Over time, Windows 10 has become an operating system so robust that it does not require formatting even when we catch a big infection or if some hardware component suddenly stops working. It already has a copy of all the installation files (well hidden in the boot partitions) and can therefore reset the contents of the disk to make a new installation completely clean of any application, configuration, driver or virus that may be present. In fact, a Windows PC today is no longer formatted. It is precise to say that it resets, reinstalls itself, resets itself, but everything is automatic and there is no need to get the installation disc or create a USB stick. In this guide we will show you how to format Windows 10 using the tools provided by the operating system; if these are not enough, we will also show you the "classic methods" for formatting, which require the creation of the DVD or USB stick with the Windows 10 installation files.
Guide to Format PC with Windows 10
There are several methods to format Windows 10, it's up to us to choose the most comfortable one to run or the one we can access (also based on the state the system is in). If Windows 10 allows access to the desktop, we can use the Settings menu to format the system and choose whether or not to save personal files. If Windows 10 hangs or restarts indefinitely during startup, we can attempt formatting from the Windows Recovery Environment.As more drastic methods we can format Windows 10 using a USB stick with the installation disk ready for use or use the classic Windows 10 installation DVD (we can both create them from another working PC).
How to format Windows 10 from Settings
To format Windows 10 we open the Start menu at the bottom left, search for the Settings app, select the Update and Security menu and finally click on the Recovery side menu.
Click on the Start button under the Reset your PC section, choose whether or not to keep your personal files by choosing Keep my files or choosing Remove all, then confirm the start of the operation. If we choose to remove everything, we can physically format the hard disk or the SSD on which the system is present by activating the item Remove files and clean the drive .
After a few hours (it depends on which item we have chosen), we will have Windows 10 formatted as new, without any trace of the previous installation (except in the case in which we have chosen to keep personal files with the Keep my files option).
READ ALSO: Clean up your PC of all programs and apps at once
How to format Windows 10 from the Recovery Environment
If Windows 10 crashes on startup or goes into continuous restart, we can format the system from the recovery environment built into the system. It will appear after 4 forced Windows restarts or (from the login screen) by pressing WIN + L and holding down SHIFT while selecting the Stop> Restart button.
In the screen that appears, click on Troubleshoot and select the Reset PC item .
The procedure is completely similar to that seen from the Settings menu: we can choose whether to keep our personal files ( Keep my files ) or perform a complete format ( Remove all ), so as to return the internal disk to its original state.
How to format Windows 10 from USB stick or DVD
If Windows 10 does not start and the Recovery Environment is not available, the only way to format the system requires the use of an empty USB stick of at least 16 GB or an empty DVD to burn, both to be used on a PC still working.Once the computer in question is recovered, we open a web browser on the Windows 10 download page and press the Download the tool now button, present under the section Do you want to install Windows 10 on your PC ">
The official Microsoft tool will be downloaded to create Windows 10 installation media. Once downloaded, open the tool, wait a few seconds then continue by clicking on Accept and then on Create installation media .
Press Next and, in the next screen, remove the check mark on the item Use the recommended options for this PC and make sure that you set the tool to install Windows 10 in Italian and with the 64-bit architecture (in the drop-down menu Architecture we select 64 bit (x64) ).
Press again on Next and in the new screen we choose whether to create the installation medium on a USB stick or if we want to create an ISO image to burn later.
Obviously the procedure changes according to our choice:
- USB flash drive : insert an empty USB flash drive into a computer socket of the same name, put a check mark on this item;
- ISO file : an ISO file will be created to be saved in a folder of your choice and which we can burn onto a blank DVD using a burning program .
After selecting the right destination, the Windows 10 installation procedure will start: in the first screen, press on Custom: install only Windows (advanced option) .
A screen will open with the partitions on the hard disk or SSD; select all the partitions one at a time and press Delete, until we get a single partition called Unallocated space . Now we can finally format the computer by selecting this single partition and pressing Next on the bottom, so as to install Windows 10 with a clean installation .
READ ALSO: format and install Windows from scratch, to have a clean and new PC
Conclusions
Windows 10 can be quickly restored without even having to call a technician or bring the computer to service: just follow one of the procedures described above to get the system back as fast and clean as it has just started.To avoid having to lose your personal files with one of the procedures described in the guide, we recommend that you make backups of the files as described in our guides How to backup files in Windows 10 and Best Programs to make automatic and incremental free backups .
If instead of the complete formatting we want to use the restore points to recover the functionality of the PC, we invite you to read our article Restore the Windows system configuration if the PC does not work today .
READ ALSO: Ways to repair Windows 10 and create recovery disk
