The approach to partitioning and formatting depends upon whether this is a new disk or an existing disk.
The following are instructions for an existing disk that may contain data.
Instructions for a new disk can be found here.

Have you backed up all of your important data? If not, back up your data before you proceed. When you run the fdisk command to create, delete, or change a partition, all of the data on that partition is permanently deleted.
Note that you can view current partition information without deleting your data.

Does the hard disk have a drive overlay or a disk management program? If your computer uses drive overlay software to enable large hard disk support, do not use the Fdisk tool until you have checked with the software manufacturer. If you are not sure, view the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article or contact the software manufacturer before you proceed: 186057 How to Tell If Drive Overlay Program Is Installed in Windows

Do you have the floppy disks or the CD-ROMs that are necessary to reinstall your software? Make sure that you have the software so that you can reinstall your programs after you partition and format your drive. If you purchased an upgrade for a program, make sure that you have the full version of the original program. Many upgrades for programs require a compliance check before you can install the upgraded product. If you cannot find the original floppy disks or CD-ROMs, contact the software manufacturer before you proceed.

Do you have updated device backed up on a device other than the drive that you are about to format and partition? If you have installed an updated device driver for your peripheral devices (for example, modems, printers, and so on), make sure that you back up the new driver on a device other than the drive that you are about to format and partition . This will allow you to reinstall it after you install your operating system.

Do you want to combine multiple extended partitions in one extended partition? If so, you will need to use the procedure to repartition and format extended partition and logical drives on a hard disk.