Reference number: CH000727

How do I format a floppy diskette?

Question:

How do I format a floppy diskette?

Answer:

Formatting a floppy diskette in Microsoft Windows

To format a floppy diskette in Microsoft Windows, insert a blank diskette or a diskette you wish to erase and follow the below steps.

1. Open My Computer
2. Within My Computer, right-click the 3 1/2 Floppy (A:) icon.
3. Click the Format option.

In addition to the above steps, you can also format a floppy diskette from the Windows command prompt by following the below MS-DOS steps.

Formatting a floppy diskette in MS-DOS

To format a floppy diskette at the MS-DOS prompt, insert a blank diskette or a diskette you wish to erase and type the below command from anywhere.

format a:

After pressing enter you should receive a confirmation regarding if you wish to erase all the information on the diskette; if you wish to continue press "Y" for "yes" to continue.

If you need additional information about the MS-DOS format command or available format switches, see our format command page.