Solve : NEED HELP formatting HD?

1.	Solve : NEED HELP formatting HD?
Answer» I have formatted many HD's and have never had the following happen. Every time I try to format I get the message "Format can't run because the volume is in use by ANOTHER process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted. All open handles to this volume would then be invalid. Would you like to force a dismount"? Y After I type yes I get "Can't lock the drive, volume still in use". This is Gateway Computer , WinXP Home, C: drive, It let me format the D: drive (restore) with no problem. Does anyone know what I need to do so I can format this drive? Thanksyou cannot format the drive because your running windows from it. If you really want to format the drive, meaning you'll need reinstall your OS from your XP CD, you'll need to boot from the XP CD and delete the partitions using setup.Back in the Win Me and 98 days I could format my C drive even though Win was on it. So, that has changed? The only way to format is by using the XP disc? Quote from: ronbono on February 18, 2009, 01:38:38 PM Back in the Win Me and 98 days I could format my C drive even though Win was on it. So, that has changed? The only way to format is by using the XP disc? you could never format the system drive while you were running from it(at least not properly). That hasn't changed. What's changed is that you cannot simply boot into DOS and format it from there. You can format the drive using any other METHOD so long as the drive was not the boot-up drive, such as hooking it up as a slave to another drive, or using a bootCD that provides this functionality (the XP CD being only one). HOWEVER: if you don't have a XP CD, I don't see what your TRYING to accomplish by formatting? what OS will you INSTALL after formatting if you don't have the disc? Quote from: ronbono on February 18, 2009, 01:38:38 PM Back in the Win Me and 98 days I could format my C drive even though Win was on it. So, that has changed? The only way to format is by using the XP disc? I'm working on my father-in-laws computer that was given to him. Instead of uninstalling all the junk from the previous owner I just wanted to wipe the c drive clean and start over. I have a XP disk I can use. So I put the XP disk in and then boot up with it and take it from there? THANKS for your help!!Good, so you have the XP disc, this will make things easier! when you boot from the disc, you want to follow the prompts to install until it asks you where you want to install to. Instead of selecting the existing Windows partition- delete the partition. And create a new one. When you tell XP to install there, it will format the drive and install XP. good luck!i'm suprised he was given a computer with data on it. unless you're giving it to a relative or friend ALL data should be wiped or hackers could get bank details etc. Selling old HDs on ebay is a nice source for hackers to get your identity. It's very easy with the install disk to wipe the drive. You can't format parts of a hard drive (unless they're partitioned), so you'd have to reinstall XP, so you might as well use the install disk to wipe it.Look up...

Answer»

I have formatted many HD's and have never had the following happen. Every time I try to format I get the message "Format can't run because the volume is in use by ANOTHER process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted. All open handles to this volume would then be invalid. Would you like to force a dismount"? Y

After I type yes I get "Can't lock the drive, volume still in use".

This is Gateway Computer , WinXP Home, C: drive, It let me format the D: drive (restore) with no problem.

Does anyone know what I need to do so I can format this drive? Thanksyou cannot format the drive because your running windows from it. If you really want to format the drive, meaning you'll need reinstall your OS from your XP CD, you'll need to boot from the XP CD and delete the partitions using setup.Back in the Win Me and 98 days I could format my C drive even though Win was on it. So, that has changed? The only way to format is by using the XP disc? Quote from: ronbono on February 18, 2009, 01:38:38 PM

Back in the Win Me and 98 days I could format my C drive even though Win was on it. So, that has changed? The only way to format is by using the XP disc?

you could never format the system drive while you were running from it(at least not properly). That hasn't changed. What's changed is that you cannot simply boot into DOS and format it from there.

You can format the drive using any other METHOD so long as the drive was not the boot-up drive, such as hooking it up as a slave to another drive, or using a bootCD that provides this functionality (the XP CD being only one).

HOWEVER: if you don't have a XP CD, I don't see what your TRYING to accomplish by formatting? what OS will you INSTALL after formatting if you don't have the disc? Quote from: ronbono on February 18, 2009, 01:38:38 PM

Back in the Win Me and 98 days I could format my C drive even though Win was on it. So, that has changed? The only way to format is by using the XP disc?

I'm working on my father-in-laws computer that was given to him. Instead of uninstalling all the junk from the previous owner I just wanted to wipe the c drive clean and start over. I have a XP disk I can use.

So I put the XP disk in and then boot up with it and take it from there?

THANKS for your help!!Good, so you have the XP disc, this will make things easier!

when you boot from the disc, you want to follow the prompts to install until it asks you where you want to install to. Instead of selecting the existing Windows partition- delete the partition. And create a new one. When you tell XP to install there, it will format the drive and install XP.

good luck!i'm suprised he was given a computer with data on it.
unless you're giving it to a relative or friend ALL data should be wiped or hackers could get bank details etc.
Selling old HDs on ebay is a nice source for hackers to get your identity.

It's very easy with the install disk to wipe the drive.
You can't format parts of a hard drive (unless they're partitioned), so you'd have to reinstall XP, so you might as well use the install disk to wipe it.Look up...

Solve : NEED HELP formatting HD?

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