Format volume

You might want to format a volume if you want to change its file system:

  • to save additional space which is being lost due to the cluster size on the FAT16 or FAT32 file systems
  • as a quick and more or less reliable way of destroying data, residing in this volume

If you want to format a volume:

  1. Select a volume to format.
  2. Right-click on the selected volume, and then click Format in the context menu.

    You will be forwarded to the Format Volume window, where you will be able to set the new file system options. You can choose one of the Windows file systems: FAT16 (disabled, if the Volume Size is more than 2 GB), FAT32 (disabled, if the Volume Size is more than 2 TB) or NTFS.

    In the text window you will be able to enter the volume label, if necessary: by default this window is empty.

    In setting the cluster size you can choose between any number in the preset amount for each file system. Note, the program suggests the cluster size best suited to the volume with the chosen file system.

  3. If you click OK to proceed with the Format Volume operation, you’ll add a pending operation of formatting a volume.

    (To finish the added operation you will have to commit it. Exiting the program without committing the pending operations will effectively cancel them.)

The new volume structure will be graphically represented in the Disk management view.

If you set a 64K cluster size for FAT16/FAT32 or an 8KB-64KB cluster size for NTFS, Windows can mount the volume, but some programs (e.g. Setup programs) might calculate its disk space incorrectly.

Format volume