Formatting a drive in Windows is a common task that involves preparing a storage device for use by erasing all data and setting up a file system. This process can be done using both the graphical interface and command-line tools like Command Prompt (CMD) and PowerShell. Below, we'll explore both methods to help you format a drive effectively.

Examples:

1. Formatting a Drive Using the Graphical Interface:

   • Step 1: Open "File Explorer" and locate "This PC" in the left pane.
   • Step 2: Right-click on the drive you wish to format and select "Format."
   • Step 3: In the Format dialog box, choose the file system (e.g., NTFS, FAT32, exFAT) and allocation unit size. You can also label the volume.
   • Step 4: Click "Start" to begin the formatting process. A warning will appear indicating that all data will be erased. Confirm to proceed.

2. Formatting a Drive Using Command Prompt (CMD):

   • Step 1: Press Win + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open Command Prompt.
   • Step 2: Type diskpart and press Enter to open the DiskPart utility.
   • Step 3: Type list disk to display all connected drives.
   • Step 4: Identify the disk number of the drive you want to format. Type select disk X (replace X with the disk number) and press Enter.
   • Step 5: Type clean to remove all partitions and data on the drive.
   • Step 6: Type create partition primary to create a new partition.
   • Step 7: Type format fs=ntfs quick (or replace ntfs with fat32 or exfat as needed) to format the drive.
   • Step 8: Type assign letter=X to assign a drive letter (replace X with your desired letter).

3. Formatting a Drive Using PowerShell:

   • Step 1: Press Win + X and select "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" to open PowerShell with administrative privileges.
   • Step 2: Type Get-Disk to list all available disks.
   • Step 3: Identify the disk number of the drive you want to format. Type Clear-Disk -Number X -RemoveData (replace X with the disk number) and confirm the action.
   • Step 4: Type New-Partition -DiskNumber X -UseMaximumSize -IsActive -AssignDriveLetter to create a new partition.
   • Step 5: Type Format-Volume -DriveLetter X -FileSystem NTFS -NewFileSystemLabel "LabelName" to format the drive (replace X with the drive letter and "LabelName" with your desired volume label).