Tech Tip of the Day: How to format a drive using the Command Prompt in Windows 7

Description: If formatting a drive through Windows is unsuccessful, the Command Line becomes a very useful tool to complete the process.

1. Open the Elevated Command Prompt by going to Start » All Programs » Accessories » Right-Click on Command Prompt and click Run as administrator. A prompt will appear for Administrator Access. Click Yes to allow.
   
   


2. Once in Command Prompt, type in Format X: (X being the drive to be formatted. If it’s a removable drive, make sure it is connected) and hit Enter. A confirmation will appear. Hit Enter again.
   
   
   
   


3. The formatting will begin. Depending on the size of the drive, it could take quite some time. The ETA is determined by the percentage completed.
   
   


4. Once completed with the format, it will allow the Volume Label to be set or changed. To change it, type in the label desired. To proceed or skip, hit Enter.
   
   


5. The format has now been completed and will display a summary of the drive. To exit, click the X in the top right corner, or, type Exit into the Command Line.
   
   

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

How to Run System File Checker in Windows 7

Description: Running System File Checker (SFC) to repair the protected system files in Windows 7.

There are a couple of ways to run the System File Checker (SFC) to verify or to fix the corrupt Protected System files on your system.

To Scan and repair the System Files:

1. Open a command prompt window with Administrator rights.
   
   
   

1. Type the command sfc /scannow and press enter. This process will take some time to complete.
   
   
   
   *Warning: You should be aware that sfc /scannow will change any modified System Files back to the original default state. System File Checker will replace incorrect corrupted, changed, or damaged versions of files with the correct ones.

To verify if the System Files are Corrupt:

1. Open the Command prompt with Administrator rights.
   
   


2. Type the command sfc /verifyonly and press enter.
3. You should see a comment on the command window stating the files are ok or no file integrity violations were found.
   
   

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

How to Open Elevated Command Prompt with Administrator Privileges in Windows 7

Certain tasks in Windows require running Command Line commands with administrator privileges. In order to do this, you need to be able to elevate the command prompt to administrator privileges. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Click on Start, then All Programs, then Accessories.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Right-click on Command Prompt.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Click on Run as administrator.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Now you should get a command line prompt, allowing you to run text commands with administrator privileges.