How to Format a Drive on a Dell PC

by TS Jordan

Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images

Dell computers ship with Windows-based operating systems, which enable you to format drives from within the OS itself. Formatting a drive on your Dell computer can be necessary when you are removing the system restore partition, enabling you to have additional hard drive space on your computer. This can be accomplished in approximately 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the speed of your PC.

Step 1

Click "Start" and click "Computer."

Step 2

Right-click the drive to be formatted.

Step 3

Select "Format."

Step 4

Select the file system type to use (select "NTFS" when in doubt) and press "OK" to begin the format.

About the Author

TS Jordan is an Ohio licensed attorney living and practicing out of the Cleveland area. In addition to his Juris Doctorate, he holds a Bachelors' Degree in Information Systems. He has been writing professionally for less than a year.

Photo Credits

  • Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images