Format External Hard Drive with Multiple Partitions

"How do I reformat a multi-To partition an external hard drive with multiple partitions into a single NTFS partition in Windows 10, you can follow these steps:

Two Ways to Format External Hard Drive with Multiple Partitions

Windows users often partition a hard drive into multiple volumes for easier data management. However, some users need help combining partitions into one, while others want to format an external hard drive with multiple partitions, leaving only one partition for a specific purpose.

Formatting an entire disk in Windows can be a frustrating experience, as the built-in programs like Windows Explorer and Windows Disk Management only allow users to format a single partition to a specific file system. To format a multi-partition external hard drive, users must employ alternative methods, with two common approaches being used to achieve this goal.

To erase all existing data and reformat the drive, delete all existing partitions and create a new simple volume, which will completely wipe the drive and prepare it for a new operating system or file system to be installed. This process is irreversible and will result in the loss of all data on the drive.

Merge all partitions in the external hard drive into one, keeping all data intact.

Both Windows Disk Management and third-party partition managers like Qiling Partition Master can format all partitions on an external hard drive, with the latter offering a more efficient option for deleting partitions and creating a new one.

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#1. Format External Hard Drive with Multiple Partitions Using Disk Management

If you prefer adopting an inbuilt program, with no vital data to be protected, Windows Disk Management can help you format the external hard drive by deleting each partition and data first, and then create a new one on the unallocated space.

Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to a Windows PC.

Step 2. Press "Windows+R" to open Run, type diskmgmt.msc in the empty box and tap "OK" to open disk management tool.

Step 3. Locate the external hard disk, right-click on every partition and click "Delete Volume".

Step 4. Once you have deleted all partitions on your external drive, right-click it again and select "New Simple Volume" to create a new partition and format the drive.

If you try to erase all data from an external hard drive by deleting the partition, be aware that this method will completely remove all data, so it's not recommended for those with large amounts of important data. A safer alternative is to use a third-party partition software to merge multiple partitions into one.

#2. Format External Hard Drive with Multiple Partitions Using Qiling Format Tool

Qiling Partition Master is a comprehensive disk and partition magic tool that can replace the Windows Disk Management in basic functions. It allows users to format a disk partition, delete a partition, create a new partition, and more, making it a powerful tool for managing disk partitions. This means that users can use Qiling Partition Master to format an external hard drive with multiple partitions, just like they would with the Windows Disk Management program.

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Option 1. Delete All Partitions and Create A New Partition

One exciting experience with Qiling software is that you have to repeat the deletion process on every partition in Disk Management, as you need to check if the data is in use.

To format all partitions on the external hard drive with Qiling Partition Master, only two steps are required:

Step 1. Select a partition on the external hard drive and click "Delete".

If you have other partition to delete, please repeat do this step.

Step 2. Select a unallocated space, and click "Create" to create a new partition of NTFS, FAT32, etc.

Fix a RAW Partition

The RAW partition format is a type of file system that is not formatted or initialized, meaning it doesn't have a file system structure or any data on it. This format is often used on external storage devices, such as USB drives, SD cards, or hard drives, to allow them to be easily erased and reused. When a device is formatted in RAW, it doesn't have a file system like NTFS, FAT32, or exFAT, and therefore cannot be read or written to by most operating systems.

To fix a RAW partition, you need to convert it to a Windows-compatible file system like NTFS or FAT32, but first, recover any important data from the partition. You can do this by right-clicking the partition, choosing "Properties", and then formatting it. This will make the partition usable again. However, formatting will erase all data on the partition, so make sure to recover any important files before proceeding.

Erase Data on the Partition or Disk

Formatting a partition or device will remove all existing data, making it a way to clean up the space. However, the data can be recovered with professional software. For a complete erase, consider securely erasing the hard drive.

Formatting a hard drive partition can be necessary in various situations, such as to free up space, remove unwanted files, or get rid of a virus or malware. Regardless of the reason, the process of formatting a hard drive partition can be achieved through the methods outlined below.

How Do You Format a Hard Drive Partition

Formatting a hard drive partition can be easily done via two methods: using the free Qiling Format tool or Disk Management. However, considering its useful features, the Qiling Partition Master is the better partition tool worth trying, with a notable difference between the free partition manager and the Windows built-in tool.

Method 1. Format a Partition with Qiling Format Tool for Free

The free partition manager - Qiling Partition Master allows for easy formatting of any hard drive and also offers features to create, resize, move, merge, and clone partitions.

The following cases may match what you need in formatting an existing partition or a chunk to several parts.

Case 1: How to format an existing partition

Step 1. Click the hard drive partition and choose the "Format" option.

Step 2. In the new window, set the Partition label, File system, and Cluster size for the partition, then click "Proceed".

Option 2. Merge Partitions in External Hard Disk into One

Qiling partition magic software is an excellent tool that can effectively partition an external hard drive, allowing you to combine multiple partitions into one without any data loss. This makes it a great solution for reformatting a multi-partition external hard drive. Users can rest assured that their data will be safe throughout the process.

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Step 1: Backup target partition

Select the "File backup" option on the main window of Open Qiling Backup.

Select the partition you want to backup and choose the destination for the backup, then click "Proceed" to start the backup process.

Step 2: Delete this partition

Step 3: Resize other partition that will be merged

Click the hard drive partition and choose the "Move/resize" option.

To resize the partition, move the mouse to the edge of the partition and drag it to the desired size, then click "Proceed".

Step 4: Restore target partition to the merged partition

If you have two or more partitions on your external disk, you can merge them into one using the "Merge" feature. This will combine the two partitions into a single one, making it easier to manage your storage.