Windows 10: Format hard drive - so it'll work

If you want to completely delete the data on your hard drive under Windows 10, you have to format the hard drive. We will show you the individual steps in this guide.

Format hard drive in Windows 10

If you format your hard drive, your data will be irrevocably deleted. You should therefore save important data on another hard drive or USB stick beforehand!

Step 1:

Press the [Windows] and [R] keys simultaneously so that the "Execute" command opens.

Step 2:

Enter "diskmgmt.msc" here and confirm with "OK". Then the disk management opens.

Step 3:

You will now find a list of all hard disks in the disk management. Based on the name and size, you can find the desired hard drive here.

Step 4:

Right click on the hard drive and select the "Format" option.

Step 5:

Confirm with OK"; the hard disk is formatted. Depending on the size, this process can take a few minutes to hours.

Windows 10: Format external hard drive

You can also format external hard drives in Windows 10. However, you do this a little differently.

Step 1:

Simultaneously press the [Windows] and [E] keys to open Explorer. Go to the "This PC" area on the left.

Step 2:

Right-click on the hard disk and select the "Format" option in the context menu.

Step 3:

Click on the "Restore device standards" button and make further settings if necessary. If you have no special requirements, you can now format the hard disk using the "Start" button.

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to restore Windows 10 without a CD.