How may I format HD from a USB thumbdrive?

mawil1013 · 28 Aug 2021

My laptop is a Dell Inspiron 7000-7405, Win10
I've totally messed up HD, what I need to know is can a 15GB USB thumb drive be formatted to format the HD?

I'll need to be able to restart, then at Dell start tapping f12, to select start up on USB so USB take over's (there is no OS on the HD at this time)

Anyone got a website with instructions to do this, I have another laptop I can use. In the old, old days I knew a thumb drive could boot formatted to be bootable and then if I remember correctly, only the format command is loaded onto USB? It's been too long for me to be sure. Just don't want to muck it up any worse!

Paul Black · 28 Aug 2021

Hello @mawil1013,

Have a look at these [ FIRST one ] . . .

> How to Open a Command Prompt at Boot in Windows 10
> How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt in Windows 10

I hope this helps.

Berton · 28 Aug 2021

Since as you say there is nothing on the drive it would be possible on another computer to download the MCT/Media Creation Tool, install it then run, choose to create either the .iso file used to burn a bootable DVD or to create the bootable USB drive, 16GB will be fine. Be sure to make the choice of for use on a different computer. The empty drive doesn't need pre-formatting, Windows will take care of that and create the partitions it needs as part of the install process. Since Win10 was previously installed it should activate with a Digital License when next on the Internet. And the Thumb drive will be formatted as FAT32 by default.

Barman58 · 28 Aug 2021

Full step by step creation of USB installer
Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10

Full install instructions
Clean Install Windows 10

Megahertz · 28 Aug 2021

If you boot from a Win 10 installation drive that you created using MCT, go to install, delete ALL partitions on the target drive and then proceed.

Windows can be installed in two ways: Legacy-MBR or UEFI-GPT
To install as Legacy-MBR you must boot the installation drive as Legacy
To install as UEFI-GPT you must boot the installation drive as UEFI.

Detach any other drives from the MB.

During POST, press F12(?) to launch the boot menu. You will see two options for the USB drive. USB UEFI (Name) and USB (Name). Select USB UEFI (Name).
Go to install and delete ALL partitions on the target drive till you have one and only one unallocated space and then proceed.
If you don't want to use MS account, don't enable updates or connect to the internet during installation.