How to: Initialize And Format A New Disk For Use In Windows
For those of you who get a new drive and are wondering why it doesn't show up under your Computer window this is what you have to do.
You can simply use diskpart:
2TB drives and smaller:
- Open the Start Menu, type diskpart, press Enter
- Type list disk, press Enter
- Type select disk X (where X is the number your drive shows up as), press Enter
- Type clean, press Enter
- Type create partition primary, press Enter
- Type format quick fs=ntfs, press Enter
- Type assign, press Enter
- Type exit, press Enter
2.5TB drives and larger:
- Open the Start Menu, type diskpart, press Enter
- Type list disk, press Enter
- Type select disk X (where X is the number your drive shows up as), press Enter
- Type clean, press Enter
- Type convert gpt, press Enter
- Type create partition primary, press Enter
- Type format quick fs=ntfs, press Enter
- Type assign, press Enter
- Type exit, press Enter
Or you can do it in computer management:
- Install disk in your PC and boot up.
- Once at the desktop open the Start Menu, in the search line, type Disk Management and press Enter
- You should get a window popup like this:
If so choose either MBR or GPT and click OK. GPT allows you to create more than 4 partitions on the HDD and 2.2TB+ sized partitions as well.
If you didn't get the popup then right click and select initialize the newly added drive under where it says the Disk # shown below: - Now right click the unallocated space and click create a New Simple Volume shown below:
- Follow the on screen wizard by clicking Next
- Specify your volume size, default is fine, and now click Next
- Assign a drive letter to the drive and click Next
- Format the partition and name the volume, default settings are fine
- Now click Finish and you are done
Sean's Sandy!
(15 items) |
Terrorbyte
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Le Papa's
(10 items) |
| CPU | Motherboard | RAM | Hard Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel i3-2100 | ASRock H61M/U3S3 | G.Skill Ripjaws X | Samsung Spinpoint F4 |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive |
| Samsung Spinpoint F4 | Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 | Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 | Samsung Spinpoint F3 |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive | OS |
| Samsung Spinpoint F3 | WD Red | WD Red | Microsoft Windows Server 2012 |
| Power | Case | Other | |
| Corsair TX650 v2 | Fractal Design Arc Midi | Dell PowerEdge PERC 5/i | |
| View all | |||
| CPU | Motherboard | RAM | Hard Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| A8 5600K | BIOSTAR Hi-Fi A85W | G.Skill Ripjaws X | Crucial M4 |
| Optical Drive | OS | Monitor | Monitor |
| Asus DVD Burner | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional | ASUS VE276Q | HPw1907 |
| Power | Case | ||
| Antec Neo Eco 520 | HAF 912 | ||
| View all | |||
|
Sean's Sandy!
(15 items) |
Terrorbyte
(15 items) |
Le Papa's
(10 items) |
| CPU | Motherboard | RAM | Hard Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel i3-2100 | ASRock H61M/U3S3 | G.Skill Ripjaws X | Samsung Spinpoint F4 |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive |
| Samsung Spinpoint F4 | Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 | Hitachi Deskstar 7K3000 | Samsung Spinpoint F3 |
| Hard Drive | Hard Drive | Hard Drive | OS |
| Samsung Spinpoint F3 | WD Red | WD Red | Microsoft Windows Server 2012 |
| Power | Case | Other | |
| Corsair TX650 v2 | Fractal Design Arc Midi | Dell PowerEdge PERC 5/i | |
| View all | |||
| CPU | Motherboard | RAM | Hard Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| A8 5600K | BIOSTAR Hi-Fi A85W | G.Skill Ripjaws X | Crucial M4 |
| Optical Drive | OS | Monitor | Monitor |
| Asus DVD Burner | Microsoft Windows 7 Professional | ASUS VE276Q | HPw1907 |
| Power | Case | ||
| Antec Neo Eco 520 | HAF 912 | ||
| View all | |||
