Can I format the hard drive when installing Windows 11/10/7? Yes, and here's how.

By

Sherly 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 19, 2024

One of the most common queries before installing Windows on our system is, "Can I format my hard drive while installing Windows?" This question often leaves us perplexed, mainly because we're unsure about the correct answer. There could be various reasons for wanting to wipe the entire hard disk during a Windows installation. For instance, some users might want to get rid of malware, while others might do it to enhance the system's performance, and so on.

Here's your translation in UTF-8 encoding: During the installation process, Windows allows you to format the hard drive. However, for this, you need to know the correct steps; otherwise, you might encounter issues while installing. In this article, we have answered this question in detail and shared some simple methods to format the target hard drive for a new Windows installation. So, let's continue reading to find the right solution.

Can You Format the Hard Drive When Installing Windows 11/10?

When installing a new Windows, you can clean the entire hard drive. During the installation process, you will be asked if you want to keep your previous settings and data while installing Windows, or if you just want to install Windows. On this screen, you must select the Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) option to see the Format option. Once selected, you can clean the target hard drive.

Here are some ways you can format your hard drive before and during the installation of a new Windows.

< b > 1. Formatting the hard drive before installing Windows: There's a way to format your hard drive before installing a new Windows. For this, you can use the < b > Partition Master tool or any third-party utility that suits your needs better.

2. Format the hard drive during Windows installation with the custom option: You'll be able to format your hard drive when you see the "What type of installation do you want?" screen during the installation process.

3. Format the hard drive using disk partitioning commands for Windows installation: The last way to clean your hard drive when installing a new Windows is by using disk partition commands. You'll have to execute a few simple commands in the Command Prompt utility.

If you haven't started installing Windows yet, we recommend using Method #1. With Method #1, you can format your hard drive before installing the new Windows. We generally advise users to use this method because it's simple and fast. All the methods mentioned in this guide are reliable and effective. Feel free to refer to this guide and follow any of the mentioned methods.

Read Also: How to Format Hard Drive from BIOS in Windows 10

Guideline 1: Format the hard drive before installing Windows

Applies to: Windows beginners

Choosing this option means your system is running normally and you haven't started installing a new version of Windows yet. Before you install a new version of Windows, we recommend that you back up your current Windows data. That way, you can access your previous Windows content even after you've installed the new one.

Before installing the new Windows 11 or below, you need to use a third-party free partition manager that supports disk formatting. When it comes to formatting a hard drive, we always recommend users use tools Partition Master. This tool allows us to format any hard drive partition, including the C drive, without a hitch.

Run Partition Assistant, right-click the hard drive partition you want to format and choose "Format".

Step 2: In the new window, set the "Volume Label," "File System" (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and "Cluster Size" for the partition to be formatted, then click "OK".

Step 3: A warning will appear. Click “Yes” to continue.

4. Click “Perform 1 Task” to preview the changes, then click “Apply” to begin formatting the hard drive partition.

What else can I do with partitioning tools in preparation for a Windows installation?

• If your disk space is not enough for installing the latest Windows 11, you can use unallocated space to increase the partition.
• You can also convert MBR to GPT disk for Windows 11. Besides, with a GPT disk, you can create more partitions, even more than four.
• With this software, you can learn how to clone a hard drive or copy your partitions on Windows 11.
• This tool covers almost all operations from erasing disk partitions to merging them with other partitions.
• It is compatible with almost all versions of Windows, such as Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1/8, and Windows 7.

You should download Ease Partition Master tool and try it out.

Guideline 2: Formatting Hard Disk during Windows Installation using Custom Options

Applies to: Experienced Windows owners

During the installation process, we'll see a Custom: Install Windows only (advanced) option that will let us choose where we want to install the new Windows. Once we select the target hard disk, it will allow us to format the partition while installing the new Windows. You can follow the steps closely to format a specific partition on your hard drive.

Note: The following steps are for users installing Windows from a bootable USB flash drive. If you're installing Windows from a DVD or another device, you'll need to change your boot order settings in the BIOS. For that, you can follow this guide, which shows the same process in a simple way. Be sure to follow all the steps carefully.

Step 1: First, you'll need to boot your computer from a bootable Windows USB flash drive.

Step 2: Press any key on your keyboard to continue with the installation.

Step 3: Click Next, and then choose Install now.

Step 4: Next, click the I don't have a product key option; you can add one later if you have one.

Step 5: Next, choose the correct Windows edition that matches your Windows product key.

Step 6: Check the box next to “I accept the license terms,” and click Next.

Step 7. You need to select Custom: Install only Windows (advanced) from the given options.

Step 8: Next, select the partition you want to install the new Windows on and format it.

Step 9: After selecting the partition, click on Format, and then click on OK to format the selected hard drive.

That's it.

Guide 3: Formatting Hard Disk during Windows Installation using the Diskpart Command Line

Applies To: Advanced Windows users and administrators

The last method to format your hard drive while installing Windows is by using the Diskpart command-line utility. The Diskpart command helps you view and manage the disk drives on your computer. You can easily format your hard drive using the Diskpart command. We recommend following the steps below to format your hard drive with the Diskpart command.

Step 1: While on the Windows setup screen, press and hold the Shift + F10 keys until the Command Prompt window opens.

Step 2: Type diskpart at the command prompt, and then press Enter.

<Step 3> After running the previous command, type list disk and press Enter to view all the disks on your system.

Step 4: Now, type select disk [disk number] in the Command Prompt to select your hard drive.

Step 6. Type clean in the console to format the selected hard drive, and then press Enter on your keyboard.

<Step 7> Type create partition primary at the command prompt, and press Enter to create a new partition on the existing disk.

Step 8. Next, type in format fs=NTFS to format the drive, as most computers use NTFS for storage.

Step 9: Type assign at the command prompt, and press Enter to assign a new letter to the new partition.

Create new disk

Step 10: You can now close this window and continue with the installation of Windows.

That's it.

Conclusion

Fortunately, Windows allows us to format the hard drive when installing a new version of Windows. In this article, we share three methods to format a hard drive partition when installing Windows. One of the easiest methods is to format the drive before installing a new version of Windows. You can use the Partition Master tool to format your drive and install the new Windows. We recommend trying this tool as it is perfect for hard drive formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions about Formatting Hard Drives during Windows Installation

In this article, we have discussed the process of formatting a hard drive while installing Windows in detail. If you still have questions, we have addressed some common ones in this section. Browse through all the queries to find your answer and clear all your doubts.

1. Will installing Windows 10 format my hard drive?

Installing a new version of Windows doesn't automatically wipe your system's data. However, you can choose to clear your data before or during the installation of Windows.

< strong > 2. Will all my drives be formatted when I install the new Windows?

No, not all drives are formatted during a Windows install. Only the drive you select will be reset, leaving other drives unaffected.

3. Can I format the C drive with Windows running?

Since Windows is installed on the same hard disk, you cannot format drive C while it's running. However, there are tools like Partition Master that can help you format the main hard disk.