WinPE: Fix Windows Cannot Format System Partition in Windows 10

The system partition, also known as system volume, is normally C drive on PC. It holds operating system files for Windows booting. The system partition cannot be formatted under windows. However, when you want to upgrade system disk, erase data, remove virus and malware of the system volume or reinstall OS, it is a must to format the system volume. In this post, we will walk you through use Windows PE to format system partition in Windows 10.

1. Windows cannot format system partition

For other volumes, you can apply File Explorer or Disk Management to change their status, such as format and delete. While if you right-click C drive in File Explorer and select Format option from context menu, you will get the information as the picture shown below:

2. Format system partition by WinPE

Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) is a minimal operating system where you can prepare a PC for installation, deployment, and servicing of Windows. WinPE has such features as installing windows OS, setting up hard drive before installing windows OS, running recovery tools like Windows RE to recover system files, troubleshooting system boot failure problems and disk partition management such as formatting C drive and so on.

Step 1: Create working files

To start working with WinPE, the first is to install Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) and its add-on Windows PE in Windows 10, and then create a set of WinPE working files on the PC.

1. Download and install: ADK

   Select Deployment tools and Windows Preinstallation Environment options during the ADK installation for including two command line utilities CopyPE and MakeWinPEMedia.

   
2. Download and install: Win PE Add-ons for ADK

   If you'll use the ADK for Windows 10, version 1809, you need to install Win PE add-ons separately after installing the ADK. Please download the above two tools into the same location, or don't change the default download address for next step to proceed!

   

3. After installation, enter Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment in windows search box and start it as an administrator. Run copype to create a working copy of the Windows PE files. Copy copype amd64 C:\WinPE_amd64 as a command line, and press on Enter.

   

Step 2: Create a bootable WinPE USB drive

1. Attach a USB drive to your PC.

2. Start the Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment as an administrator.

3. Before running MakeWinPEMedia, you can format the USB drive. Copy MakeWinPEMedia /UFD C:\WinPE_amd64 E: as a command line to install WinPE to the USB flash drive, and then tap on Enter.

   Note: The E is the drive letter of the USB drive. This command will reformat the partition, and you will get a warning prompt, then input Y to proceed.

   

Step 3: Boot PC with WinPE

1. Connect the bootable WinPE USB drive with the computer. Turn on the PC, and select the Windows PE drive on the boot menu. Typically, access to boot menu requires repeatedly pressing a hardware button or a key, generally Key F12 or F10 or Esc. You can check it at the bottom when the computer starts up.

2. After choosing the USB drive to boot, Windows PE starts automatically. Then the wpeinit command runs automatically. Enter diskpart here, which can help format or delete system partition.

   

3. Type list disk and press Enter to see all the available drives. And then type select disk 0 to make the system partition checked.

   

4. Type clean to delete all files and folders.
   Type create partition primary to make the drive accessible again.
   Type format fs=ntfs to format the drive with FAT or NTFS file system.
   Type assign to assign a drive letter to the drive.

   

Final Words

It is essential that reinstall an operating system to your PC after system partition formatting. WinPE does play a role on computer system reinstallation. Download the OS files you want to install before formatting and boot the computer with bootable WinPE USB drive to complete the installation.