![]() ![]() File system: Depending on the size of the drive you're formatting, you'll see a few options here, including FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS.Related: How to Format USB Drives Larger Than 32GB With FAT32 on Windows The dropdown shows only the drive you selected, so there's not much to do with this option other than make sure you've got the right drive selected. Capacity: This box shows the capacity of the drive.The "Format" window offers a number of options: If, however, you need to securely erase the data from a drive-say you're tossing the drive or giving it away-consider a third-party tool like Eraser or DBan. For practical purposes, you can consider the data gone when you format a drive. So while you could still recover data from drives that have been formatted using the technique we're discussing here, it requires a special utility and some time. Instead, it marks the space your data used as available for writing to. Note: Formatting using most format utilities does not technically erase your drive. Related: How to Wipe (Securely Erase) Your Devices Before Disposing of or Selling Them Related: What File System Should I Use for My USB Drive? ![]() While you'll typically use NTFS for internal drives on a Windows PC (and, in fact, you're forced to for your system drive), choosing a file system matters more when you're formatting an external USB drive. Windows makes several file systems available to you-including FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS-and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. The biggest reason for reformatting, though, is if you want to change the file system used on the drive to something else. For example, formatting typically removes most of the data on a drive, making it a quicker way to erase a large drive than simply deleting everything on it. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |