Disk formatting is a common operation during data storage and disk management. Here this comprehensive guide from MiniTool Software introduces how to format WD My Passport for PC. Several tools are mentioned to help you format your disk.

WD My Passport is an extremely popular data storage solution, famous for its high capacity, high data transfer speeds, comprehensive compatibility, and powerful portability. Formatting WD My Passport can help you clear disk data, rebuild partitions, change file systems, and so on.

If you are not sure how to format WD My Passport on Windows, keep reading to choose a way.

How to Format WD My Passport for Windows PC

No matter which disk formatting tool you use, you need to connect WD My Passport to your computer first. Moreover, since formatting a disk removes all files on it, it is highly recommended to back up your files by using MiniTool ShadowMaker before formatting the drive.  

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Way 1. Format WD Passport via Disk Management/File Explorer

When it comes to disk formatting, the first tool that comes to mind is usually the one built into the Windows operating system, namely Disk Management.

Step 1. Right-click the Start button on the taskbar and choose Disk Management.

Step 2. Find and right-click on the WD My Passport partition, then choose Format.

format the disk in Disk Management

Step 3. Type a volume label, choose a file system, tick Perform a quick format, and then hit OK.

Alternatively, you can format the disk in File Explorer. In the This PC section, right-click the target disk and choose Format from the context menu. In the new window, choose the file system, tick Quick Format, and then hit Start.

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Way 2. Format WD Passport With CMD

The Command Prompt can help you perform many disk management operations, such as showing hidden partitions with CMD, removing partitions using CMD, and so on. Here you can see how to format a disk with it.

Step 1. Run Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2. Type the following commands and press Enter after each one to execute them.

  • diskpart
  • list disk
  • select disk * (* represents the disk number of your WD My Passport)
  • list partition
  • select partition * (* represents the number of the partition you want to format)
  • format fs=ntfs quick (replace ntfs with the desired file system)
format the disk using CMD

Way 3. Format WD My Passport Using WD Quick Formatter

WD Quick Formatter is a formatting tool developed by Western Digital Technologies, Inc. You can download it from Western Digital’s official site, and then use it to format your disk. See How to Format an External Hard Drive with WD Quick Formatter.

Way 4. Format WD My Passport With MiniTool Partition Wizard

If you experience any issues while using Disk Management, CMD, or WD Quick Formatter to format your disk, you can turn to MiniTool Partition Wizard. It is the best partition manager for Windows that is highly praised by users, allowing you to deeper diving into your hard drive. It helps format/create/resize/move/clone your partitions.

You can download and use it to format your WD Passport for free.

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First, launch MiniTool Partition Wizard.

Second, on its main interface, select the target partition, then scroll down the left menu bar and choose Format Partition.

format the partition

Third, set up a partition label and file system, then click OK.

Finally, hit the Apply button to complete the format process.

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Tips:
If you need to recover files after formatting your disk, check out MiniTool Power Data Recovery. As a green and secure data recovery software, it is capable of restoring data from various disk conditions including formatted, corrupted, unallocated spaces, and more.

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Bottom Line

In a word, this is a detailed guide on how to format WD My Passport for Windows. You can choose the most convenient method.

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