Windows xp formatting hard disk

This is not common. In the Allocation unit size textbox, choose Default. The best allocation size based on the size of the hard drive will be chosen. It's not at all common to set a custom allocation unit size when formatting a hard drive in Windows. Next is the Perform a quick format checkbox. Windows will check this box by default, suggesting that you do a "quick format" but we recommend that you uncheck this box so that a "standard format" is performed.

In a standard format , each individual "part" of the hard drive, called a sector, is checked for errors and overwritten with a zero—a sometimes painfully slow process. This procedure ensures that the hard drive is physically working as expected, that each sector is a reliable place to store data, and that existing data is unrecoverable. In a quick format , this bad sector search and basic data sanitization is skipped entirely and Windows assumes that the hard drive is free of errors.

A quick format is very fast. You, of course, can do whatever you like—either method will get the drive formatted. However, especially for older and brand new drives, we'd prefer to take our time and do the error checking right now instead of letting our important data do the testing for us later on.

The data sanitization aspect of a full format is nice, too, if you're planning on selling or disposing of this drive. The final format option is the Enable file and folder compression setting that is unchecked by default, which we recommend sticking with.

The file and folder compression feature allows you to choose files or folders to be compressed and decompressed on the fly, potentially offering considerable savings on hard drive space. The downside here is that performance can be equally affected, making your day-to-day Windows use much slower than it would be without compression enabled. File and folder compression has little use in today's world of very large and very inexpensive hard drives.

In all but the rarest occasions, a modern computer with a large hard drive is better off protecting all the processing power it can and skipping on the hard drive space savings. Review the settings you've made in the last several steps and then click OK. As a reminder, here's what you should see:. Look back at whatever previous steps you need to if you're wondering why these are the best options.

Windows is usually pretty good about warning you before you might do something damaging, and a hard drive format is no exception. Click OK to the warning message about formatting the drive. Just as the warning says, all the information on this drive will be erased if you click OK. You can't cancel the format process halfway through and expect to have half of your data back. As soon as this starts, there's no going back.

There's no reason for this to be scary but we do want you to understand the finality of a format. The hard drive format has begun!

If you chose a quick format , your hard drive should only take several seconds to format. If you chose the standard format , which we suggested, the time it takes the drive to format will depend almost completely on the size of the drive. A small drive will take a small amount of time to format and a very large drive will take a very long time to format. Your hard drive's speed, as well as your overall computer's speed, play some part but the size is the biggest variable.

There's a little overhead involved so don't worry if your drive isn't completely empty. That's it! Your hard drive has been formatted and it's ready for use in Windows. You can use the new drive however you want—back up files, store music, and videos, etc. After selecting a source location, just wait for a while and let Recoverit scan your data.

You can view the progress here and even stop or halt the process. Once the scanning is completed, you can use the inbuilt filters on the sidebar to handpick any file of your choice. You can filter data based on the file type, size, last modified, and so on. In the end, you can just preview your data that would be listed under different sections.

You can preview your photos, videos, documents, etc. This brings us to the end of this extensive guide on how to format a Windows XP hard drive without a CD. As you can see, you can easily format the system or the non-system disk on Windows with or without a bootable CD. Besides that, if you have formatted the drive by mistake and have lost your data, then consider using Recoverit Data Recovery to get your files back. Generally rated 4. Read this informative guide to find out ways to format the Windows drive without its CD.

Download Win Download Mac. Theo Lucia. Hard drive won't boot? Fix it What if a disk unallocated? You Might Also Like. How to Wipe Hard drive in Windows and Mac? Other popular Articles From Wondershare. Press the D key to delete each field. When prompted, press the L key to confirm partition deletion. This will clear old data from the hard drive of the computer. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until the only field left is "Unallocated Space. Press enter to create a new partition of the maximum size.

Method 3. Use the arrow keys to select the new partition. Press enter to install Windows XP to the unallocated space. This will be followed by a list of installation options. Select Quick Format installation. You will want to select the NTSF file system. That is the preferred file system of Windows XP.

If you're reformatting to recover from error, you will want to do a Full Format otherwise your error may still exist. The PC should restart, then select your language and local preferences when prompted to do so. There are quick selection options or you can click on custom settings to receive more options. Enter your desired password. When the administrator password prompt comes up you can enter your desired password.

Pick a password only you would know, but difficult enough for anyone else to guess. Method 4. Get your disc or thumb drive containing your backup. Place your backup in the appropriate drive to restore the documents you backed up before starting this procedure and re-install your applications. Click on the "Start" menu. This is located in the lower left hand corner of the screen. To restore your backup, choose "All programs" and "Accessories. Select "Restore Files and Settings.

Click "Browse" to find your backup in either the CD or the thumb drive and then "Next" to continue. Click "Finish" to mount your backup. It may take some time to restore completely if it was a large backup. Click "Close" when the restoration is complete. The files from your backup should appear on your newly formatted computer.

Method 5. If the CD won't complete reformatting then try running a memory test on the PC. You may need to replace one or both of the memory sticks if there are many errors.

Try replacing the optical drive and data cables. Some cables may wear over time, so these may need to be replace if damaged or defective. Check your CD drive. Try putting in another CD and see if your computer can read the CD. If it cannot, then you may need to replace your CD drive. Ensure that the CD is not scratched. Flip the CD over in your hand and look at it in the light.