Initialize-Disk

Initialize-Disk

Initializes a RAW disk for first time use, enabling the disk to be formatted and used to store data.

Syntax

Parameter Set: ByNumber
Initialize-Disk [-Number] <UInt32[]> [-AsJob] [-CimSession <CimSession[]> ] [-PartitionStyle <PartitionStyle> ] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32> ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [ <CommonParameters>]

Parameter Set: ByName
Initialize-Disk [-AsJob] [-CimSession <CimSession[]> ] [-FriendlyName <String[]> ] [-PartitionStyle <PartitionStyle> ] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32> ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [ <CommonParameters>]

Parameter Set: ByPath
Initialize-Disk -Path <String[]> [-AsJob] [-CimSession <CimSession[]> ] [-PartitionStyle <PartitionStyle> ] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32> ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [ <CommonParameters>]

Parameter Set: ByUniqueId
Initialize-Disk -UniqueId <String[]> [-AsJob] [-CimSession <CimSession[]> ] [-PartitionStyle <PartitionStyle> ] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32> ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [ <CommonParameters>]

Parameter Set: ByVirtualDisk
Initialize-Disk [-AsJob] [-CimSession <CimSession[]> ] [-PartitionStyle <PartitionStyle> ] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32> ] [-VirtualDisk <CimInstance> ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [ <CommonParameters>]

Parameter Set: InputObject (cdxml)
Initialize-Disk -InputObject <CimInstance[]> [-AsJob] [-CimSession <CimSession[]> ] [-PartitionStyle <PartitionStyle> ] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32> ] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [ <CommonParameters>]

Detailed Description

The Initialize-Disk cmdlet initializes a Disk object with the RAW partition style to either the MBR or GPT partition styles. The default partition style is GPT. Disks must be initialized before they can be formatted and used to store data.

Parameters

-AsJob

Aliases	none
Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-CimSession<CimSession[]>

Runs the cmdlet in a remote session or on a remote computer. Enter a computer name or a session object, such as the output of a New-CimSession or Get-CimSession cmdlet. The default is the current session on the local computer.

Aliases	Session
Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-FriendlyName<String[]>

Specifies the friendly name of the disk to initialize.

Aliases	none
Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	True (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	true

-InputObject<CimInstance[]>

Initializes the specified Disk object.

Aliases	none
Required?	true
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	True (ByValue)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Number<UInt32[]>

Specifies the disk number of the disk to initialize.

Aliases	none
Required?	true
Position?	1
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	True (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-PartitionStyle<PartitionStyle>

Specifies the type of the partition. The acceptable values for this parameter are: MBR or GPT. The disk must be set to read-write (IsReadOnly $false$false ) before this cmdlet will work.

Aliases	none
Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	GPT
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-PassThru

Sends items from the interactive window down the pipeline as input to other cmdlets. By default, this cmdlet does not generate any output.
To send items from the interactive window down the pipeline, click to select the items and then click OK. Shift-click and Ctrl-click are supported.

Aliases	none
Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Path<String[]>

Specifies the path of the disk to initialize.

Aliases	none
Required?	true
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	True (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	true

-ThrottleLimit<Int32>

Specifies the maximum number of concurrent operations that can be established to run the cmdlet. If this parameter is omitted or a value of 0 is entered, then Windows PowerShell® calculates an optimum throttle limit for the cmdlet based on the number of CIM cmdlets that are running on the computer. The throttle limit applies only to the current cmdlet, not to the session or to the computer.

Aliases	none
Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-UniqueId<String[]>

Specifies the UniqueID of the disk to initialize

Aliases	Id
Required?	true
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	True (ByPropertyName)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	true

-VirtualDisk<CimInstance>

Specifies the VirtualDisk object for which you want to initialize the associated Disk object. The Virtual Disk CIM object is exposed by the Get-VirtualDisk cmdlet.

Aliases	none
Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	none
Accept Pipeline Input?	True (ByValue)
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-Confirm

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	false
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

-WhatIf

Shows what would happen if the cmdlet runs. The cmdlet is not run.

Required?	false
Position?	named
Default Value	false
Accept Pipeline Input?	false
Accept Wildcard Characters?	false

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: -Verbose, -Debug, -ErrorAction, -ErrorVariable, -OutBuffer, and -OutVariable. For more information, see    about_CommonParameters (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=113216).

Inputs

The input type is the type of the objects that you can pipe to the cmdlet.

• Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/Storage/MSFT_VirtualDisk

  You can pipe an MSFT_VirtualDisk object to the VirtualDisk parameter.

• Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/Storage/MSFT_Disk

  You can pipe an MSFT_Disk object to the InputObject parameter.

Outputs

The output type is the type of the objects that the cmdlet emits.

• Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/Storage/MSFT_Disk

  If you specify the Passthru parameter, this cmdlet returns an object representing the newly initialized disk.

Notes

• The Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance object is a wrapper class that displays Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) objects. The path after the pound sign (#) provides the namespace and class name for the underlying WMI object.

Examples

Example 1: Initialize a disk using default values

This example initializes the first disk in the computer (disk number 1), using the default values, which initializes the disk using the GPT partition style.

PS C:\> Initialize-Disk -Number 1

Example 2: Initialize a disk using the MBR partition style

This example initializes a disk using the MBR partition style.

PS C:\> Initialize-Disk -Number 1 -PartitionStyle MBR

Example 3: Initialize a virtual disk

This example uses the VirtualDisk parameter with the Get-VirtualDisk cmdlet to get a virtual disk with the friendly name UserData, and initialize the Disk object associated with the virtual disk.

PS C:\> Initialize-Disk -VirtualDisk (Get-VirtualDisk -FriendlyName UserData)

Related topics

Clear-Disk

Get-Disk

Get-Partition

Set-Disk

Update-Disk