How to format hard drive from BIOS. Formatting a hard drive via BIOS. We use the Acronis Disk Director Suite program
On electronic media, be it flash drives, floppy disks or hard drives, data is stored in cells, like on a chessboard. They are created programmatically, that is, they cannot be physically viewed on the disk. The process of marking media for such cells is called formatting. As a result of this operation, old data is erased.
Formatting may required, if the media is new. The hard drive you just purchased is not partitioned, so it is not suitable for storing data. Also formatting will help when the file system damaged.
As a rule, format the hard drive before installation new operating system on it. This is done to ensure that the OS functions correctly or to get rid of system garbage. You can also clean the media this way from malicious programs that the antivirus missed.
Why use bios for formatting?
In general, the expression “format via BIOS” is incorrect, because the BIOS itself does not have the necessary options. Formatting is carried out using third-party applications, and bios is needed to change download priorities. You cannot perform such operations on a scratch disk. To clear it, you need to boot from another media.
How to install boot from disk or flash drive
Important! Depending on the motherboard model and, the procedure may differ.
After these steps, the system will always boot from the selected media, but if you need to change the priority only once, you can do the following:
How to format a hard drive using a distribution kit
To format a hard drive in this way, you will need a flash drive or cd\dvd on which the Windows 7 or any other installer is recorded.
Format the hdd using third-party programs
There are other formatting options.
A non-system HDD can be formatted using standard Windows operations. To do this you need:
This method will allow you to change the file system.
Every day, many people are interested in the Internet about how to format a disk via BIOS. Friends, this is not a completely correct question, since when using only BIOS, the disk cannot be formatted. In BIOS we only set which device to start the computer from. Well, okay, you will still find the answer to the question in this article, I hope.
Most likely, you are interested in formatting the system drive C, that is, without loading the operating system, since it will not be possible to format such a drive in the system. Therefore, we will talk about formatting the disk without booting the system.
Friends, to format a disk, we need to boot from some bootable media. That is, you can use a boot disk or . This can be a distribution kit with an operating system, a rescue disk, or any LiveCD based on Linux or Win. If you have such a bootable drive, then go into the BIOS and set it to boot from the required device (flash drive or disk).
Formatting a disk using a Windows 7 or 8 installation disk (flash drive)
Important! When you install an operating system from a boot disk or flash drive, formatting of the system disk is already provided in the process itself. To format it, you need to click “Full installation” at the stage of selecting the installation type, and where the partition is indicated, click “Customize” on the disk. Here you will find a link to format the disk.
If you just need to format the system disk, having an installation distribution with Windows 7 or 8, then follow the instructions below.
Boot your computer from the installation media. In the language selection window, hold down the Shift + F10 buttons and it will open. It is on the command line that we will format the intended disk. Please remember that the drive letters may not match the usual ones due to booting from the installation drive. To correctly identify the disk, enter the command
Wmic logicaldisk get deviceid, volumename, size, description
A list of drives and their size in bytes will be displayed, and it will not be difficult to find the required drive. To format it now you need to use the command
format /FS:NTFS Y: /q - quick formatting in NTFS format /FS:FAT32 Y: /q - quick formatting in FAT32,
where Y is the drive letter.
You can specify the disk label, if desired, and confirm formatting of the system disk.
If you use some kind of LiveCD, then it’s even easier. Simply boot into the GUI, find and select the desired drive in Explorer, and format by selecting "Format" from the drive's context menu. This is how you can easily cope with a seemingly complex task.
Situation: you turn on the computer, and there is a “blue screen of death”. You urgently need to format your hard drive, but there is no specialist. In this article we will look at a way to format a hard drive yourself, without outside help.
We reboot the computer and immediately after turning it on, press the Del key to enter the BIOS. It happens that instead of the Del button you need to press Insert, F2, F5, F12. The exact data can be found when the computer boots; at the bottom of the screen a message appears like “to enter the BIOS, press DEL/Insert, etc.” Immediately after these steps, the BIOS window will appear, where you can navigate through bookmarks only through the keyboard, not with the mouse. Go to the “Boot” tab. Now you need to configure it so that when you turn on the computer, it boots not from the hard drive, but from the CD-Rjm boot sector. To do this, go to the “Boot Device Priority” item. Using the F5, F4 keys we set the CDROM value to the first position.
After formatting is completed, the installation process of the Windows operating system will begin immediately.
This is perhaps the fastest and most useful way to format a hard drive.
27.03.2017
Owners of personal computers or laptops may sooner or later encounter such a problem when they urgently need to format their hard drive. The reason for this may be various factors, but the point is that in some cases formatting from an operating system, for example, Windows 7, is impossible. In this case, there is an option to format via BIOS.
Preparatory stage
First of all, you will need to create a bootable USB flash drive or disk with the same operating system.
Also, if you don't have a flash drive, you can use a CD/DVD instead.
BIOS entry options
So, having a bootable media with the operating system recorded on it, you first need to insert it into the USB port on your computer. After this you need to enter the BIOS. Unfortunately, there is no universal solution for this, and depending on the computer manufacturer, the login method is different, but now two ways will be presented on how you can get into it.
Method 1: Knowing the computer manufacturer
If you know which company made your computer, you can easily find out the key to enter the BIOS. To do this, use the hint below. Just look for the name of the manufacturer in the left column, and find out the same key in the right column. By the way, you need to press it when the PC starts, when the initial screen appears.
Method 2: Start screen prompt
If you still couldn’t find the right key using the table above, or you simply don’t know the name of the company that produced your device, then there is another option, although it does not work on all BIOS versions.
Its essence lies in the fact that when you start the computer, at the moment the initial screen appears, the very name of the key that serves as a guide to the BIOS is displayed on it.
But at this stage, difficulties may arise, because, as you know, the loading time of this screen is quite fast, and not everyone will have time to find the hint among the mass of text, especially since its location is different on each computer. Here you can use a trick that few people know about. If you press the key on your keyboard during boot Pause, then it will stop, thereby providing time to discover the treasured inscription. You can see the location of the Pause button in the image below.
Formatting using BIOS
So, the first stage has been completed - we have entered the BIOS, but it is worth immediately making a reservation that such a concept as “formatting via BIOS” is incorrect, since this operation will not be possible. BIOS is just a tool for launching the operating system; of course, it performs some other functions, but all of them are in no way related to the task at hand. In any case, you will need to use some kind of media (Flash card or CD/DVD). Thus, there are three ways you can format your hard drive. It is they who will be discussed below in the text.
Method 1: Using a special program
The first method in turn does not involve using a boot device with a Windows image to format the hard drive, but is also used using a bootable USB flash drive or disk. It consists of using a special program called Acronis Disk Director Suite.
This utility is notable for the fact that it can be used to format your hard drive quite quickly, within a few minutes after launch. It should also be noted that even an inexperienced user can understand it. Its graphical interface is quite friendly. But there are still drawbacks, one of which is its price. The fact is that this software must be purchased. And the price is no longer as friendly as the interface. But you can order a demo version on the website.
So, in order to format a hard drive using the Acronis Disk Director Suite program, you first need to create a bootable USB flash drive with this program. This procedure is different from what you need to do with a Windows entry. Therefore, we will talk about it in more detail.
The first step is to format the Flash card. To do this, follow the instructions.
After a short time, the flash drive will be formatted and ready to be written to Acronis Disk Director Suite.
- Open the program and select the previously formatted flash drive. In this example, its name "FLASH CARD".
- Next, on the left toolbar, in the section "Facilities", Press "Acronis Bootable Media Builder".
- After this, a window will open in which you can immediately click the button "Further".
- Now you have a window in which you need to determine how disks, volumes and network shares are represented. You are taking "Windows-like presentation". It is important that the type of bootable media be "Linux-based". After completing the steps, you need to press the button "Further".
- Skip the next step by pressing the button "Further".
- Now you need to select the bit size of your system. In this example, 64-bit is used, so put a checkmark next to it and click "Further".
- At this stage, you need to select a previously formatted flash drive. In this case, it's "FLASH CARD (F:)". Select it and click "Further".
- We also ignore the next step by pressing "Further".
- Now all previously selected actions will be displayed in front of you. If there are no discrepancies, then you can press "Continue". Otherwise, go back a couple of steps and correct everything according to the instructions.
Advice. You can find out the operating system bit depth by right-clicking on "My computer" and selecting the item "Properties".
After all the manipulations have been completed, the creation of a bootable flash drive with the presented program will begin. This process takes a little time. After creating it, you can proceed directly to formatting the hard drive through the BIOS using the Acronis Disk Director Suite program.
- File system. This topic is quite extensive and there is no point in delving into it, but it is worth noting that if you decide to format your hard drive for subsequent installation of the Windows operating system on it, then it is better to choose NTFS. If you are going to install one of the many Linux distributions, then specify EXT3. If you are formatting a flash drive, then FAT32 will be the best choice.
- Cluster size. There can be no clear instructions here, it is only worth indicating that the cluster size must be selected based on the size of the files that will be stored on the formatted device. If you know that the disk will be filled with large files, then set the highest value; otherwise, set the lowest value. If you don’t know, then choose the option "Auto".
- Volume Label. Here you can enter the name of the formatted disk. This field is not required to be filled out.
After formatting one disk, you can continue working with the program. And after completing all the steps, you can simply restart your computer.
Method 2: Using the Command Prompt to Install Windows
So, the first way is to use the command line, which can be opened during the first stages of Windows installation. All examples and images will be carried out on Windows 7, but they can also be used for newer versions, of course, with some nuances that will be discussed.
- Having entered the BIOS, you must immediately go to the tab "Boot".
- After you get into it, you should turn your attention to the section "Hard Disk Drives". Enter it.
- In it you need to select a device that will be detected by the system as a hard drive. If you have only one hard drive, and you use a flash drive as a boot device, then you will see approximately the same screen as shown in the image below, where "SATA: 3M-ST31000528"- this is a hard drive, and "USB: Kingston DataT"- bootable flash drive.
- The image shows that the hard drive is selected "SATA: 3M-ST31000528", we need to change this value to the flash drive. To do this, choose "1st Driver" and press Enter.
- A selection panel will appear in front of you, approximately the same as shown below. As you might guess, it is necessary to highlight "USB: Kingston DataTraveler" and press Enter.
- After this, all manipulations in this section will be completed and you can exit it using the key Escape. But this is not the end. Now you need to select a priority device that will boot when you turn on the computer. This is done in another section, called "Boot Device Priority". Enter it.
- If you are installing using a flash drive, then everything in this section should be selected correctly - on the contrary "1st Boot Device" The name of the bootable flash drive is indicated. And all you need to do here is make sure of this. If for some reason the flash drive is not selected, then return to the second point of this instruction and do all the manipulations again. As a result, exit this section using the key Escape.
- If you have selected a disk as the boot device, you will need to make the disk drive a priority. This is done in the same way as described in the fourth and fifth sections. You are taking "1st Boot Device", press Enter and identify your drive, in this case "CD/DVD: 4M-ASUS DRW-24B3ST". After that, exit to the main menu by clicking Escape.
- Now all that remains is to save all the changes and restart the computer to boot from the drive on which the Windows Installer is located. To do this, first you need to go to the tab "Exit".
- In this tab you need to select "Save Changes and Exit" and press Enter.
Clue! All manipulations within the BIOS are performed using the keyboard. A list of all active keys is on the screen. Their location may vary depending on the BIOS version.
Clue! To exit the BIOS, saving all changed settings, you can use the key F10.
After completing all the steps in the instructions, your computer will reboot and begin its startup, using the drive you selected as the priority device.
After this, the first stage of Windows installation will appear - selecting the system language. To format your hard drive using the command line, follow these steps:
After the manipulations have been completed, formatting of the disk you have chosen will begin, you will be notified of its completion, after which you can safely restart the computer or continue to do work on it. This was the first way to format a hard drive through BIOS, using the command line for this purpose.
Method 3: Using Windows Installer
If the previous method did not suit you for some reason, a simpler one will now be presented. At a minimum, this is true, because the graphical interface will be used, which is provided by the Windows installer itself.
So, using step-by-step instructions, you can easily format your hard drive in a few minutes. Since the instructions for starting a computer from a boot device were given above, the start will be from the moment you select the language.
As a result, after pressing the button "OK", the disk will be formatted after a while. Next, as last time, you can continue installing Windows, or restart your computer to do other work.
Conclusion
Above we discussed three ways to format a hard drive through BIOS. Of course, the BIOS itself takes little part in this, but it is a key link in performing all the tasks presented. It is also worth noting that, depending on the components of the personal computer themselves or due to differences in operating systems, there may be inconsistencies when working with a hard drive, but they are not significant and will consist mostly of small things.
If you are faced with the task for the first time, then it is advisable to practice on virtual machines, like
Beginner users often ask how to format a hard drive through BIOS. Unfortunately, it is impossible to format a disk using BIOS alone. The BIOS simply does not provide such a function. But, you can format the hard drive using Windows Installer or using the command line that is available on the Windows installation disk. In this article we will look at both of these possibilities.
How to format a hard drive using Windows Installer
If you want to format your hard drive in order to install an operating system on it, you can do this using the Windows Installer. In this case, you don’t have to look for any additional boot disks or tricky methods like formatting through BIOS. All you need is a disk or flash drive with the Windows operating system. If you don’t have such a disk or flash drive, then you can read our articles about or.
If you already have a disk/flash drive, then you can start installing Windows. Connect your flash drive or disk to your computer and go to BIOS. Here you need to change the boot priority from disks so that the computer boots first from our flash drive or disk. You can read about how this is done in our article about.
After that, we boot from our disk or flash drive, start the Windows installation and follow the installer’s instructions until a menu for selecting a disk appears on the screen. In this menu, you need to select with the mouse the disk that you want to format and click on the “Disk Settings” button, which is located under the list of disks.
After this, a number of buttons will appear for setting up the disk, including the “Format” button. Click it to format the selected disk.
The system will warn you about deleting files on this drive. Click "Ok" to start formatting.
Once the formatting is complete, you can continue installing Windows on the newly formatted drive. As you can see, in order to install Windows there is absolutely no need to format your hard drive via BIOS; everything you need is already built into the operating system installer.
How to format a hard drive using the command line
If you need to format your hard drive but don't plan to install Windows, you can use the command line that's built into your Windows boot disk.
To access this command line, boot from the Windows installation disc, but do not install the operating system. Instead, press the key combination SHIFT+F10. This will bring up the command line.
Once the command prompt appears, run the command " wmic logicaldisk get deviceid, volumename, size, description" This command will display information about hard drives, as well as the letters that are assigned to them. Please note that this command line may assign drive letters that are different from those assigned to them in your working Windows.
After this, you can start formatting. To do this, run the command “format /FS:NTFS X: /q”. Just replace “X” with the letter of the drive you want to format
After formatting your hard drive is complete, close Command Prompt and restart your computer.