Your computer will now boot off of the installation disk.ģ. Save the changes, exit and restart your computer. Select the Boot menu and use the arrow keys to select the CD/DVD drive as the boot drive. To format your Windows PC’s hard drive, insert your Windows disk and restart your computer. When you see the manufacturer’s logo, hold the appropriate key (displayed on-screen) to boot into BIOS Setup.

Boot off of your Windows installation disk How to Format a Hard Drive Windows (Boot Drive)ġ. Recent backup of the drive you plan to format.Hard drive (either external or the boot drive).

How to Format an External Drive or Partition in Mac OS X.

How to Format the Boot Drive in Mac OS X.

How to Format an External Drive or Partition in Windows.

How to Format the Boot Drive in Windows.

WARNING: You will not be able to access any of the drive’s previous data once you format it, so make sure you have a current backup before proceeding. Whereas an external drive is commonly used for extra storage and backups, your computer’s boot drive is the internal hard drive that contains your computer’s operating system.īelow is a step-by-step guide on how to format a hard drive using the latest versions of Windows or Mac OS X.

While formatting a hard drive is not difficult, the process varies depending on whether you are formatting the boot drive or an external drive. The Seagate 2TB USB 3.0 Backup Plus Slim Portable Hard Drive is also a great backup option. Learning how to format a hard drive can be a useful tool for freeing up space, reinstalling your operating system (OS), preparing for a new OS or even as a troubleshooting measure, albeit an extreme one. If you are looking for the best external hard drives, this will be helpful.

How to Format A Hard Drive Mac (External Drive or Partition).

How to Format A Hard Drive Mac (Boot Drive).

How to Format a Hard Drive Windows(External Drive or Partition).

How to Format a Hard Drive Windows (Boot Drive).

How to format my hard drive mac