How to Format C Drive in Windows 11/10? [4 Efficient Ways]

You delete everything, including the operating system, when you set your mind to format C drive. You cannot use the quick format on the C drive as on other non-system drives, but we can teach you a special method from the beginning to the end.

Quick Access - How to Format C Drive in Windows 11/10

• Boot using the Windows Setup Disc.
• Once the Windows installs, you will see the screen.
• Click Install Now and wait until it finishes.
• Accept the terms and conditions and select Next.
• Go to the Custom (advanced) option.
• Now, a prompt will ask you the location for the Windows installation.
• Select Format among the options...Read More>>
• Or you can use command lines - In the Command Prompt window, type "format c: /fs:ntfs"...Read More>>

Top 4 Tips on How to Format C Drive in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

This guide provides four ways to format C drive (system partition). You can wipe data and reinstall the system after formatting. Follow these methods if you want to learn how to format C drive in Windows 11/10 successfully.

About Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 Disk/ C Drive Formatting

According to Wikipedia, "Disk formatting is the process of preparing a data storage device such as hard disk drive, solid-state drive, floppy disk or USB flash drive for initial use." Formatting a drive will erase all the existing content on the device. Therefore, if you have important files on the partition or storage device, back them up before the format. Generally, formatting a disk for an operating system and its applications typically involves three different processes.

• Low-level formatting
• Partitioning
• High-level formatting

The high-level formatting creates the file system format within a disk partition or a logical volume. Hence, when it comes to formatting a C drive, it's related to high-level formatting. Therefore, we need to use a professional formatting tool - EaseUS Partition Master Professional.

Can You Format C Drive in Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7

"Can I format the C drive to install Windows 7?"
"Can I format the C drive to reinstall Windows 10?"

The answer is both "Yes" and "No." Why can't you format the C drive in Windows 11/10? The C drive is where the Windows operating system is located. Formatting C means erasing the operating system and other information on the C drive or the primary partition using Windows. How can you expect Windows to erase itself?

Therefore, you can't format the C drive within Windows 11/10 or any other version of Windows. When you attempt to format the C drive, which contains the operating system that is currently running, you will receive a prompt saying, "You can not format this volume. It contains the version of Windows that you're using. Formatting this volume could cause your computer to stop working", as shown in the image below.

The good news is that there are still ways to format a C drive that contains the operating system. You can get it down quickly if you can boot your computer from another operating system with formatting abilities.

Further Reading: Format Hard Drive from BIOS Windows 10

Fix 1. How to Format C Drive in Windows 10/11 with Third-party Tool

Among the four available choices, let's choose the most straightforward method to start: use the partition tool - EaseUS Partition Master. With this software, you can format the hard drive without using the Windows installation disc or tools.

Procedure 1. Create a Bootable Disk

Download EaseUS Partition Master to create a bootable disk. The WinPE bootable disk allows you to access your hard drive outside the current OS.

Step 1. To create a bootable disk of EaseUS Partition Master, you should prepare a storage media, like a USB drive, flash drive or a CD/DVD disc. Then, correctly connect the drive to your computer.

Step 2. Launch EaseUS Partition Master, and find the "Bootable Media" feature on the left. Click on it.

Step 3. You can choose the USB or CD/DVD when the drive is available. However, if you do not have a storage device at hand, you can also save the ISO file to a local drive, and later burn it to a storage media. Once made the option, click the "Create" button to begin.

• Check the Warning message and click "Yes".

Step 4. When the process finishes, you'll see a pop up window, asking if you want to restart computer from the bootable USB.

• Reboot Now: it means you want to restart the current PC and enter EaseUS Bootable Media to manage your disk partitions without OS.
• Done: it means you don't want to restart the current PC but to use the bootable USB on a new PC.

Note: To use the bootable disk on a new PC, you need to resart the target computer and press F2/F8/Del key to enter BIOS, and set the USB bootable disk as the first boot disk.

Wait patitiently and your computer will automatically boot up from the USB bootable media and enter EaseUS WinPE desktop.

Procedure 2. Boot the Computer from the Bootable Media

Step 1. Restart your computer and press the BIOS key (depending on the computer you use, it could be F2, F8, or the Delete key...) to enter BIOS.

Step 2. In BIOS, set to boot the computer from the bootable USB/CD/DVD.

Procedure 3. Format the C Drive Using EaseUS Partition Master

After the startup, your computer will boot into a system with EaseUS Partition Master installed. Now, your computer is using another operating system with formatting abilities. You can format the C drive with ease.

Step 1. Right-click the hard drive partition and choose the "Format" option.

Step 2. In the new window, set the Partition label, File system, and Cluster size for the partition, then click "OK".

Step 3. You can see a warning window, click "Yes" to continue.

Step 4. Click the "Execute 1 Task(s)" button, then click "Apply" to start formatting the hard drive partition.

If you are using other devices, like a USB flash drive or SD card, read on:

Fix 2. Format C Drive Windows 10 with Windows Setup or External Storage Media

It is a convenient way to format C drive with this method. You can format C drive this way -  using Windows 11/10, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista installation media. Here are the steps to format C drive:

Step 1. Boot with the Windows Setup Disc. Place the CD in the optical hard drive and follow the instructions.

Step 2. Select the language you want to use and select "Next."

Step 3. Click "Install Now" and wait until it finishes. This process doesn't really install the Windows OS. 

Step 4. Accept the terms and conditions and select "Next."

Step 5. Go to the Custom (advanced) option. You will see a list of all the existing drives. Click "Drive options (advanced)."

Step 6. Select "Format". Now, Windows will start the process of formatting your drive.

Video Guide - How to Format C Drive in Windows 10 and Reinstall Windows 10

This video shows how to format the local C drive and reinstall the Windows 10 system.

Fix 3. How to Format C Drive with System Repair Disc in Windows 11/10/8/7

You can also format a C drive by making a System Repair Disc. If you don't have a copy of Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11, you can create your own disc and use it to boot, then format drive C. Steps to format C drive with a System Repair Disc.

Step 1. Create a System Repair Disc.

1. 1. Insert CD/DVD into DVD-ROM or connected external DVD drive.
2. 2. Click "Control Panel" on the computer screen, then click "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)".
3. 3. Click "Create a system repair disc" from the left column to open the repair disc creation window. Follow the on-screen instructions to create a system repair disc.

Step 2. Format C Drive with the System Repair Disc.

1. 1. Insert the disc in the optical drive and restart your PC. You will be shown a prompt telling you to press any key to boot from the CD. Wait for the installation to complete. Choose your preferred language and continue.
2. 2. You will be redirected to System Recovery. Select the "Use recovery tools..." option and proceed.
3. 3. Go to Command Prompt. Enter the following command: format c: /fs:NTFS
4. 4. You will be asked to provide the volume level. Enter the label. Proceed to the format by typing in Y and hitting Enter. Once the format is finished, enter the Volume Label.

Fix 4. Format C Drive Windows XP with Recovery Console

Recovery Console does not exist in Windows Vista or later, nor does it exist in Windows ME, Windows 98, or earlier. If you have a Windows XP Setup CD, you can format C from the Recovery Console.

Are these solutions to format C drive Windows 11/10 helpful to you? Don't hesitate to share them with your friends who are facing the same problem.

Whether to Format C Drive or Not

But wait a second. Is it really necessary to format the C drive on a computer? According to pre-sales consulting information, users' primary purpose of erasing an old operating system is to leave room for the new OS installation. That's unnecessary.

When you reinstall Windows on a disk that has an OS, you have to format the disk. That is to say, the format will occur during the operating system installation. Thus, if you intend to format the C drive for Windows installation, it's needless to format the system drive in advance.

Yet, there are always some expectations. What if you have to format the C drive to wipe your hard drive and erase all your system information, settings, files, and programs on that partition? There are four choices for you:

• Partition tool (for Windows 11, 10,  8, 7, or Windows Vista or Windows XP)
• A Windows setup disk or flash drive (for Windows 11, 10,  8, 7, or Windows Vista or Windows XP)
• A system repair disc (for Windows 11/10, Windows 8, or Windows 7)
• Recovery Console for (Windows XP)

Don't forget to share this tutorial with others if you think it's helpful.

The Bottom Line

In conclusion, formatting a C drive is unnecessary if you want to do it to install Windows because the OS installation requires you to format the disk during the process. If you have to format the C drive on your computer, there are several options for you. The easiest is creating a bootable media with software like EaseUS Partition Master (Fix 1). A bootable USB/CD/DVD enables you to format the target OS from another OS effortlessly. Hope the guide is helpful to you.

Format C Drive FAQs

how to format local disk c? How do you format only the c drive in Windows 10/11? See short answers.

How do I format my C drive only?

To format your C drive only, you'll need to create a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD.

Once you have your bootable media, boot from it and select the option to format your C drive. This will erase all the data on your C drive, so back up any important files before proceeding. Once the format is complete, you must install an operating system on your C drive. You can do this by booting from your bootable media and selecting the option to install an operating system. Follow the prompts to complete the installation process. Once your new operating system is up and running, you can format your C drive as needed without affecting any other drives on your computer.

How do I format C drive quickly?

The answer is actually quite simple, and there are a few different ways to do it. One method is the built-in Windows tool called "Disk Cleanup." This tool will scan your hard drive and remove any unnecessary files, which can help to free up space and improve performance. Another option is a third-party disk cleanup program, which can be even more effective at deleting old files and improving performance. Finally, you can format the C drive using the Command Prompt. This method is slightly more technical but can be useful if you want complete control over the process.

How do I format a C drive partition?

Before you format a C drive partition, it is recommended that you back up any important files that you don't want to lose. Once you have done this, you can format the partition using the following steps:

1. Open the Disk Management tool by going to Start > Run and typing in 'diskmgmt.msc'.

2. Right-click on the C drive partition you want to format and select 'Format.'

3. Choose the format type (NTFS, FAT32, etc.) and the Allocation Unit Size you want to use.

4. Click 'OK' to format the partition.