Formatting a USB Drive with Disk Manager
Written by Eric Wyatt (last updated July 26, 2021)
Like most things with Windows 10, there is more than one way to accomplish a task. In another article we discussed how to use File Explorer to format a USB drive. If you don't want to use Window's File Explorer, another way to format a USB drive is by using Disk Manager. Disk Manager is used for managing the storage space of any device connected to your computer, either internally or externally. While File Explorer, for many, is the fastest way to format a USB, Disk Manager is helpful for brand new drives that your computer may not display in File Explorer.
To format a USB drive with Disk Manager, you need to follow these steps.
- Press Win+R to open the Run prompt.
- Type, without quotes, "diskmgmt.msc" then press Enter. This will open Disk Manager, displaying the drives connected to your machine.
- In the bottom portion of the window, right-click on the drive you wish to format. This displays a Context menu.
- Select "New Simple Volume." The New Simple Volume Wizard opens.
- Click Next to move to the second portion of the New Simple Volume Wizard; this displays the Specify Volume Size section of the Wizard. Using the default values is fine unless you want to partition the drive.
- Click Next to move to the third portion of the New Simple Volume Wizard; this displays the Assign Drive Letter or Path section of the Wizard. Select the drive letter you want assigned when the drive is formatted and mounted by Windows.
- Click Next to move to the fourth portion of the New Simple Volume Wizard; this displays the Format Partition section of the Wizard. Select the desired File System, Allocation Unit Size, and name (label) for the drive displayed when the drive is mounted.
- Click Next to move to the final portion of the New Simple Volume Wizard; this displays the Confirmation section of the Wizard. Click on Finish to begin and finalize the formatting process.
Once formatting is completed, you will be able to see the USB drive In File Explorer. The USB drive will have the drive letter (assigned in step 6) and the name chosen (step 7). Either method of formatting your USB drive will allow you to set up your USB drive to handle your data the way you desire.
This tip (13888) applies to Windows 10.
Author Bio
Eric Wyatt
Eric Wyatt is a swell guy (or so his friends tell him). He is a formally trained designer and branding expert, bringing a wide range of skills to his Tips.Net articles. Learn more about Eric...
Search the Web Using the Run Dialog Box
The Run dialog box allows you to quickly run or start a program using quick keystrokes. The Run dialog box can also help ...
Discover More
Disabling USB Selective Suspending
USB Selective Suspending allows Windows to automatically (and without warning) suspend USB ports. Discover how to ...
Discover More
Blocking Automatic Installation of Microsoft Edge
Windows 10 will be receiving a forced upgrade to the new Microsoft Edge Chromium web browser. You can use the free ...
Discover More
Choosing How to Use Multiple Monitors
Do you have multiple monitors (or a projector) hooked up to your system? Here's how to utilize that second display device ...
Discover More
Using Powercfg to Export and Import a Power Scheme
You can export to a file your power schemes and then import them later on. The only caveat is that you must be running as ...
Discover More
Adjusting the Cursor Blink Rate
In Windows, the cursor indicates where you are about to type information using the keyboard. You can adjust how quickly ...
Discover More
Comments