How to format a Solid State Drive (SSD)

Formatting or reformatting a solid state drive (SSD) is a quick and simple process that restores the drive to a clean, like-new state. You’ll want to reformat and erase all data on your SSDs if you’re looking to sell or donate them.   

Upgrading your PC or building a new computer is the perfect time to upgrade to a faster, more efficient SSD. This guide will show you how to format a new SSD or wipe an existing one. 

Formatting an SSD will erase all stored data during the process, so it’s important to make sure you’ve backed up or transferred all files off the drive before the formatting process. We have a guide on backing up to an external hard drive and the 3-2-1 rule of backups which are helpful for keeping your data safe.  

You’ll notice that formatting an SSD is slightly different if you’re used to formatting a hard disk drive (HDD). SSDs use different technology, so formatting them is a different process. When you format a drive in Windows, you will see the options for Quick Format and Full Format. It’s important to select the Quick Format option when formatting an SSD. Here is a quick breakdown of each:  

• Quick Format: Your computer’s file system keeps track of the data on the drive. This index tells the computer what space is available and where it’s located. Quick Format erases the file system index and makes the entire drive available for use  
• Full Format: The drive erases the index but works through every sector of the drive to remove the data during full format. SSDs can only perform a limited number of write operations during their operational life, so a full format will affect that lifespan as it’s an intensive function. Hard drives work differently as a full format will take longer but won’t affect the life of the HDD 

If your computer’s OS offers TRIM support, your computer will automatically ensure that data saved to your SSD is managed correctly when enabled.

Formatting and TRIM is like defragmenting a hard drive. Although the technologies are different, the process achieves a similar result, removing saved files that are no longer needed. It’s important to note that solid state drives do not need defragmenting and instead use the TRIM command. 

As you change and delete information while using your solid state drive, the SSD needs to make sure invalid information is deleted and space is available for new information to be written. The TRIM command tells your drive which pieces of data can be erased so Active Garbage Collection can clean up and organize the drive.  

You should note that the format options above are intended to quickly prepare your storage device for use. They’re not considered secure methods of erasing data. You can use the Secure Erase feature to wipe all the data from an SSD if you’re trying to delete data to sell or use, but it does not reformat the drive. You can download our free Crucial Storage Executive software tool to make this process quick and simple. For more information, see our article on how to securely wipe a hard drive. 

To format or reformat your solid state drive using Microsoft^® Windows^®, follow these instructions:

1.     Search for and open Control Panel in Windows, then select System and Security. 

2.     Select Administrative Tools > Computer Management > Disk Management. 

3.     Right-click the drive you’d like to format and click Format. 

4.     Select the File System (usually NTFS for Windows) in the dialog box that appears, enter the Allocation Unit Size (usually 4096) and click the Perform a quick format checkbox. 

5.     Click OK

You can now install your OS or other programs with the freshly reformatted SSD.