One of the methods format drive C — use command format . If you can not download Windows, you can use the system repair disk to format the C drive from command line .
The information in this article applies to Windows 10 , Windows 8 and Windows 7 .
What happens when you format C on a system recovery drive?
The system repair disc does not reinstall Windows. When you format HDD you delete all operating system Windows . This means that when you restart your computer and try to boot, it won’t work because there is nothing else to download. Instead you will get that Bootmgr is missing or NTLDR missing error message until you install a new operating system.
You don’t need product key to use the system recovery disc.
How to format C from system recovery disk
You will need access to a working Windows computer with optical disc drive, to create a system recovery disc. Follow the steps below to format drive C:
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Insert a blank CD or DVD into the drive.
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Open a command prompt on a running Windows PC and run the command recdisc .
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Select your CD drive, then select » Create Disc» .
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When the process is complete, insert the disc into the PC you want to format and boot from disk drive .
If you have a Windows installation DVD, you can use it instead of a system repair disc by following the same instructions.
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Select a keyboard language.
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Select » Troubleshooting» in menu » System Recovery Options» .
In Windows 7, select the first option you see and click » Further» then go to step 8.
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Select Extra options .
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Select Command line .
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Enter format c:/fs:NTFS on the command line to format C with file system NTFS .
If you want to format C using a different file system, you can use a different format command.
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Enter volume label the drive you are formatting (in this case, C ) if it is elevated.
The volume label is not case sensitive . If you don’t know the volume label, type ctrl+c to undo the formatting and then using the command line find the disk volume label .
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Enter Y and then click enter, when prompted to ignore the warning that all data on the drive will be lost.
After formatting the drive is complete, you will be prompted to enter a volume label or drive name. You can skip this step by clicking Enter . Back at the command prompt, remove the system recovery disc and turn off the computer while holding down the power button.