How to Format a Hard Drive Partition for Free

What does formatting a partition mean?

When you format a partition, hard drive, USB flash drive, memory card, or any other storage device, you delete all the existing data on the drive and set a new file system (like NTFS and FAT32) for the partition, disk, or removable storage device to store data. By the way, a file system controls the way data is stored and retrieved on a partition and acts as a bridge between the data on the hard drive and the Windows operating system.

When to Format a Hard Disk Partition

You need to format a hard drive partition in the following cases, as formatting it erases data and assigns a file system to the selected partition so that Windows can use it:

Partition a hard drive

When you create partitions on a disk, formatting the selected space is an automatic process of partitioning the hard drive. Why? Because by creating partitions, you're making the unutilized blocks usable, which calls for setting up a file system. As you know by now, that's what formatting is for. Hence, formatting the drive is necessary when partitioning a hard disk.

If you want to partition and format the hard drive, you don't need to format it separately because the process of creating a partition includes formatting. Learn here how to partition hard drive.

Repair RAW Partition

You may be as confused as many other users about what RAW partition format is. Reading the explanation will make things clear to you.

Each active partition has a file system, which you can check by right-clicking on it and selecting "Properties." A partition will show up as RAW in File Explorer or Disk Management when its file system is corrupted, lost, or not recognized by the current operating system. To fix a RAW partition, you need to convert RAW to NTFS, FAT32, or another Windows-compatible file system and then format it to make it usable again. It's worth noting that you should first recover data from the RAW partition before formatting the drive. You can do this by referring to our guide on how to recover a RAW drive.

Delete data from a partition or disk

Since formatting will remove all existing data on the selected partition or device, it can be used as a method to clean up a partition, disk, or storage media. However, with professional hard drive recovery software, the formatted data can be restored. If you want to permanently delete files, you can use secure erase hard drive instead.

Aside from the reasons mentioned above, some users may also choose to format a partition to get rid of viruses or malware. Whatever the reason is, you can format a hard drive partition with the methods below.

How do I format a hard drive partition?

You can format a hard drive partition easily with free disk formatting software or Disk Management. You can choose anyone to format your hard drive/disk. However, considering the practical features, Partition Master is a better partition tool worth trying. Please see the differences between the free partition manager and the built-in Windows tools.

Comparison between Free Partition Master and Disk Management

Here is a comparison between Partition Master and the built-in Windows Disk Management that may help you quickly decide which to use:

If you upgrade to the Pro version, you'll also get access to more advanced features: System Migration, Partition Recovery, Create WinPE Bootable Disc, Dynamic Disk Management, and more. In short, it's not just for partitioning and formatting your hard drive, but can come in handy in many other disk/partition management scenarios.

Method 1: Format the Partition with Free Formatting Tools

A free partition manager tool, Partition Master, lets you easily format any hard drive. It's a versatile disk management tool that also aids in creating, resizing, moving, merging, and cloning partitions.

The following scenarios might apply to your need to split an existing partition or extent:

Scenario 1: How to format an existing partition

Case 2: How to Format a New Partition

CASE 1: How to reformat an existing partition

Step 1: Right-click on the hard drive partition and select "Format."

Step 2: In the new window, set the "Volume Label," "File System," and "Cluster Size," then click "OK."

Step 3: A warning window will appear; click "Yes" to continue.

Step 4: Click on “Perform 1 Task,” and then click “Apply” to begin formatting the hard drive partition.

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Case 2: How to Format a New Partition

If the drive is unpartitioned or unformatted, it will not show up in File Explorer. The following guide will teach you how to initialize the partition, create a new one, and format it.

Step 1: Run Partition Master and enter “Partition Management” interface.

Step 2: Right-click the target disk (HDD or SSD) and choose "Initialize as MBR" or "Initialize as GPT." Click "Perform Tasks" and "Apply" to save the changes.

0:00-0:18 Initialize as MBR; 0:19-0:44 Initialize as GPT;

Then click Resize/Move to create the new partition and format it as described in Scenario 1.

You can format almost any drive on your computer or any Windows-compatible storage device, except for the C: drive (the system drive). If you want to format the C: drive, see our article on how to format the C: drive in Windows 10.

Besides, in some rare cases, you may encounter issues like SD card won't format. Learn how to fix it if needed.

Method 2: Format the Hard Drive Partition with Disk Management

Disk Management is a built-in tool in the Windows operating system used for managing and configuring internal or external hard drives. It also enables you to create and format partitions.

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Step 1. Right-click on "This PC" and select "Manage".

Step 2. Open Disk Management.

Step 3: Right-click on the “Unallocated” space on your hard drive and select “New Simple Volume”.

Step 4. Follow the instructions in the New Simple Volume Wizard.

**Step 5:** Specify the size of the partition you want to create, or accept the default maximum size, then click **Next**.

Step 6: Accept the default drive letter or choose a different one to identify the partition, then click “Next.”

Step 7: In the Format Partition dialog, do one of the following:

To format the volume now, click Next. To format the volume using the default settings, click Next.

Format existing partition:

Step 1: Right-click "This PC" and select "Manage".

Step 2. Open Disk Management.

Step 3: Right-click on the target hard drive partition and select "Format".

Step 4. Give it a label, choose a filesystem, and click OK to format the drive.

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Bottom line

"Format" is a common function, usually needed when creating partitions, repairing RAW partitions, or deleting data from a drive. You can format a hard drive partition using formatting tools or Windows Disk Management with simple steps. However, since formatting leads to data loss, it's essential to back up data on the selected drive beforehand, either by manually copying files or using data recovery software when the partition or device is inaccessible.

"People also ask,"

What does formatting a partition mean?

Formatting a partition refers to selecting a designated segment on a hard drive and setting it up as a file system, while deleting or erasing all data and settings within. For Windows systems, formatting a partition can be accomplished using tools like Partition Master and Disk Management.

2. Can I use different formats for the partitions?

Yes, for formatting purposes, we recommend using Partition Master to format partitions when needed. The disk management tool is the common solution we mentioned earlier.

3. Which is Better: exFAT or NTFS?

NTFS is usually faster for reading and writing. exFAT is supported by more devices than NTFS. NTFS is a great choice for internal drives, while exFAT is better for flash drives. Your choice of file system might depend on what type of device you have.

What will happen if I format a partition?

If you have the necessary data, formatting the partition will delete everything, and you will lose it permanently. The safe way is to back up important stuff first, then proceed.