Cannot reformat due to error message: Windows cannot format this drive....

[Thomas]

I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard drive, by
right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format' in the
drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
following dialog boxes and clicking start, a message pops
up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive. Quit
any disk utilities or other programs that are using this
drive and make sure no window is showing the contents of
this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing this, I
have closed all programs, and restarted to make sure no
programs were open that I was missing. Then, trying
again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone know what
could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.

[Alex Perez]

If you ony have one hard drive (C) already running windows, you cann't
reformat it because windows is running!!!. You need to either reformat it
using third party software like SystemCommander or PartitionMagic. If you
have FAT32 as your file system (which I doubt) you can use fdisk, otherwise
you can reformat by doing a clean install from the XP cd.
"Thomas" > wrote in message
...
> I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard drive, by
> right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format' in the
> drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
> following dialog boxes and clicking start, a message pops
> up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive. Quit
> any disk utilities or other programs that are using this
> drive and make sure no window is showing the contents of
> this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing this, I
> have closed all programs, and restarted to make sure no
> programs were open that I was missing. Then, trying
> again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone know what
> could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.

[Thomas]

So if I need to reformat by using the XP cd, what is the
format command on the drop down menu for?


>-----Original Message-----
>If you ony have one hard drive (C) already running
windows, you cann't
>reformat it because windows is running!!!. You need to
either reformat it
>using third party software like SystemCommander or
PartitionMagic. If you
>have FAT32 as your file system (which I doubt) you can
use fdisk, otherwise
>you can reformat by doing a clean install from the XP cd.
>"Thomas" > wrote in message
...
>> I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard drive,
by
>> right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format' in
the
>> drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
>> following dialog boxes and clicking start, a message
pops
>> up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive. Quit
>> any disk utilities or other programs that are using
this
>> drive and make sure no window is showing the contents
of
>> this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing this, I
>> have closed all programs, and restarted to make sure no
>> programs were open that I was missing. Then, trying
>> again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone know
what
>> could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.
>
>
>.
>

[Alex Perez]

That is to reformat a second hard drive(not the one running the operating
system) and to reformat floppies and CDs if supported.
"Thomas" > wrote in message
...
> So if I need to reformat by using the XP cd, what is the
> format command on the drop down menu for?
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >If you ony have one hard drive (C) already running
> windows, you cann't
> >reformat it because windows is running!!!. You need to
> either reformat it
> >using third party software like SystemCommander or
> PartitionMagic. If you
> >have FAT32 as your file system (which I doubt) you can
> use fdisk, otherwise
> >you can reformat by doing a clean install from the XP cd.
> >"Thomas" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard drive,
> by
> >> right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format' in
> the
> >> drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
> >> following dialog boxes and clicking start, a message
> pops
> >> up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive. Quit
> >> any disk utilities or other programs that are using
> this
> >> drive and make sure no window is showing the contents
> of
> >> this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing this, I
> >> have closed all programs, and restarted to make sure no
> >> programs were open that I was missing. Then, trying
> >> again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone know
> what
> >> could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.
> >
> >
> >.
> >

[thomas]

Hmmm... Well I tried reformatting with the cd, and it
reinstalled windows, but when i went to program files,
all of the programs were still there! And yes, I did
choose the advanced one, or the one that is supposed to
do a clean sweep of the system. Any ideas to why? Thanks
again.


>-----Original Message-----
>That is to reformat a second hard drive(not the one
running the operating
>system) and to reformat floppies and CDs if supported.
>"Thomas" > wrote in message
...
>> So if I need to reformat by using the XP cd, what is
the
>> format command on the drop down menu for?
>>
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >If you ony have one hard drive (C) already running
>> windows, you cann't
>> >reformat it because windows is running!!!. You need to
>> either reformat it
>> >using third party software like SystemCommander or
>> PartitionMagic. If you
>> >have FAT32 as your file system (which I doubt) you can
>> use fdisk, otherwise
>> >you can reformat by doing a clean install from the XP
cd.
>> >"Thomas" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >> I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard
drive,
>> by
>> >> right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format' in
>> the
>> >> drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
>> >> following dialog boxes and clicking start, a message
>> pops
>> >> up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive.
Quit
>> >> any disk utilities or other programs that are using
>> this
>> >> drive and make sure no window is showing the
contents
>> of
>> >> this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing
this, I
>> >> have closed all programs, and restarted to make
sure no
>> >> programs were open that I was missing. Then, trying
>> >> again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone know
>> what
>> >> could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.
>> >
>> >
>> >.
>> >
>
>
>.
>

[Alex Perez]

Which programs were there? Keep in mind that a few programs come with
Windows XP by default, like Internet Exploerer, Ascesories ect. You should
not see any other programs though, like word, or any other business
application. Did it asked you to register windows XP? if it didn't then it
didn't perform a clean install. Do you have one or two partitions on your
disk? "thomas" > wrote in message
...
> Hmmm... Well I tried reformatting with the cd, and it
> reinstalled windows, but when i went to program files,
> all of the programs were still there! And yes, I did
> choose the advanced one, or the one that is supposed to
> do a clean sweep of the system. Any ideas to why? Thanks
> again.
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >That is to reformat a second hard drive(not the one
> running the operating
> >system) and to reformat floppies and CDs if supported.
> >"Thomas" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> So if I need to reformat by using the XP cd, what is
> the
> >> format command on the drop down menu for?
> >>
> >>
> >> >-----Original Message-----
> >> >If you ony have one hard drive (C) already running
> >> windows, you cann't
> >> >reformat it because windows is running!!!. You need to
> >> either reformat it
> >> >using third party software like SystemCommander or
> >> PartitionMagic. If you
> >> >have FAT32 as your file system (which I doubt) you can
> >> use fdisk, otherwise
> >> >you can reformat by doing a clean install from the XP
> cd.
> >> >"Thomas" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >> >> I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard
> drive,
> >> by
> >> >> right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format' in
> >> the
> >> >> drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
> >> >> following dialog boxes and clicking start, a message
> >> pops
> >> >> up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive.
> Quit
> >> >> any disk utilities or other programs that are using
> >> this
> >> >> drive and make sure no window is showing the
> contents
> >> of
> >> >> this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing
> this, I
> >> >> have closed all programs, and restarted to make
> sure no
> >> >> programs were open that I was missing. Then, trying
> >> >> again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone know
> >> what
> >> >> could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >.
> >> >
> >
> >
> >.
> >

[Cari \(MS-MVP\)]

You cannot format a drive you are currently 'in'.

Boot with the XP CD and follow the instructions on the screen to delete the
partition, then create a new one and then format it.

Cari
www.coribright.com

"Thomas" > wrote in message
...
> I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard drive, by
> right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format' in the
> drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
> following dialog boxes and clicking start, a message pops
> up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive. Quit
> any disk utilities or other programs that are using this
> drive and make sure no window is showing the contents of
> this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing this, I
> have closed all programs, and restarted to make sure no
> programs were open that I was missing. Then, trying
> again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone know what
> could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.

[Thomas]

I only have one partition on the disk, that i know of. Is
there any way to check how many partitions you have? And
the programs that were still their included AOL instant
messenger, Starcraft (a game that didnt come with the
comp) and others. WIndows did ask me to register making me
wonder if there are actually 2 partitions?


>-----Original Message-----
>Which programs were there? Keep in mind that a few
programs come with
>Windows XP by default, like Internet Exploerer,
Ascesories ect. You should
>not see any other programs though, like word, or any
other business
>application. Did it asked you to register windows XP? if
it didn't then it
>didn't perform a clean install. Do you have one or two
partitions on your
>disk? "thomas" > wrote in message
...
>> Hmmm... Well I tried reformatting with the cd, and it
>> reinstalled windows, but when i went to program files,
>> all of the programs were still there! And yes, I did
>> choose the advanced one, or the one that is supposed to
>> do a clean sweep of the system. Any ideas to why? Thanks
>> again.
>>
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >That is to reformat a second hard drive(not the one
>> running the operating
>> >system) and to reformat floppies and CDs if supported.
>> >"Thomas" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >> So if I need to reformat by using the XP cd, what is
>> the
>> >> format command on the drop down menu for?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> >-----Original Message-----
>> >> >If you ony have one hard drive (C) already running
>> >> windows, you cann't
>> >> >reformat it because windows is running!!!. You need
to
>> >> either reformat it
>> >> >using third party software like SystemCommander or
>> >> PartitionMagic. If you
>> >> >have FAT32 as your file system (which I doubt) you
can
>> >> use fdisk, otherwise
>> >> >you can reformat by doing a clean install from the
XP
>> cd.
>> >> >"Thomas" > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >> >> I have tried numerous times to reformat my hard
>> drive,
>> >> by
>> >> >> right clicking on the (C:) and selecting 'format'
in
>> >> the
>> >> >> drop-down menu. Each time, after going through the
>> >> >> following dialog boxes and clicking start, a
message
>> >> pops
>> >> >> up which reads: "Windows cannot format the drive.
>> Quit
>> >> >> any disk utilities or other programs that are
using
>> >> this
>> >> >> drive and make sure no window is showing the
>> contents
>> >> of
>> >> >> this drive. Then try formatting again." Seeing
>> this, I
>> >> >> have closed all programs, and restarted to make
>> sure no
>> >> >> programs were open that I was missing. Then,
trying
>> >> >> again, I recieve the same message. Does anyone
know
>> >> what
>> >> >> could cause this? YOur feedback is appreciated.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >.
>> >> >
>> >
>> >
>> >.
>> >
>
>
>.
>