In the past, you needed to use the Disk Management tool, Command Prompt, or PowerShell to format hard drive, but since build 20197, Windows 10 has a new experience built into the Storage settings to manage drives and partitions more easily. In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to format a hard drive (internal or external) using the “Manage Disks and Volumes” settings available on Windows 10.
Format hard drive on Windows 10 Format hard drive without partition on Windows 10
Format hard drive on Windows 10
To format a hard drive using the Manage Disks and Volumes settings, use these steps: Once you complete the steps, the partition of the hard drive will be formatted. You won’t see any visuals showing the formatting progress, but the “Format” button will be grayed out until the process completes. Manage Disks and Volumes Partition properties button Hard drive format button
Format hard drive without partition on Windows 10
If the storage device doesn’t have a partition, you’ll need to create a new partition and then format the drive. To create and format an external or internal hard drive, use these steps: After you complete the steps, the new partition will be created and formatted with the file system you specified. Once the process is complete, you can start storing files using File Explorer. Manage Disks and Volumes Windows 10 create partition option Create and format hard drive settings The process may take some time to complete. You won’t see any progress visuals, but you’ll receive a notifications when the format is complete, and the drive will appear in File Explorer. If you don’t see the Manage Disks and Volumes settings, it’s likely because you’re not running the version of Windows 10 that includes this feature. At the time of this writing, the feature is available with build 20197 and higher releases. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
