How to Initialize New Disks

Once partitioned, a new disk must be initialized before it can be used.

New disks, or drives, appear on your computer as uninitialized. Before you can use a new disk, you must initialize it. If you are logged onto your computer as an administrator, you can initialize new disks through the Control Panel.

Instructions

1. Click "Start" and then click "Control Panel."

2. Type "disk management" into the search box and click the "Create and format hard disk partitions" link in the results. The Disk Management window opens.

3. Right-click the disk in need of initialization and click "Initialize Disk."

4. Click to select the disk you want to initialize.

Tips & Warnings

• If you start Disk Management directly after adding a disk, the Initialize Disk Wizard will appear and allow you to initialize your disk this way.

• If you are connected to a network, your network policy settings may prevent you from changing how your disk sizes are displayed.

References

• Microsoft TechNet: Initialize New Disks