To completely remove information from the local disk, it is recommended to use the formatting process. This operation allows not only to clear the contents of the hard disk, but also to change its file system.
Necessary
Windows installation discs
Instructions
Step 1
When working with a local disk that does not have the operating system currently being used, you can use standard Windows utilities. Open the "My Computer" menu and right-click on the desired disk partition. Select Formatting.
Step 2
After opening a new menu, select the file system that will be assigned to the partition as a result of formatting. Specify the size of the cluster. If you are not sure of your choice, then select the "Standard cluster size" option. Now click the "Get Started" button. After the warning window appears, click the "Yes" button and wait until the parameters of the hard disk partition are changed.
Step 3
It is better to work in the DOS environment or use special programs to clean up the system volume of the disk. If you have a Windows installation disc, insert it into the drive and turn on the computer. Run the program from this disk. For Windows XP, select Command Prompt Recovery by pressing the R key.
Step 4
In the menu that opens, enter the command format C: / ntfs and press the Enter key. Naturally, C is the letter of the system partition of the disk. Confirm the start of the process by pressing the Y key.
Step 5
For Windows 7 and Vista discs, select the Advanced Recovery Options menu. Open a command prompt and follow the operation described in the previous step.
Step 6
You can also connect the hard drive to a second computer to format the system partition. Follow this procedure. Use standard Windows utilities to format the desired partition, as described in the first example.
