

Execute the following commands in turn and press Enter after each one: Press Windows key and R key at the same time, input “cmd” and hit on Enter to open Command Prompt window. Below are the specific steps: ▌1. Initialize disk via Command line Besides, you can also use CMD and PowerShell to initialize disk in Windows 10. If the disk is listed as ”Offline”, first right-click it and select ”Online”, ensure you select the correct disk and the required partition style. In the Disk Management, right-click the disk you need to initialize, and then click ”Initialize Disk”. To initialize disk in Windows 10, you can use Disk Management: in the search box on the taskbar, type “disk management”, select and hold Disk Management, then select “Run as administrator” and “Yes”. So, choose one based on your personal requirement. And both all 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions are data and system compatible with MBR. However, all editions (except Windows XP 32-bit) can read and use GPT for data storage, but only 64-bit Windows versions (starting from Windows Vista 64-bit) can use GPT as the system disk. It breaks out the partition and disk size limitation of MBR, being able to support 2TB+ hard drive and hold up to 128 primary partitions.

In one word, compared with MBR, GPT is a relatively new partition style. The following table explains the main differences between those two disk types and helps you make a wise final decision. In the process of disk initialization, you have to make a choice between MBR and GPT partition styles. You also need to further partition and format the drive, which will surely erase all your disk data. Besides, only initializing a disk won’t make the disk usable. When you add a brand new disk to your computer and it does not show up in File Explorer, you need to initialize it before using it. Initialize Disk to MBR or GPT in Windows 10? Common disk initialization errors and solutions.Initialize Disk to MBR or GPT in Windows 10?.
