{"id":55492,"date":"2020-11-11T02:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T10:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:drivesaversdatarecovery.com\/\/?p=55492"},"modified":"2023-12-19T05:07:30","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T13:07:30","slug":"what-does-formatting-a-hard-drive-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drivesaversdatarecovery.com\/en-au\/blog\/what-does-formatting-a-hard-drive-do\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does Formatting a Hard Drive Do?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cIf I format my hard drive, what happens?\u201d This is probably one of the most common questions asked by newer computer users.<\/p>\n

Did you know every hard drive begins life being formatted at the factory where it was built? This may surprise you since formatting seems like something you only do when you have a major problem with your drive. But formatting a hard drive can be useful in many different situations. So <\/span>what is formatting<\/b>, really? And what does formatting a hard drive do?
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When a drive is formatted, the past is wiped clean. All the data is removed, and space is made for new data and file systems. There are several different reasons for formatting a disk. You might be concerned about security, need to repurpose the hardware or want to install a new file system on your device. Or you could be attempting to resolve some nasty device errors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whatever the reason, the end result is that when executed properly, <\/span>formatting a hard drive <\/b>improves the performance of your device. But before we get into what formatting a disc does, you need to understand <\/span>how to format a hard drive <\/b>in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n

How to format a hard drive<\/b><\/h2>\n

Now that you know what \u201cformat\u201d means, we\u2019ll get into the actual process. Before beginning any kind of hard drive formatting, backup your data. Never, ever format a drive if your information isn\u2019t also saved to another disk! Formatting can destroy all data on the drive being formatted. (For more insight on deleting data, read Is Your Data Ever Really Gone?)<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Formatting a hard drive <\/b>is actually quite simple. First, we\u2019ll look at how to perform a Quick Format that won\u2019t delete your data. For both Windows and Mac, there are five steps to <\/span>format a drive<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Formatting for Windows<\/span><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s how you can format a non-boot hard drive for Windows.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #1<\/b>: If your drive isn\u2019t already installed on your PC, connect the hard drive to the computer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #2<\/b>: Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to the left side of the window. Right-click on your drive and select \u201cFormat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #3<\/b>: Pick the file system and name it under \u201cVolume Label.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #4<\/b>: Perform a \u201cQuick Format.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #5:<\/b> Click \u201cStart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When the process finishes, you\u2019ll have a clean hard drive to work with. Now, on to the same process for Macs!<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Formatting for Mac<\/span><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s how you can format a non-boot hard drive for Mac.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #1<\/b>: Navigate to the Disk Utility app.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #2<\/b>: Go to \u201cChoose View\u201d and select \u201cShow All Devices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #3<\/b>: Click on the disk you want to erase.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #4<\/b>: Rename the disc, choose the format you want (APFS or Mac OS Extended), and select the \u201cGUID Partition Map\u201d scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #5<\/b>: Click \u201cErase.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Quick Formatting does a great job of cleaning up your hard drive and won\u2019t completely delete all your data. But what if you want to completely and safely wipe your hard drive? If security is a concern because you\u2019re selling or donating your drive, you\u2019ll need a Full Format.<\/span><\/p>\n

Full Formatting is just as simple as Quick Formatting, but remember! A Full Format will delete all the data from your hard drive, so double-check that\u2019s what you really want to do <\/span>before <\/span><\/i>you move forward!<\/span><\/p>\n

Full Formatting for Windows<\/span><\/h3>\n

If your OS is Windows, you\u2019ll follow the previously mentioned process but skip Step #4.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #1<\/b>: If your drive isn\u2019t already installed on your PC, connect the hard drive to the computer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #2<\/b>: Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to the left side of the window. Right-click on your drive and select \u201cFormat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #3<\/b>: Pick the file system and name it under \u201cVolume Label.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #4:<\/b> Click \u201cStart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you have a Mac, the first three steps are the same whether you\u2019re performing a Quick Format or a Full Format:<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #1<\/b>: Navigate to the Disk Utility app.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #2<\/b>: Go to \u201cChoose View\u201d and select \u201cShow All Devices.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #3<\/b>: Click on the disk you want to erase.<\/span><\/p>\n

After Step 3, you\u2019ll continue the process:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #4:<\/b> Click \u201cEdit\u201d in the upper left corner of the window.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #5:<\/b> Click \u201cDelete APFS Volume\u201d from the menu bar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #6:<\/b> You may see an \u201cErase Group Volume\u201d button appear. If so, click the button.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step #7:<\/b> If prompted, click \u201cDelete.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What does formatting a hard drive do?<\/span><\/h2>\n

So <\/span>what happens when you format a drive<\/b>? Regardless of the reason you\u2019re formatting your hard drive, the outcome will be the same every time. This is what you can expect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Outcome #1: Cleans and renews the file system<\/span><\/h3>\n

When you format a hard drive, you pick the type of file system you would like the newly formatted hard disk drive to use (like NTFS or exFAT). When you do a format, hard drive information is essentially cleared and the entire structure for how new data will be saved is changed<\/p>\n

Outcome #2: Improves device performance<\/span><\/h3>\n

Increased device performance is one of the biggest benefits of formatting a hard drives and computers. Formatting acts as a reset that returns operations to how they were when you first bought your computer. But what does formatting a hard drive do that makes it so beneficial?<\/p>\n

When you format, drive space is cleared for you. Once a significant amount of storage space, your device has access to more memory and processes commands much more effectively. Simply put, the more available storage space you have, the faster your computer is! So whether your computer is experiencing lag or is suffering from some strange bugs, formatting your drive may help.<\/p>\n

Formatting a hard drive also tidies up disk space by removing unnecessary or harmful content. This includes malware and other viruses you haven\u2019t been alerted to by your antivirus app. These apps do the best they can to remove such threats, but they aren\u2019t perfect and do occasionally miss dangers.<\/p>\n

Files installed to run the operating system (OS) can become damaged over time causing your device to slow down. When a hard drive is formatted, the OS is reinstalled. Malfunctions or errors in the system are removed, and the OS is restored to peak performance.<\/p>\n

Outcome #3: Deletes the data<\/span><\/p>\n

Will formatting a drive erase the data? Yes! In fact, the reason most people format a hard drive is to delete the contents of the device. If you don\u2019t need the information saved there, formatting is a quick way to clean up with just a few steps.<\/span><\/p>\n

As always, you should be automatically backing up your <\/span>personal<\/span> data on a regular basis to prevent unplanned data loss. But if you suddenly need to format a drive to change your file system, wipe the drive clean or improve performance, you don\u2019t want to lose your most recent data. So take a few minutes to back up your hard drive manually <\/span>to an <\/span>external media<\/span> before formatting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that you know <\/span>what it means to format a computer hard drive<\/span>, there\u2019s no reason not to do it to improve performance. However, it can be risky if you don\u2019t come prepared!<\/span><\/p>\n

As always, you should be automatically backing up your data on a regular basis to prevent unplanned data loss<\/a>. But if you suddenly need to format a drive to change your file system, wipe the drive clean or improve performance, you don\u2019t want to lose your most recent data. So take a few minutes to back up your hard drive manually before formatting. <\/span><\/p>\n

If you find yourself in a situation where you\u2019ve accidentally formatted your disk without a recent backup, hope is not lost. A qualified hard drive recovery specialist may be able to search and restore your data\u2014even from a hard drive that has been formatted. <\/span>Contact DriveSavers today to find out if your data can be successfully recovered<\/span><\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cIf I format my hard drive, what happens?\u201d This is probably one of the most common questions asked by newer computer users. Did you know every hard drive begins life being formatted at the factory where it was built? This may surprise you since formatting seems like something you only do when you have a…","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":55506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[264],"tags":[],"post_series":[],"class_list":["post-55492","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Does Formatting a Hard Drive Do? - User Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What does formatting a hard drive do? 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