Format/Wipe hard drive On my pooter at the moment, I have 2 hard drives. One which is C:\ which i run everything from, windows, my documents etc etc, but I would like to use the other (F:\) for storing documents in, because I only have 1.13 GB left, and drive F has 31.3GB free. I need to wipe the drive completely and start again, because I believe a virus was on there before. How do I wipe the drive (I have tried formatting it but gets all the way through and just says Cannot format F.) and start again so I can use it to store documents? Please can I have a step by step, as all the things I have looked at are for wiping your hard drive you are running everything off, and I know how to do that with the Setup CD, but how is it done with Drive F? Thanks, im SUCH a GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEk. :computer:
As long as windows is installed on the C: drive and there are no system files on F: u should be able to format it no problem in windows. If you go into Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Computer Management Under Storage goto Disk Management, This will show your hard drive C: & F: Right click on F: select Format. That should do it....
Grrr..... :evil: So it does actually start Formatting then and then at the end says it cant?! No other error msg? You say "how is it done with Drive F? " <-- drive F:/ is no different from drive C:/ except it shouldnt have any system files on it. That would stop you from formatting. Do u have 2 actual hard drives or one drive with 2 Partitions?
2 actual hard drives - It goes the whole way through takes about half an hour formatting F, then ut just says Windows cannot format Drive F:\ (or something similar) I think there are some system files on F though, One folder is suspiciously called WINDOWS, so will that be stopping it? What do I doooooooo thanks
Yes the one suspiciously called Windows will be causing the problem! Was windows originally installed on the F:/ drive and not removed properly or have got windows installed on both drives? :spangled: Either way....you wont be able to Format it within windows.. easiest way is to use ya XP cd to boot from and do it that way. This will show u both drives and will also tell you if windows is installed on both or not. When u choose to Format F:/ make sure u do the full format not the quick one! It will also flag up if there is an OS installed or system files and ask you if ya sure. But if ya sure windows is installed on the C:/ then click yes! That should wipe it regardless!
Well obvious way would be to simply unplug drive F:/ restart ya comp if it boots fine then ya know C:/ is ya windows one If it stops and says no OS found then u best plug it back in (I'm guessing unless they are handily labelled u wont know which is which in ya case tho! ) So unplug the one ya think, if it boots, check the drive letter in My Computer. if it says C:/ ya sorted.... format F:/ Other way would be to check the size of the Windows folder on both drives..... A full XP Operating System will take up approx 1.5 - 2.0Gb.... Or as I mentioned b4 boot from XP cd when it scans the drives it will show u which drive(s) XP is installed on...
is there seriously no other way to check?? I have to take apart the computer and unplug things? oh my god. i cant do this, its way above my head in that case. I have never seen inside a computer IN MY LIFE! lol.
Oh my god. Er on C:\ windows is 3.22GB created 03/12/02 and on F:\ windows is 2.29GB created 30/06/02 Am i running two sets of windows?
Not running two but looks like you've got a version installed on each drive! I cant think personally of an easier way (but i may have overlooked something )to check other than unplugging one of the drives.... it will tell u straight away whether u have or havent and which drive ya booting from! Its only one cable (of 2) which can be plugged back in easily!
like i say im scared of doing it i have never even seen the inside of a computer before. maybe i should get someone round to mine who knows what they are doing? i doubt me opening the computer and fiddling about will do the computer ANY good whatsoever lol
so I take is i shouldnt have 2 versions of windows on my pc at the same time? Can I not just boot up from the windows CD, then it will ask me which one i want to format, then it tells me which one it is running off? oh dear god.
I mean, the reason I think that im using C:\WINDOWS is that all of the files in there on properies were last modified in 2006, and most of the ones in F:\WINDOWS were modified in 2002. This leads me to believe the one that the system uses to boot up off is indeed the C drive. It would be most logical I would think.
reet fuck it, ness says he can remember we installed everything from C when we first set it up, im going for it, I wish I could back up like - my CD writer doesnt work, and I have no floppy disks at all. its not wise is it?
Based on them dates I would just format F:/ Make sure nothing on F:/ u want and go for it! Nothing is ireplaceable....
