Warning  Formatting a disk erases all information on that disk.

1. If the disk you want to format is a floppy disk, insert it into its drive. Otherwise, skip to step 2.
2. Do one of the following:
   • On the Windows XP Start menu, click My Computer.
   • In Windows 2000, double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop.
3. Click the disk you want to format.
4. On the File menu, click Format.
5. Select the options you want.
6. Click Start.

Notes

• Quick Format removes files from the disk without scanning the disk for bad sectors. Use this option only if the disk has been previously formatted, and you are sure the disk is not damaged.
• For information about any of the options, click the question mark in the upper-right corner of the Format dialog box, and then click the option.
• You cannot format a disk if files are open on the disk, the contents of the disk are displayed, or the disk contains the system or boot partition.