How to Format a Hard Drive Partition
Posted By Peter Jeffries On June 15, 2010 @ 3:40 pm In Computer Hardware,Using Your Computer | No Comments
This easy guide shows you how to format a partition on your hard drive.
Unless you’re using a really ancient computer chances are that your hard disk drive (HDD) has been divided into two or more sections known as partitions. You’ll have your operating system (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 etc.) plus some storage space on one partition (probably designated as your :C drive) and you’ll have more storage space on your other partition/s.
Partitioning a hard drive has a number of benefits:
Over time, however, partitions can become cluttered with unused, corrupt, or incompletely deleted files and applications. One of the quickest ways to return a hard drive partition to its former as-new glory is to re-format it.
Note: as formatting completely erases all data on a partition, the following instructions are not intended to address partitions on which computer operating systems are stored. You can reformat these partitions, but you’ll also need to reinstall your operating system. If you need to do this check your computer’s manual.
Before formatting a hard drive partition, back up all the files and data you want to keep either to another partition, an optical disk (CD/DVD) or to an external storage device (remember, formatting will destroy all data).
The following formatting instructions should work for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
The formatting process will take some time, so allow your computer to finish this task before using it for anything else.
Once you’ve successfully learned how to format a hard drive partition you’ll be left with a slice of hard drive storage space that is free of all those unused programs and corrupt data files that used to clutter up your memory and slow your computer down.
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