Make a partition after cmd -> diskpart is used to clean an HD

After "clean" completes in Diskpart, to format that same disk you would enter these commands:

create partition primary (this will create one primary partition covering the entire drive)

select partition 1 (this selects the partition you just made)

active (this marks that partition active)

format fs=ntfs quick (this formats that partition)

exit (this quits the diskpart program)

exit (this closes the command prompt window)

You would then continue with the Windows installation and tell Windows to install into the partition you just created when you come to the screen that asks you "where do you want to install Windows".

Diskpart is fine, but using a Partition Wizard Boot CD is so much easier.

Bootable Partition Manager| MiniTool Partition Wizard Bootable Edition

loninappleton said:

my last question is: can any errors occur loading the Win7 install disk and going back and forth using these utilities?

I guess I thought that cleaning did some sort of extra good during a reformat/disk wipe.

I've never had any issues. You enter diskpart by hitting F10 when you get to the screen where the installer asks you what language you want to use. I think that's the very first screen. You exit diskpart as shown in my commands above and are automatically dumped back to that language screen. Select English there and continue.

You don't have to use diskpart at all if you don't want to--let alone the "clean" command. Unless you were having installation problems and wanted to make sure the disk was empty.

If the disk had stuff on it, all you'd normally have to do is delete all partitions when you come to the "where do you want to install Windows" screen. That would leave nothing but "unallocated space". You'd then tell the installer to install to that unallocated space. You'd end up with a big C and a small "System Reserved".

I like to use diskpart because if you use the commands I mentioned above, you will NOT end up with a System Reserved partition. You'd just have a C partition, nothing else.

System Reserved in a standard install contains the boot files. You need the boot files, but it's fine if they are on C--which is where they will be if you use the commands I listed.

"Clean" is useful if you have a disk with something on it that you want to eliminate--like on a reinstall when you want to start over. But for a new hard drive or SSD, right out of the box, there's no reason to use "clean".