How to format a hard drive in Windows 7

If you’re dealing with large files like videos or high-quality pictures, then you’re going to eventually run out of space on your computer. And when that happens, you’re going to need to install a new hard drive.

But it isn’t as easy as simply plugging a new hard drive in your computer and then going on from there. It actually requires a few steps after that.

If you’re using Windows 7, it’s pretty simply. First, you need to open Disk Management – this can be done by typing Disk Management into the search box on the Start Menu.

Once the window is open, you should see a visual representation of all your hard drives. Locate the hard drive you’ve just plugged in, right-click it and press “Format”.

You’ll be given a few different options. You can choose a new letter drive, and choose the file system – you’ll want to make sure you’re using NTFS. Set the size of the partition you want, (usually the full space of the drive).

Then, you’ll need to click “OK”. You’ll be given a warning to make sure you’re sure, and then you can continue. After that, it will start formatting – the length of this time will depend on the space of the hard drive.

After that, you’re done – and you can start moving your files across.