Can I Format the System Partition? How to Fix System Partition is Not Allowed to Be Formatted
Overview of System Partition
The system partition contains boot files such as BCD, bootmgr, and boot.ini, as well as the area where the Windows operating system is installed. Formatting can delete all of the files on a partition and establish a new file system. However, your machine will not boot if the system partition is formatted. As a result, while Windows is running, users are unable to format or harm the system drive. Therefore, a user's screen can sometimes prompt, "system partition is not allowed to be formatted."
You might wonder if there is a way to format the system partition? Yes, you can format system partitions while Windows is not working, for example, in WinPE or on other PCs. After attaching the system disc to another computer as a secondary drive, you'll be able to format it effortlessly. If unplugging and plugging hard discs is inconvenient for you, try the ways below to finish the formatting operation.
Method 1. Format System Partition With Qiling Partition Master
The efficient format tool – Qiling Partition Master – makes formatting a hard drive partition simple. It is a partition manager designed for users to better manage their hard drives and partitions. It can not only format partitions according to your needs, but can also let you create, resize, transfer, combine, and clone partitions.
To format the system partition, you need to first create a bootable disk, boot your computer from the created disk, then format the system partition.
The following process may help you format the system partition. Read further to know more.
1. Create a Windows Bootable Media with Qiling Partition Master
Step 1. To create a bootable disk of Qiling Partition Master, you should prepare a storage media, like a USB drive, flash drive or a CD/DVD disc. Then, correctly connect the drive to your computer.
Step 2. Launch Qiling Partition Master, find the "Create bootable media" feature on the tools page. Click on it.
Step 3. You can choose the USB or CD/DVD when the drive is available. However, if you do not have a storage device at hand, you can also save the ISO file to a local drive, and later burn it to a storage media. Once made the option, click the "Proceed" button to begin.
When the process finishes, you have successfully created an Qiling Partition Master WinPE bootable disk. Now, you can manage your hard disks and partitions through the bootable drive whenever the computer fails to boot normally.
If you have RAID drives, load the RAID driver first by clicking Add Driver from the menu bar, which can help you add the driver of your device under WinPE environment, as some specific device cannot be recognized under WinPE environment without drivers installed, such as RAID or some specific hard disk.
2. Boot the Computer from the Bootable Media
Step 1. Restart your computer and long-press the F2 (depending on the computer you use, it could be F2, F8, or Delete ...) to enter BIOS.
Step 2. In BIOS, set to boot the computer from the bootable USB/CD/DVD.
3. Format the C Drive Using Qiling Partition Master
After the startup, your computer will boot into a system with Qiling Partition Master installed. Now your computer is using another operating system with formatting abilities. You can format the system partition now.
Step 1. Right-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".
Step 3. You can see a warning window, click "OK" to start formatting the hard drive partition.
Method 2. Format System Partition Using Windows Installation Disc
This approach is a convenient way to format the C drive. You can format C drive using the installation disc for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista. The steps to format the C drive are as follows:
Step 1. Insert the Windows Installation Disc and start the computer. Follow the instructions after inserting the CD into the optical hard drive.
Step 2. Click "Next" after selecting the language you want to use.
Step 3. Select "Install Now" and wait for it to complete. It isn't the same as installing the Windows operating system.
Step 4. Select "Next" after accepting the terms and conditions.
Step 5. Select Custom (advanced) from the drop-down menu. You'll get a list of all the drives that are currently installed. Next, select "Drive settings (advanced)" from the drop-down menu and click on "Next."
Step 6. Select "Format" from the drop-down menu. Windows will now begin the formatting operation on your hard drive.
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Conclusion
With these methods above, you can format the system partition without hassle. But we still hope you can think twice before making the decision. If your purpose of erasing the operating system is to leave room for the new OS installation, then it is unnecessary for you to do that. Because when you install Windows on the disk that has an OS, the format will occur during the operating system installation.
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