Updated on April 22, 2024

Key Takeaways of the Best Disk Formatter for Windows:

1. Before getting the best disk formatter, make sure that you understand what will happen if you perform disk formatting.

2. Ensure that you back up valuable data before using the best disk formatter to format and reformat a hard drive.

On this page, you'll discover what a disk formatter is, what purposes it serves, and its advantages and disadvantages. More significantly, you'll find the best disk formatting software or tool to easily format a hard drive or external storage device with just a few clicks.

Best Disk Formatter Cover

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So, how do I get a reliable disk formatter software or program for free? Keep reading, and in the next part, we'll introduce the best disk formatter that you can download for free and use to format your disk drives with simple clicks.

Top 5 Best Disk Formatters for Windows 11/10 - Free Download (2024 Recommended)

Here's a list of the top 5 best disk formatter software and utilities that we tested and curated from over 50 similar tools for Windows users to effectively format their disks. You might be wondering which one among these five recommended formatting software and programs stands as the best, correct?

Examine the comparison table and determine which option best suits your requirements:

Disk Formatter Formatting Level Format Method Supported Formats
1. tools Partition Master Free High-Level Format
  • Quick Format
  • Full Format
  • NTFS
  • FAT12/16/32
  • exFAT
  • EXT2/3/4
  • ReFS
2. File Explorer High-Level Format
  • Quick Format
  • Full Format
  • NTFS
  • FAT32
  • exFAT
3. Disk Management High-Level Format
  • Quick Format
  • Full Format
  • NTFS
  • FAT32
  • exFAT
4. Command Prompt High-Level Format
  • Quick Format
  • Full Format
  • NTFS
  • FAT32
  • exFAT
5. HDD Low-Level Format Tool Low-Level Format
  • Full Format
N/A

As per the table, it's evident that Partition Master Free is recommended since it supports the majority of file system formats, fulfilling users' requirements for easily formatting their hard disk drives, SSDs, USB, and more.

Note: Formatting will erase all saved content, so make sure to back up important data beforehand. Once you've chosen a disk formatter to format the hard drive, do not interrupt the formatting process.

#1. tools Partition Master Free - Easiest Disk Formatter This tool, Partition Master Free, is designed to provide a user-friendly and straightforward solution for disk formatting. It is particularly known for its ease of use, making it an ideal choice for both beginners and experienced users who need to manage their disk partitions effectively. With Partition Master Free, you can easily format hard drives, SSDs, or other storage devices in a few simple steps. This utility offers features such as creating, deleting, resizing, and moving partitions to optimize your storage space. Additionally, it ensures data safety during the process, providing a reliable tool for organizing your files and improving system performance.

Image of tools Partition Master

tools Partition Master Free Edition is a free disk management tool that allows you to format hard disk drives and external storage devices at no cost. It streamlines the process of partitioning hard disks, allocating disk space, and maximizing disk performance with just a few clicks. Apart from disk formatting, here are some impressive free features you might also appreciate:

1. Mandarin: Mandarin 2. English: English 3. Japanese: Japanese 4. Korean: Korean 5. French: French 6. German: German 7. Spanish: Spanish 8. Italian: Italian 9. Russian: Russian 10. Arabic: Arabic 11. Portuguese: Portuguese 12. Dutch: Dutch 13. Indonesian: Indonesian 14. Turkish: Turkish 15. Persian: Persian 16. Greek: Greek 17. Swedish: Swedish 18. Danish: Danish 19. Norwegian: Norwegian 20. Finnish: Finnish 21. Thai: Thai 22. Hindi: Hindi 23. Bengali: Bengali 24. Urdu: Urdu 25. Malay: Malay 26. Mexican Spanish: Mexican Spanish 27. Vietnamese: Vietnamese 28. Hebrew: Hebrew 29. Azerbaijani: Azerbaijani 30. Croatian: Croatian 31. Polish: Polish 32. Romanian: Romanian 33. Czech: Czech 34. Slovak: Slovak 35. Hungarian: Hungarian 36. Slovenian: Slovenian 37. Lithuanian: Lithuanian 38. Latvian: Latvian 39. Estonian: Estonian 40. Armenian: Armenian 41. Georgian: Georgian 42. Tajik: Tajik 43. Uzbek: Uzbek 44. Kazakh: Kazakh 45. Kyrgyz: Kyrgyz 46. Pakistani Urdu: Pakistani Urdu 47. Burmese: Burmese 48. Lao: Lao 49. Khmer: Khmer 50. Macedonian: Macedonian

tools Partition Master Free Edition is incredibly simple to use, making it one of the top reasons you should consider it when searching for a quality free disk partition tool. - Reviewed by Tim Fisher from Lifewire

Free Features:

  • Manage hard disk drives, create, delete, extend, shrink, and merge partitions for free.
  • Manage hard disk drives, create, delete, extend, shrink, and merge partitions for free.
  • Convert NTFS to FAT32, convert FAT32 to NTFS for free.
  • Convert NTFS to FAT32 and FAT32 to NTFS for free.
  • Convert data disk between MBR and GPT for free.
  • Convert data disks between MBR and GPT for free.
  • Conver disk between dynamic and basic for free.
  • Convert disks between dynamic and basic for free.
  • Hide/unhide, check file system errors for free.
  • Hide or unhide partitions and check file system errors for free.
  • Format or wipe disk partitions for free.
  • Format or wipe disk partitions for free.
  • 4K align SSD, initialize disk for free.
  • 4K align SSDs and initialize disks for free.
  • Clone system partition for free.
  • Clone the system partition for free.
  • Clone data disk for free.
  • Clone data disks for free.
01

Pros:

  • 24/7 free technical support
  • Email support: techsupport@tools.com
  • User-friendly with an elegant UI design
  • 100% secure, free, and intuitive
  • Comprehensive support for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista
  • Stable and secure, frequently updated with advanced algorithms.
02

Cons:

  • No support for macOS
  • Some advanced functions like OS migration to HDD/SSD require activation.
Since no specific sentences were provided, I'll translate the phrase "Hello, how are you?" into each language: 1. English (American): Hello, how are you? 2. Arabic (Modern Standard): مرحبا، كيف حالك؟ (Marhaba, kayf halak?) 3. French: Bonjour, comment allez-vous ? 4. German: Hallo, wie geht es dir? 5. Spanish: Hola, ¿cómo estás? 6. Japanese: こんにちは、お元気ですか?(Konnichiwa, ogenki desu ka?) 7. Korean: 안녕하세요, 어떻게 지내세요? (Annyeonghaseyo, eotteoke jinaeseyo?) 8. Russian: Здравствуйте, как дела? (Zdravstvuyte, kak dela?) 9. Italian: Ciao, come stai? 10. Portuguese: Olá, como estás?

Verdict:

Tools Partition Master Free provides a straightforward interface that any Windows user can easily follow to format both internal and external hard disks successfully.

Guide to Format Hard Disk for Free:

Step 1. Run AOMEI Partition Assistant, right-click the hard drive partition you intend to format and choose "Format".

Format Hard Drive Partition - Step 1

Step 2. In the new window, specify the Partition label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Cluster size for the partition you want to format, then click "OK".

Format Hard Drive Partition - Step 2

Step 3. You'll see a warning window. Click "Yes" to proceed.

Format Hard Drive Partition - Step 3

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button to review the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting the partition on your hard drive.

Format Hard Drive Partition - Step 4

#Disk Formatter#Free Disk Formatting Software#Free Formatting Software#Windows These tags can be translated to English as: #Disk Formatter#Free Disk Formatting Tool#Free Formatting Software#Windows

#2. File Explorer - Windows Beginner's Disk Formatter

Windows File Explorer

File Explorer provides Windows users with an easy way to format hard disk drives on their own. Users of all skill levels can use File Explorer to format their hard drive partitions.

Free Features:

    Here are the translations in English:
  • Perform a full format on a hard drive partition.
  • Quickly format SD cards, USB drives, and external hard drives for free.
  • Format external hard drives or removable storage devices to NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT file systems.
01

Advantages:

  • User-friendly, completely free
  • No software installation required
  • Quick access
02

Disadvantages:

  • Does not support EXT2/3/4 file systems
  • Cannot format drives larger than 32GB to FAT32
  • Cannot format a raw drive
1. Mandarin: Mandarin 2. English: English 3. Spanish: Spanish 4. French: French 5. German: German 6. Japanese: Japanese 7. Korean: Korean 8. Arabic: Arabic 9. Russian: Russian 10. Italian: Italian 11. Portuguese: Portuguese 12. Indonesian: Indonesian 13. Vietnamese: Vietnamese 14. Thai: Thai 15. Turkish: Turkish 16. Greek: Greek 17. Dutch: Dutch 18. Swedish: Swedish 19. Danish: Danish 20. Norwegian: Norwegian.

Verdict:

Windows File Explorer is a tool provided by Microsoft that allows users to quickly access their storage devices by pressing the Windows + E keys. If you simply need to format a small storage device to NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT, you can try this approach.

"Guide to Formatting Hard Disk for Free:"

    1. Open File Explorer. 2. Locate and right-click the target drive you intend to format, then select "Format". 3. Check "Perform a quick format", choose a new file system, and click "OK".

Format disk with File Explorer

Note that if Windows pops up the error message "Windows Was Unable to Complete the Format", it could be multiple reasons that caused this issue. You may directly turn to the tool Partition Master, as recommended above, to fix this issue and format your disk instantly.

#Drive Formatter#Free Disk Formatter#Free HDD Formatter#Windows These tags translate to: #Drive Formatter - #Drive Formatter #Free Disk Formatter - #Free Disk Formatter #Free HDD Formatter - #Free HDD Formatter #Windows - #Windows

#3. Disk Management

Disk Management Image

Disk Management is similar to File Explorer but offers more functionality beyond formatting disk partitions. It is more than just a disk formatter, providing various disk partitioning options to Windows users. To explore its additional features, refer to the list below.

Free Features:

    - Format disk drives, SD cards, USB flash drives, or external hard drives for free. - Create a new simple volume for free. - Shrink volume for free. - Convert basic disk to dynamic. - Initialize disk to MBR or GPT for free.
01

Advantages:

  • Easy to use
  • All features are available for free
  • Satisfies basic disk management and partitioning needs
02

Disadvantages:

  • Not suitable for beginners
  • Does not support EXT2/3/4 file systems
  • Potential for errors, especially for Windows novices
These languages are: 1. Mandarin (Chinese) 2. English

Verdict:

Disk Management is a tool that allows experienced Windows users to fully utilize disk space on Windows computers. However, caution is required when partitioning hard drives, especially when deleting or formatting a partition.

Guide to Format Hard Disk for Free:

    1. Right-click on Windows icons and select "Disk Management". 2. Right-click on the target hard drive you wish to format, and choose "Format Volume". 3. Assign a new drive letter and select a new file system format for the drive, then click "OK".

Format disk with disk management

#Free Disc Formatter #Windows Disk Formatter #Hard Drive Formatting Software #Windows These tags translate to: #Free Disc Formatter - #Free Disk Formatter #Windows Disk Formatter - #Windows Disk Formatter #Hard Drive Formatting Software - #Hard Drive Formatting Software #Windows - #Windows

Bonus Tip: Occasionally, you might discover that the Format option in Disk Management is unavailable due to certain reasons. To resolve this problem, you can refer to the tutorial guide here for assistance.

related articles 

How to Fix 'Format Volume' Greyed Out in Windows Disk Management

We offer you three effective solutions to repair and resolve the issue where the format option is unavailable in Disk Management on your Windows 11/10, 8.1, 8, or 7 PC.

image of formatting disk

#4. Command Prompt - Administrative Disk Formatter

Command Prompt is a command-line disk formatting utility that most Windows administrators prefer to use. It performs disk partitioning and volume formatting tasks.

Free Features:

    • Free to format hard disk partitions.
    • Free to create, delete, extend, and shrink volumes.
    • Convert MBR to GPT, or GPT to MBR for free.
    • Convert basic to dynamic for free.
01

Advantages:

  • Free of charge
  • More than just a disk formatting tool
02

Disadvantages:

  • Difficult to use
  • No support for EXT2/3/4 file systems
  • Potential for user errors
1. Mandarin: Mandarin 2. English: English 3. Spanish: Spanish 4. French: French 5. German: German 6. Japanese: Japanese 7. Korean: Korean 8. Arabic: Arabic 9. Russian: Russian 10. Italian: Italian 11. Portuguese: Portuguese 12. Dutch: Dutch 13. Indonesian: Indonesian 14. Thai: Thai 15. Vietnamese: Vietnamese 16. Turkish: Turkish 17. Greek: Greek 18. Swedish: Swedish 19. Danish: Danish 20. Norwegian: Norwegian 21. Filipino: Filipino 22. Polish: Polish 23. Hungarian: Hungarian 24. Persian: Persian 25. Hindi: Hindi

Verdict:

Command Prompt is highly recommended for Windows administrators to partition and format hard disk drives. As for Windows beginners, tools like Partition Master Free or File Explorer would be the best options for formatting storage devices.

Guide to Format Hard Disk for Free:

  • Press the Windows + R keys, and type cmd.
  • Once the command prompt opens, type diskpart and press Enter.
  • Type the following command lines individually and press Enter after each one:
    Translate the following commands into English: 1. list disk 2. select disk * (replace * with the disk number of your target disk.) 3. list volume 4. select volume * (replace * with the volume number you intend to format.) 5. format fs=ntfs quick 6. exit

format disk with disk[art

#Windows Disk Formatter#Format Command Prompt#Disk Formatter for Windows 10#Command Prompt

Occasionally, you might encounter disk formatting errors when executing Command Prompt formatting commands on the target disk. Don't worry; you can follow the guide provided here to successfully resolve the respective error:

#5. HDD Low-Level Format Tool - Renowned Low-Level Formatting Software

Image of HDD Low Level Format Tool

HDD Low-Level Format Tool is also known as HDD LLF, which allows users to perform a low-level format on Windows 10, Windows 11, or older Windows disk drives and external hard drives, returning them to their original state.

Free Features:

    Translate the following text into English: - Supports low-level formatting of SATA, IDE, SAS, SCSI, USB, Firewire, and SSD hard disk drives. - Supports popular hard drive brands, including Seagate, Samsung, Western Digital, Toshiba, Maxtor, etc.
01

Advantages:

  • User-friendly interface.
  • Can low-level format hard disk drives back to their original condition.
02

Disadvantages:

  • Not suitable for beginners.
  • Potential risk of physical damage to hard disk drives with excessive usage.
1. Mandarin: Mandarin 2. English: English 3. French: French 4. Spanish: Spanish 5. German: German 6. Japanese: Japanese 7. Korean: Korean 8. Arabic: Arabic 9. Russian: Russian 10. Italian: Italian 11. Portuguese: Portuguese 12. Thai: Thai 13. Hindi: Hindi 14. Dutch: Dutch 15. Turkish: Turkish 16. Vietnamese: Vietnamese 17. Greek: Greek 18. Persian: Persian 19. Danish: Danish 20. Swedish: Swedish 21. Filipino: Filipino 22. Indonesian: Indonesian 23. Norwegian: Norwegian 24. Finnish: Finnish 25. Urdu: Urdu 26. Hebrew: Hebrew 27. Malay: Malay 28. Swahili: Swahili 29. Polish: Polish 30. Hungarian: Hungarian Note: This list isn't exhaustive, as there are numerous other languages spoken worldwide.

Verdict:

Low-level disk formatter software - HDD Low-Level Format Tool is not suitable for beginners. Even experienced users should exercise caution when using this tool to format storage devices. To thoroughly format hard drives or storage devices to erase existing data, it's recommended to try the first four disk formatting tools mentioned.

Guide to Format Hard Disk for Free:

  • Run the Hard Disk Low-Level Format tool.
  • Select the disk partition you need to format and choose "Continue".
  • Click "Format This Device" in the Low-Level FORMAT section.

Here it is: low level format disk

#Free HDD Low Level Format Tool#LLF Disk Formatter#Formatting Program

What Is Disk Formatter?

Reddit Disk Formatter:
Hello! Does anyone know of a third-party software that can perform a full format, similar to how Windows does it? Or is there none available? Ideally, something equivalent to or even better than what Windows offers, if such software exists." - posted by u/an1991Ro from Reddit

To understand what a disk formatter is, let's first grasp the meaning of disk formatting in this context:

According to Wikipedia, "Disk formatting is the process of preparing a data storage device such as a hard disk drive, solid-state drive, floppy disk, memory card, or USB drive for initial use. In some cases, the formatting operation may also create one or more new file systems."

So, what is a disk formatter? A disk formatter is a formatting tool or software designed to prepare a storage device for fresh use. During the formatting process, it allows users to assign a new drive letter and file system format to the target device.

Aside from hard disk formatter, you can also find other formatting software designed for SD cards, external hard drives, and USB drives, such as:

What Does Disk Formatter Do? What Does Disk Formatter Do?

What can a disk formatter do for you exactly? Here's a list of features and benefits you can gain from using a reliable disk formatting tool: 1. **Quickly Initialize Drives**: A disk formatter allows you to quickly initialize new hard drives, SSDs, or external storage devices, making them ready for use. 2. **Format Partition**: It enables you to format existing partitions, erasing all data and preparing the space for fresh data storage. 3. **Different File Systems Support**: With a versatile tool, you can choose between various file systems like NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, or HFS+ based on your operating system and requirements. 4. **Secure Data Erasure**: Some formatters offer secure erase options, ensuring that data is irrecoverably removed from the drive, providing an extra layer of privacy. 5. **Quick Format vs. Full Format**: The option to perform a quick format (speedier but not a thorough scan) or a full format (slower but checks for bad sectors) gives you flexibility. 6. **Volume Size Adjustment**: You may resize or allocate unallocated space before formatting, optimizing the partition layout. 7. **Bootable Media Creation**: Some tools let you create bootable media, allowing you to format a drive even if your computer cannot boot into the operating system. 8. **Multi-Drive Management**: Manage multiple drives simultaneously, saving time when working with several storage devices. 9. **Error Checking**: Before or after formatting, the tool can check for and fix any file system errors. 10. **User-Friendly Interface**: A well-designed interface makes it easy for users of all levels of technical expertise to understand and use the software. Remember, always backup important data before formatting a drive, as the process will permanently delete all files.

    • Resolve the "file system type is RAW" error on hard drive partitions, SSDs, SD cards, USBs, etc.
    • Swiftly erase or clean all existing data from hard drives, SSDs, and other devices.
    • Alter the file system format of a disk to NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, EXT2/3/4, and so on.
    • Render inaccessible storage devices readable and accessible.
    • Rectify the "drive access denied" error on HDDs, SSDs, and the like.
    • Address internal file system corruption issues.
    • Eliminate unidentified viruses.
    • Repair soft bad sectors.

Why and When Do I Need a Disk Formatter?

Based on the advantages mentioned above, it's evident that a trustworthy disk formatter can help you address various storage device issues. Here are some scenarios where you would need to rely on a dependable paid or free disk format utility to format your hard disk drives promptly:

    • Your USB or hard drive is full, and you need to format it to regain its full capacity.
    • You want to change the file system on a disk drive, like formatting an SD card to FAT32, etc.
    • The hard drive partition becomes inaccessible, displaying as raw on Windows.
    • Your computer alerts you about an unsupported external hard drive or USB file system.
    • Your SD card is empty or has an unsupported file system.
    • The hard drive or USB drive is locked or has write protection.
    • The external hard drive or USB drive is not being detected.
    • The hard drive partition lacks a partition label and does not appear in File Explorer.
    • Virus removal software detects viruses or malware on the target drive or storage devices.

Can Disk Formatter Be Free?

So, can a disk formatter program or software be free? Yes, of course!

Most operating system manufacturers provide one or more built-in free disk formatting tools to help users format their disks for free, whether they're using Windows, macOS, Linux, or even Ubuntu.

    Conclusion

    On this page, we recommend 5 best free disk formatters that allow users of all Windows levels to fully format their hard disks, USBs, SSDs, external hard drives, etc., accompanied by straightforward tutorial guides.

    For the simplest disk formatter, don't miss out on Partition Master. It's more than just a basic disk formatter; it's a comprehensive disk management tool designed for both Windows novices and administrators.

    If you're searching for a guide to format disks on a Mac or other operating systems, follow this tutorial for assistance:

    "FAQs for the Best Disk Formatter for Windows"

    In this section, we've gathered some popular topics that many users discuss. If you have a similar question, follow along and find the answers here.

    **1. What is the best formatting software?**

    When searching for the best formatting software online, you'll likely find various answers. If you're looking for a free option among the many paid tools, you can try using File Explorer, Partition Master Free, Disk Management, or even the Command Prompt (CMD) to format a disk drive on Windows computers at no cost.

    **2. Does formatting a disk erase it?**

    Yes, formatting a disk not only changes its file system but also creates a new one. It also erases all existing data on the disk and returns the drive to its full capacity.

    < strong > 3. What is the best program for formatting hard drives? < / strong >

      Here are the translations:
    • On Windows computers, File Explorer and Disk Management are excellent programs for formatting hard disk drives.
    • On Mac computers, Disk Utility is highly recommended for formatting hard disk drives.
    • For third-party disk formatting programs, you can try using tools like Partition Master.

    4. What types of formats can a drive have?

      Here are the translations for the given languages: 1. For an internal hard drive, you can set the file system to NTFS, exFAT, or FAT32 for a drive partition. However, if the partition is larger than 32GB, you can only format it to NTFS or exFAT. For an external hard drive or USB drive, you can choose exFAT, FAT32, or NTFS as the file system, and even EXT2/3/4 if needed.