How to Format a Drive in Windows 11 [2024 Guide]

Drives are essential to store information on any computer. Usually people have three partitions or drives in their computers where each drive is designated for storing certain types of files.

An HDD(hard disk drive) or an SSD(solid state drive) can be split into different partitions according to the users’ wishes when installing Windows 11 on their device. You can expand, shrink and even format each drive as you wish.

There are many reasons why a person would want to format a drive on Windows 11.

Why format a drive in Windows 11?

One of the many reasons could be to free up some space on the HDD or SSD. Another reason could be to delete all the files in the drive so that other files can replace the previous files. Another reason could be that there are too many viruses in a drive so formatting it will solve any issues.

Many users are confused about how they can format a drive in their Windows 11 device, so you are not alone in this situation. There is no reason to worry as I have conducted thorough research and have written the best methods to format a drive in Windows 11.

Read the full post to know more details.

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How to Format a Drive in Windows 11 easily

There are many methods you can follow to format a drive in Windows 11. I have written the easiest and best methods that you can follow. I have also double-checked myself to make sure the processes are legit today.

Just like you, I was confused about how I could format a drive when I was a kid but I can assure you that formatting a drive is very easy so there is no reason for you to worry.

Here are the different methods you can follow to format a drive in Windows 11:

1. Format drive from Windows File Explorer

When you are using your pc and going to different folders and opening different files, it is actually the Windows Explorer for which you can do these things. As this is the first method, it is the easiest and most commonly used one out of all the methods mentioned in this post.

I know you can do this and I believe in you! So keep calm and follow the steps given below.

Here are the steps to format a drive on Windows 11 using Windows File Explorer:

Press the Windows and E buttons at the same time on your keyboard. You will see the File Explorer.
Click on This PC.
Right-click on the Drive you want to format.
Select Format. You will see a menu pop up.
Change the File system option to NTFS.
Click on Start.
Wait for the process to end and your drive will be formatted.

If this procedure was too complicated for you to follow or it did not work for some unknown reason, do not worry as there are other methods that are given in this post.

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2. Format Drive using Disk Management

The command prompt is a tool provided in all versions of Windows which can be used to perform tasks in a more controlled manner. Using the command prompt, you can format a drive on your Windows 11 device.

All you have to do is type in a command line in the command prompt and run it, after which you will be taken to the Disk Management tool, which you can then use to format the drive.

The process is very simple so keep calm and follow the steps given below.

Here are the steps to format a drive using Disk Management on Windows 11:

Press the Windows and R keys at the same time on your keyboard. The Run dialog box will be displayed to you.
Type in diskmgmt.msc and click on OK. The Disk management menu will be opened.
Right-click on the drive you want to format and click on Format.
Select NTFS in the File system option and turn on the Perform a quick format
Click on OK. Another dialog box will appear.
Click on OK.
Wait for the process to end and your drive will be formatted.

If this method did not work for you or was hard for you to follow, no need to worry, as other methods are given below in this post.

You may like to read: Show Folder Size in Windows 11.

3. Format drive using Storage Settings

In this process, all you have to do is use a keyboard shortcut to access the Settings menu and go to the Storage settings to format your desired drive.

It is a reasonably easy process so there is no reason to worry. Just follow the simple steps given below and you will be all set.

Here are the steps to format a drive from Storage settings on Windows 11:

Press the Windows and I keys at the same time to open the Settings
Scroll down and click on Storage.
Go down and select Advanced Storage settings.
Click on Disks and Volume.
Click on the drive you want to format from the list and select Properties.
Scroll down and click on the Format
Click on Format.

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4. Format Drive using Start Button

This is the easiest way you can format a drive on your Windows 11 device in my honest opinion. The steps are elementary so you should have no problem following them. Keep calm and follow the steps given below.

Here are the steps to format a drive on Windows 11 using the Start button:

Click on the Start button or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
Click on Settings.
Click on System from the left pane and Select Storage.
Click on Advanced storage settings.
Click on Disks and Volume.
Click on the drive you want to format from the list and select Properties.
Scroll down and click on the Format
Click on Format.

Also read, PC won’t go to sleep mode in Windows 11.

How to Format an SSD in Windows 11 Easily

Formatting an SSD is a walk in the park. It is a very simple procedure consisting of a few simple steps.

Here are the steps to format a drive on Windows 11 using the Start button:

Press the Windows key on your keyboard or click on the Start button.
Select (12)
Select System from the left pane and click on Storage. (13)
Click on Advanced storage settings. (14)
Select Disks and Volume.
Click on the drive you want to format from the list and select Properties. (10)
Scroll down and click on the Format
Click on Format.

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Conclusion

I had to format drives countless times for reasons like reinstalling Windows and for freeing up storage space. So, I am pretty used to this but I still scoured the internet for more procedures and as Windows 11 is relatively new, it is better to be well prepared.

I hope you were able to format your drive on your Windows 11 device. Maybe you want to install some new games. You could also want to download some new movies, whatever the reason, I wish you luck in whatever you do in the future!