Steps To Reformat A Drive In Windows Vista

Reformatting a drive in the Windows Vista operating system is usually a simple task. Reformatting a drive means taking the drive back to its original state, that is- making it a blank piece of hardware.
At times, this will be the last resort for you, for example, when the computer has become irreparably corrupt with viruses. You should try all the other available options before performing this drastic step. Before doing the format, backup everything that you can find and close all the currently open applications. You need not worry about the software programs, as you will have to reinstall them after the reformat process is completed. The Windows Vista help tips explained below will help you to reformat a drive in the Windows Vista operating system.

Instructions

• Click on the Start button, go to Control Panel and then select System and Maintenance. From there, go to Administrative Tools. You will have to be logged in as the system administrator to do these steps. Otherwise, you will not get the permission to make these changes.
• Double click on the Computer Management link and then click on Disk Management that is located on the left side of the window. The display area on the center of the window will show all the drives that are set up on your PC.
• Right-click on the drive or partition that you wish to reformat and then choose Format from the shortcut menu that is displayed. You should take a backup of all the necessary files before doing the format and make sure that you want to do the reformat before doing it.
• If you choose to reformat the system drive, which is usually the C: drive, you will be deleting the Windows Vista from your PC. Make sure that you have the correct discs to reinstall Windows Vista once formatting is completed.
• From the resulting dialog box, choose the option that you want and click on the OK button. There are two file system types from which you can choose, they are FAT32 and NTFS. NTFS is the default format.

These are the steps to do a reformat of a drive in the Windows Vista operating system. The steps are simple, but if not done properly, this can lead to irrecoverable loss of data and may also lead to other issues in your computer. If you have any more doubts, you can contact the Windows Vista help and support team.