hard drive on a laptop or desktop computer, you should use a third-party utility that will allow you to backup information. Many of the experts in this case recommend using the Acronis program or GetDataBack. How to use these applications is quite readily described in the instructions for working with them. This method is also suitable in cases where a flash drive or external hard drive asks to format them.
In cases where this method has not yielded positive results, you should immediately stop further actions and contact a certified service center.
Deletion of information during pre-sale preparation
In our life, there are situations when you have to part with your favorite PC. And for this it is necessary to conduct pre-sale preparation and remove all information that is unnecessary for a potential buyer. In such cases, the logical question arises: "How to format the hard drive on a laptop or desktop computer so that it is not possible to recover deleted files and folders?"
To do this, you need to make a backup copy of all the information, format the all-logical disks, then write any kind of files to them and then reformat them. At the last stage of preparing a PC for sale, you need to replace your old operating system with a new one. This procedure is carried out directly from under the BIOSa using the installation disk.
Could frequent formatting of the hard drive do any harm to it?
Contrary to popular belief, I would like to note that even the most frequent formatting of the hard drive of a laptop, desktop computer or external drive can not do any harm. This procedure does not contribute to the demagnetization of the surface of the plates, the appearance of damaged sectors, premature wear of the HDD drive or any other failure that could lead to damage to the drive. All these are myths that are not backed by facts. The surest way for a hard drive to landfill is improper operation, overheating, or shaking.