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How do I format a disk or hard drive?

Formating a disk or drive essentially erases it and allows new information to be written to it. It's a better way to clear a disk than manually deleting all the files. Just be aware that formatting a disk erases everything, so be sure there is nothing on the disk you wish to keep.

The easiest way to format a disk is to right-click on its icon and choose "Format..." from the pop-up menu that appears. This will open a menu containing disk formating options.

Even though it takes longer, it's a good idea to choose the Full Format option rather than Quick Format. This ensures you get full use out of the space on the disk.

Don't try to format the drive with your Windows system on it or you may crash your computer. If you wish to start fresh with a new install, use a bootable WIndows or system restore disk to erase the drive and reinstall the system.

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