Both the complete system and each of your additional discs.
We have prepared this guide to explain how to format Windows 11 . With the steps mentioned here you will learn how to reset your computer and solve possible errors. The methods included here are also intended to free up a lot of space on your computer’s internal storage.
But, in addition to showing you how to format Windows 11 , we have dedicated a few lines to teach you how to format drives in Windows 11. Perhaps your intention is to empty the contents of a memory stick, a secondary drive or an SD card. Regardless of whether you are looking to reset the system or format a disk, in this article you have all the keys to formatting Windows 11 and Windows 11 .
Index of contents
- How to completely format Windows 11
- How to format a secondary disk in Windows 11
- Using the file explorer
- How to format in Windows 11 using disk manager
- How to Format Windows 11: Clean Install from USB
How to completely format Windows 11
We started with the simplest way to format Windows 11 . It is the one that is included in the system configuration. There you must go to the System section and click on the Recovery button .
How to format Windows 11
Then use the Reset the device button to continue.
Immediately a pop-up window will appear with the name Reset this PC . In it you will have to choose between keeping your files when restoring or removing everything. Obviously, since the idea is to format Windows 11, the recommended option is Remove everything . You can imagine that you need to have a copy of all your information stored locally. Otherwise, you will lose data. Make sure that, at a minimum, you have your important files synced to the cloud.
The next step allows you to choose between a local or cloud reinstall. The first option is interesting to get the latest available version of Windows. However, if you do not have a fast connection, better opt for the second one, that is, Local reinstallation .
On the next screen you will see a summary of the chosen options. Use Next if everything is correct.
Finally, click on Reset to start the process.
When finished, the computer will restart. You will have to configure Windows 11 from scratch, as we explained in the middle part of this article . As usual when starting the system for the first time, you will need to add your Microsoft account or create a local user, adjust the privacy options and customize other functions. In any case, your hard drive will have been formatted and will not contain any files.
How to format a secondary disk in Windows 11
If you have reached this article, it is possible that you were not looking for a way to format Windows 11 . Rather, maybe you wanted to know the procedure to reset a hard drive, an SSD drive, a memory stick or a card. In this case, there are two methods to help you format.
Using the file explorer
An easy way to access the formatting wizard is to use the file browser itself. You just have to go to the This team section . So, right click on the drive you want to format to see the context menu. The Format shortcut appears there . Click on it to continue.
In the pop-up window, select the file system that suits you best. Then give the drive a label and check the quick format option. On the contrary, if what you are looking for is a deeper erasure of the information, uncheck it.
After clicking Start , Windows 11 will format the drive. If you’ve done this by mistake, check out our guide to recovering files from hard drives . Of course, it is very important that you do not use the disk until you manage to extract the lost information.
How to format in Windows 11 using disk manager
Another option to format a disk or a secondary drive in Windows 11 is to use the disk management tool. You can easily locate it thanks to the system search. There he writes Create and format hard disk partitions . So under Best Match , click on the first result.
A complete list with all the disks connected to the computer is displayed in the disk management window. If you want to format one of them, right click on it and select Format .
The warning that will appear on the screen reminds you that all the contents of the unit will be lost. It is very important, again, that you have a backup of your data. Select Yes to continue.
Choose the name of the device and the file system with which you want to format the partition.
Once you click OK , all the information will be removed from the unit.
How to Format Windows 11: Clean Install from USB
So far we have already explained how to format Windows 11 using the tool included in the configuration and how to format partitions from the system itself. Finally, we tell you a way to format Windows 11 that will allow you to recover any computer, even those that cannot start the operating system.
This method consists of creating a bootable USB that will provide you with a clean installation of Windows 11. Obviously, you must have a working computer to create it. First, visit this link. Under the Create Windows 11 installation media heading, you will see a Download Now button . Click on it to download the tool.
Once downloaded, run it and accept the license terms and other conditions. As you can imagine, this step is essential to continue.
Now choose your language and Windows edition. By default, the option Use the recommended options for this device is checked . You can keep the box checked for convenience.
Choose the medium to install Windows 11. In this case, as our intention is to create a bootable USB, select the USB flash drive option . Remember that the memory stick must have a minimum capacity of 8 GB. You should also bear in mind that during the process all the data it contains will be erased.
Finally, select the unit you want to use for this task. If you’re not sure which memory stick is the right one, visit the This PC section of the file explorer to check the drive letter you want to use. This way you won’t delete the wrong USB content. In the event that you only have one drive connected to the computer, the list will appear very similar to the one shown in the following image.
It is time to wait for the tool to create your bootable USB drive to format Windows 11. As it happened in the first section of this article, after restarting you will have to configure the system from scratch . If you want to know all the steps, we have published a complete guide that explains how to install Windows 11 from scratch with a USB. This will make it much easier for you to completely reset the equipment.
