You can format any volume listed on the Volumes tab in Share and Storage Management, except for the following volumes:

  • A system, boot, or read-only volume

  • A volume that does not have a drive letter assigned to it

Caution

Formatting a volume deletes all data on the volume. If the volume contains any data, make certain that it has been appropriately backed up before formatting the volume.

Membership in Administrators, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477.

To format a volume

  1. On the Volumes tab, click the volume that you want to format.

  2. In the Actions pane, click Format.

  3. In the Format dialog box, specify the appropriate settings, and then click Start.

  4. When prompted to confirm the action, click OK.

Additional considerations

  • To assign a drive letter to a volume, use Disk Management.

  • To open Share and Storage Management, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Share and Storage Management.

Additional references

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