PowerShell Commands

Initialize-Disk

Initialize-Disk [-Number*] <UInt32[]> [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-PartitionStyle {Unknown | MBR | GPT}][-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
Initialize-Disk [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-FriendlyName <String[]>] [-PartitionStyle {Unknown | MBR | GPT}][-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit <Int32>] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
Initialize-Disk [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-PartitionStyle {Unknown | MBR | GPT}] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit<Int32>] [-VirtualDisk <CimInstance>] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
Initialize-Disk [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-PartitionStyle {Unknown | MBR | GPT}] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit<Int32>] -UniqueId* <String[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
Initialize-Disk [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-PartitionStyle {Unknown | MBR | GPT}] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit<Int32>] [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]
Initialize-Disk [-CimSession <CimSession[]>] [-PartitionStyle {Unknown | MBR | GPT}] [-PassThru] [-ThrottleLimit<Int32>] -Path* <String[]> [-Confirm] [-WhatIf] [<CommonParameters>]

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

-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.

-FriendlyName [<String[]>]

  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies the friendly name of the disk to initialize.

-Number <UInt32[]>

  • This value is required
  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies the disk number of the disk to initialize.

-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 ) before this cmdlet will work.

-PassThru [<SwitchParameter>]

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.

-Path <String[]>

  • This value is required
  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies the path of the disk to initialize.

-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 PowerShellr 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.

-UniqueId <String[]>

  • This value is required
  • Accepts pipeline input ByPropertyName

Specifies the UniqueID of the disk to initialize

-VirtualDisk [<CimInstance>]

  • Accepts pipeline input ByValue

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.

-Confirm [<SwitchParameter>]

  • Default value is false

Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.Prompts you for confirmation before running the cmdlet.

-WhatIf [<SwitchParameter>]

  • Default value is false

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

<CommonParameters>

This cmdlet supports the common parameters: Verbose, Debug,ErrorAction, ErrorVariable, WarningAction, WarningVariable,OutBuffer, PipelineVariable, and OutVariable.

Inputs
Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/Storage/MSFT_VirtualDisk
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/hh830584.aspx You can pipe an MSFT_VirtualDisk object to the VirtualDisk parameter. Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/Storage/MSFT_Disk http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/hh830493.aspx You can pipe an MSFT_Disk object to the InputObject parameter.
Outputs
Microsoft.Management.Infrastructure.CimInstance#ROOT/Microsoft/Windows/Storage/MSFT_Disk
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/desktop/hh830493.aspx If you specify the Passthru parameter, this cmdlet returns an object representing the newly initialized disk.
Examples
  1. Initialize a disk using default values:
    PS C:\> Initialize-Disk -Number 1
    

    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.

  2. Initialize a disk using the MBR partition style:
    PS C:\>  Initialize-Disk -Number 1 -PartitionStyle MBR
    

    This example initializes a disk using the MBR partition style.

  3. Initialize a virtual disk:
    PS C:\> Initialize-Disk -VirtualDisk (Get-VirtualDisk -FriendlyName UserData)
    

    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.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. It is attributed to Microsoft Corporation and can be found here.

PowerShell Commands