You may have noticed when first installing a new computer storage drive that Windows will not automatically detect the new drive. A newly installed solid state drive (SSD) will need to be initialized and partitioned before you can put it to use. This process typically includes assigning the storage drive a letter and name before being partitioned and initialized.
Initializing, partitioning and formatting are all similar terms and seem like they’re all the same process at a quick glance. Each of the three are separate processes involved in managing storage drives on your computer. Let’s break each one down by its purpose.
It’s not necessary to follow the steps below if you’re performing a clean Windows installation or cloning to the SSD.
Note: If you simply need to format or reformat a drive, only follow steps 5 - 9 if your SSD has been previously initialized.
Your drive is now formatted and ready for use.
Note: Changing the drive letter of a drive with Windows or installed apps can cause them to malfunction or become inaccessible. Use caution when changing a drive letter.
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