Can you format a laptop the same way as a desktop?

It's the exact same process… If you use manufacture specific programs to do this task, then the laptop would need to have the same manufacturer's software to do the task in the same way. Example would be Lenovo with their Lenovo recovery program. Obviously an HP laptop wouldn't have that same software but they usually have their own version of the same thing.

If you format it using a windows disk then the process is the same on any windows machine regardless of type

Same difference

Yes…