Formatting an external hard drive can result from several causes: either it’s new and you want to partition it, or it has suffered a failure due to a malfunction and you want to clean it. Whatever the reason, formatting your HDD must follow precise rules so that it works optimally afterward. Is this procedure always necessary, and how do you go about it? Let’s take a look!

Why format your hard drive?

How do you format a hard drive, and why do it? Several reasons may prompt your decision:

The hard drive is new

If you’ve just purchased your hard drive, you need to clean it in order to partition it. Partitioning lets you divide it into several zones in which you can store and manage your data separately.

The computer is slow

It can happen that your operating system (usually Windows) slows down your computer. This occurs when updates, files, and other programs are installed. These clutter up memory and can affect how the machine runs. Formatting is an excellent solution in this case.

Viruses present

How do you get rid of viruses on an HDD? Formatting can be the only good alternative if you’re unable to download antivirus software to eradicate the malicious programs.

A space problem

You can also format your hard drive if you’re running out of space. How do you proceed in this case? You must first back up your data before carrying out the operation. Afterward, you’ll be able to recover it and use it again.

Choosing the right format for formatting

Whether you’re on Windows or Mac, you need to choose the right file system for formatting your hard drive:

  • FAT32: this is one of the most widely used formats. It’s compatible with several types of devices and files. However, its storage capacity is limited to 4 GB.
  • NTFS: it’s convenient for formatting the main (internal) drive, and even external ones. It can be used on a wide range of devices and supports large files, beyond 4 GB.
  • exFAT: it’s specially suited to removable storage and facilitates file transfers between several operating systems.
  • APFS: it’s compatible with Mac and is specially designed for flash storage and SSDs. However, it works on all types of hard drives.

How to format your hard drive?

So, how do you format a hard drive? The procedure depends on the operating system you’re using.

On Windows

If you’re on Windows, several options are available to you:

Disk Manager

You can use your PC’s disk manager to format your HDD. How does it work?

  • Simply search for the manager in the “Start” menu.
  • Once it’s open, you’ll see the various hard drives and their partitions.
  • Then right-click on the one you’re interested in, and choose “Format.”
  • You’ll be prompted to choose the format type before formatting (NTFS, FAT32, exFAT). Finally, you can start the process and wait for the operation to finish.

With Command Prompt

It’s also possible to format your HDD using the Windows Command Prompt. How?

  • First, launch it from the “Start” menu, running it as administrator.
  • Then you’ll need to run the “DiskPart” command and enter the “List Disk” command to see the devices connected to your computer.
  • After that, you’ll need to select the device to clean by entering its name command (for example, ‘Select Disk 0’).
  • Finally, you’ll need to run the “Clean” command to erase all the data on your device and create new partitions.

Windows File Explorer

You can also use Windows File Explorer to delete files on your HDD. How do you proceed? Simply open it, right-click on the appropriate device, and choose the “format” option.

On Mac

It’s also possible to format your hard drive on Mac. To do this, you need to:

  • Go to your computer’s Finder, and select “Utilities.”
  • Then choose Disk Utility, in order to select the HDD you want to format.
  • Finally, click “Erase” to proceed with formatting your device. Of course, you’ll need to choose the appropriate format (exFAT, APFS) before starting the operation.

Now that you know how to format a hard drive, feel free to put these instructions into practice. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to contact us at Chronodisk. Our services are available to you at any time.