How Do I Format a Floppy Disk on My Computer?

Floppy disks are light and highly portable, providing a convenient way to share files when computers lack a network connection.

Floppy disks are a relatively old and slow storage technology that can hold 1.44 MB of data on a single disk. Floppy disks are low cost and commonly used as boot and rescue disks for older computers. Before copying files to a floppy disk, a file system that computers can read must be written to the disk. Format a floppy disk when you need a low cost physical medium for sharing small files with others.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Windows 7 computer with floppy drive installed

Instructions

1. Place a blank floppy disk into the floppy drive of the Windows 7 computer.

2. Click the "Start" button located in the lower left corner of the Windows 7 PC desktop and then click "Computer."

3. Right-click on the floppy drive icon and click "Format" in the menu that appears.

4. Type in an administrator password if requested and press the "Enter" key.

References

• Microsoft Windows: Format a Floppy Disk (Windows 7)
• Microsoft Windows: Format a Floppy Disk (Vista)