How to Format DVD RW/CD & How to Erase CD in Windows 10/11

This guide is about how to format DVD rw and how to erase a CD-RW or DVD-RW on Windows 10/11 with a CD formatter. You can clear all data off a writeable or rewriteable CD or DVD by following the guide.

"I have an HP laptop with a CD drive. And now I need to format a disc so I can burn it. It is easy to perform this task in previous versions of Windows which I've used. But how do I format a DVD RW in Windows 10? I can't find any instructions when searching the web." 

Follow the quick video tutorial that has SOLVED 'how to format a disc (CD/DVD) and how to erase CD'. For detailed steps, go to:

Why Do You Need to Format or Erase CD/DVDs
Guide 1: How to Format a CD/DVD in Windows 10/11
Guide 2: How to Erase a CD/DVD disc in Windows 10/11
Bonus Tip 1: How to Format or Erase a Disk Aside from CD/DVDs
Bonus Tip 2 :How to Delete DVD Drive Windows 11

Why Do You Need to Format or Erase CD/DVDs

As time moves forward, CDs and DVDs seem to be leftover when more portable storage devices like SD cards, USB flash drives, and portable external hard drives come out.

However, there are still some people who prefer to use the "Old Schell" stylish storage media for storing their files and medial files. Why do these people want to format a CD or DVD? Here are the possible reasons:

• Format to burn operating system to a CD or DVD.
• Erase data on the CD or DVD so as to reuse the disc.
• Clean old CD or DVD for collection.
• Clean up data, burn TV shows, dramas, or series to DVD for elderly people.
• DIY with cleaned CDs or DVDs.

There are many reasons why you need to format or erase a CD/DVD; share this article to let more users know about them.

The process of formatting your DVD or CD is fairly simple. Here we will show you how to do it step by step. (Here the disk should be a rewritable CD or DVD which allows you to format and rewrite data.)

How to Format a CD/DVD in Windows 10/11

How do you format a CD or a DVD? You can do CD/DVD format from "This PC".

To format DVD or CD:

Step 1: Insert the CD-RW or DVD-RW into your computer. (If your computer doesn't have a CD drive, buy an external one.)

Step 2: Click "This PC" on your computer.

Step 3: Find and right-click on the CD/DVD drive icon, then click "Format."

Step 4: Click the "File system" drop-down box, then click one of the following file systems:

• UDF 1.50 - For use on XP and older.
• UDF 2.00 - For use on XP and older.
• UDF 2.01 (default) - Usable with most current operating systems.
• UDF 2.50 - Usable with most current operating systems. Supports Blu-ray.
• UDF 2.60 (Recommended) - Usable with most current operating systems. Supports Blu-ray.

Step 5: Click "Start", you will see a warning message about deleting all data on the drive.

Step 6: Click "OK" to continue the process. The CD / DVD will begin to format.

Video Guide: How to Format A CD/DVD

These steps in this video teach you how to format a cd or DVD.

After formatting a CD/DVD, you can click the link to learn the best five ISO burners for Windows 10/11 in 2023.

How to Erase CD/DVD disc in Windows 10/11

As mentioned before, if you want to format a used CD-RW/DVD-RW, you need to erase the data already on the disc first. To get this job done, you can use the Windows 10 operating system's formatting tools.

In case some users don't know how to erase a DVD disk, here we list the detailed steps:

Step 1: Insert the rewritable disc into your computer.

Step 2: Go to Windows Explorer, clicking "This PC".

Step 3: In Windows Explorer, click the DVD drive icon.

Step 4: On the toolbar, click "Erase this disc", and then follow the steps in the wizard to successfully erase, clear, or wipe CD or DVD.

If the "Erase" feature doesn't appear while using one of the outlined methods, it's possible you have a CD or DVD (able to be written one time only) and not a CD-RW or DVD-RW (rewritable).

Bonus Tip 1: How to Safely Format or Erase a Disk in Windows 10/11

Aside from CDs and DVDs, disks like internal or external hard drives, USB flash drives, SD cards, etc., are becoming the trendy storage devices for burning OS, saving, transferring files, and backing up data among worldwide ordinary users. 

Formatting or erasing a hard drive is somehow a must for some specific usages. Here we recommend you try EaseUS Partition Master. This tool allows you to format a disk with simple steps.

#1. Format Hard Drives: 

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition on your external hard drive/USB/SD card which you want to format and choose the "Format" option.

Step 2. Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click "OK".

Step 3. In the Warning window, click "Yes" to continue.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting your external hard drive/USB/SD card.

Compared to other disk formatting toools, EaseUS Partition Master will save you many steps and time in formatting different types of storage devices on computers:

#2. Cleanup or Wipe a Disk:

To wipe and clean up an entire disk, you may turn to EaseUS BitWiper for help. This disk allows you to simply clean up an entire disk within only a few simple clicks.

Step 1. Run EaseUS BitWiper. Click the "Wipe Disk" tab.

Step 2. Select the targeted HDD or SSD to wipe.

Notice: Please make sure you have chosen the correct HDD or SSD. Once the wiping starts, your data is irrecoverable.

Step 3. Choose Wiping Method and click "Next".

Choose a suitable wiping method. Recommend EaseUS Secure Erase!

Step 4. Check the warning message and click "Wipe" to confirm.

Step 5. Wait for wiping finish and click "Done".

Besides, it also provides other useful features to help you manage your disks and partitions flexibly. 

Bonus Tip 2 :How to Delete DVD Drive Windows 11

Windows Device Manager let you update and reinstall the driver, surly you can delete drive in Windows 11/10.

Step 1. Press "Windows + R" to access the Run dialog box.

Step 2. Type devmgmt.msc to open the Device Manager.

Step 3. Expand your CD drives, right-click the targeted drive and choose "Uninstall".

Step 4. Confirm the prompted information.

FAQs - How to Format A CD 

If you have more questions on formatting a CD on Windows, refer to the listed questions and find answers below:

1. How do I format a DVD/CD disc?

• Insert a DVD into disc drive and open File Explorer.
• Right-click DVD drive and select Format from the list.
• Check the File System box.
• Click Start, then click OK.

2. Why can't I format my disc?

If you decide to format a disk and you've encountered "Can't format..." error message, your device may go as a raw drive. In this case, you can first run CHKDSK to check and file file system error. Then, turn to reliable formatting tool like EaseUS Partition Master to successfully format a hard disk drive.

3. Can I format a burned disc?

Yes, sure. You can format a burned Disc. Before doing so, make sure that you don't care about the file on it, you can format a burned disc. 

Or, you can make a backup of the content on the disc to another safe drive in advance before formatting it.