Formatting a hard drive means to delete all the data on the drive and set a file system to prepare an available space for the operating system. When a drive is formatted, all the data is removed, and space is made for new data and file systems. Formatting a disk will delete your data and provide you with a new and blank disk. The process of formatting a hard drive can be useful in many different situations, such as when you want to use a new system or if you need extra space in your drive. Here are some of the effects of formatting a hard drive:

• Removes all data on the hard drive: When a hard drive is formatted or reformatted, all the data on the disk will be erased completely, and a new copy of the operating system will be reinstalled. Even though all the operating system files are copied to the formatted hard drive, you still can notice that there is relatively large available space on it.

• Changes the file system: When you format a hard drive, you pick the type of file system you would like the newly formatted hard disk drive to use (like NTFS or exFAT) . Formatting a hard drive can also change the file system to NTFS/exFAT/EXT2,3,4.

• Improves device performance: Formatting acts as a reset that returns operations to how they were when you first bought your computer. Increased device performance is one of the biggest benefits of formatting a hard drive and computers. By formatting the hard drive, the operating system will be deleted and can be freshly reinstalled. All the errors and malfunctions are removed, and the operating system is restored to functioning optimally.

It is important to note that formatting a disk does not erase everything on the disk. Formatting data is not the same as erasing it. It only removes the "index" that allows you to access the information because the partition table is erased or rebuilt. As a general rule, formatting a disk by default leaves most if not all existing data on the disk medium; some or most of which might be recoverable with privileged or special tools.