problem formatting hard drive

Helen Oliver · 07-10-2008, 10:50 PM

I have two hard drives in my PC and I want to format them both. I've done one and windows has installed on that drive, but when I want to format the other, windows installs on that drive as well and appears to be causing me problems. How do I format the second drive without installing windows.

**kodi** · 07-10-2008, 11:14 PM

Go to Start/my computer and right click on the drive you want to format and click format

Helen Oliver · 07-11-2008, 12:08 AM

I tried doing that Kodi, but it wouldn't do the format. currently I have the drive disconnected otherwise the computer won't run at all

njw3356 · 07-11-2008, 04:22 AM

If can get your computer to run on the hard drive that you want your OS installed on with the second hard drive installed in your computer. Go to "Start", right click on "My Computer", "Manage", "Storage", "Disc Management (Local)", right click on the hard drive you want formatted and "Format". Follow the instructions... you'll probably want a basic disc NTFS.

If you can't get your computer to start with both hard drives installed, get an external hard drive enclosure from pretty much any computer place. Make sure that it's a 3.5". Put your drive in there and plug the enclosure in via USB after computer start up. Follow the instructions from above. After formating your hard drive, replace inside your computer and make sure it's enabled in the BIOS settings.

When buying your external hard drive enclosure make sure that it supports your hard drive type (IDE or SATA or both)or you won't have the right connector cables, and that it supports your hard drive size, or you won't be able to format the entire drive. You can find good hard drive enclosures for about $20, and even cheaper when on sale. Here's one to look at.

Let me know how it goes.

dai · 07-11-2008, 05:11 AM

well you cannot format it if it is not connected
clear the disk with killdisk
http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm
make sure you clear the right drive
then go into disk management and format it

Helen Oliver · 07-11-2008, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by njw3356

If can get your computer to run on the hard drive that you want your OS installed on with the second hard drive installed in your computer. Go to "Start", right click on "My Computer", "Manage", "Storage", "Disc Management (Local)", right click on the hard drive you want formatted and "Format". Follow the instructions... you'll probably want a basic disc NTFS.

If you can't get your computer to start with both hard drives installed, get an external hard drive enclosure from pretty much any computer place. Make sure that it's a 3.5". Put your drive in there and plug the enclosure in via USB after computer start up. Follow the instructions from above. After formating your hard drive, replace inside your computer and make sure it's enabled in the BIOS settings.

When buying your external hard drive enclosure make sure that it supports your hard drive type (IDE or SATA or both)or you won't have the right connector cables, and that it supports your hard drive size, or you won't be able to format the entire drive. You can find good hard drive enclosures for about $20, and even cheaper when on sale. Here's one to look at.

Let me know how it goes.

I will try that, but it will have to be tomorrow, so will let you know how it goes.

Helen Oliver · 07-11-2008, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dai

well you cannot format it if it is not connected
clear the disk with killdisk
http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm
make sure you clear the right drive
then go into disk management and format it

well I know I cannot format it if it not connected. what is killdisk, is it a software program?

dai · 07-12-2008, 12:50 AM

it's software that completely wipes the drive,if setup started on the other drive everytime you boot it will try to continue
by clearing it with killdisk you can then go into disk management and format it without setup kicking in

Helen Oliver · 07-13-2008, 02:06 AM

Thanks everyone for all the help. I've now formatted the second drive and all seem to be working OK except the DVD drive is not recognising discs at all. But I'm taking the computer to an expert tomorrow so hopefully all probs will be solved.

Thanks again.

dai · 07-13-2008, 02:09 AM

remove the upper and lower filters
scroll down to how here
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=k...060&x=12&y=13#

07-10-2008, 10:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
Helen Oliver Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 8 OS: XP SP2	problem formatting hard drive I have two hard drives in my PC and I want to format them both. I've done one and windows has installed on that drive, but when I want to format the other, windows installs on that drive as well and appears to be causing me problems. How do I format the second drive without installing windows. __________________ Summertime

07-10-2008, 11:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
kodi Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 6,524 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate, XP Professional My System	Re: problem formatting hard drive Go to Start/my computer and right click on the drive you want to format and click format __________________ Brian

07-11-2008, 12:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
Helen Oliver Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 8 OS: XP SP2	Re: problem formatting hard drive I tried doing that Kodi, but it wouldn't do the format. currently I have the drive disconnected otherwise the computer won't run at all __________________ Summertime

07-11-2008, 04:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
njw3356 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 15 OS: xp sp3	Re: problem formatting hard drive If can get your computer to run on the hard drive that you want your OS installed on with the second hard drive installed in your computer. Go to "Start", right click on "My Computer", "Manage", "Storage", "Disc Management (Local)", right click on the hard drive you want formatted and "Format". Follow the instructions... you'll probably want a basic disc NTFS. *If you can't* get your computer to start with both hard drives installed, get an external hard drive enclosure from pretty much any computer place. *Make sure that it's a 3.5".* Put your drive in there and plug the enclosure in via USB after computer start up. Follow the instructions from above. After formating your hard drive, replace inside your computer and make sure it's enabled in the BIOS settings. When buying your external hard drive enclosure make sure that it supports your hard drive type (IDE or SATA or both)or you won't have the right connector cables, and that it supports your hard drive size, or you won't be able to format the entire drive. You can find good hard drive enclosures for about $20, and even cheaper when on sale. Here's one to look at. Let me know how it goes.

07-11-2008, 05:11 AM	#5 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 40,286 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	Re: problem formatting hard drive well you cannot format it if it is not connected clear the disk with killdisk http://www.killdisk.com/downloadfree.htm make sure you clear the right drive then go into disk management and format it __________________

07-12-2008, 12:50 AM	#8 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 40,286 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	Re: problem formatting hard drive it's software that completely wipes the drive,if setup started on the other drive everytime you boot it will try to continue by clearing it with killdisk you can then go into disk management and format it without setup kicking in __________________

07-13-2008, 02:06 AM	#9 (permalink)
Helen Oliver Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 8 OS: XP SP2	Re: problem formatting hard drive Thanks everyone for all the help. I've now formatted the second drive and all seem to be working OK except the DVD drive is not recognising discs at all. But I'm taking the computer to an expert tomorrow so hopefully all probs will be solved. Thanks again. __________________ Summertime

07-13-2008, 02:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
dai Manager, Hardware Forums Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: west australia Posts: 40,286 OS: vista 32x ultimate retail	Re: problem formatting hard drive remove the upper and lower filters scroll down to how here http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=k...060&x=12&y=13# __________________