# PC: Harddrive & XP formatting issue
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196
**Category:** random
**Created:** [September 14, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196 "2004-09-14T02:24:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@morse](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/morse)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/1 "2004-09-14T02:24:19Z")
Well in my computer junk room, I found a 40 gig harddrive I didn’t actually know I had… Anyways, I decided to pop it into this box. Windows has been yelling at me that it’s partition is too small, so I decided to:
1. Format and partition the new drive into two drives, one for windows and one for other stuff.
2. Install windows on the new drive
3. Reformat my entire old drive, wiping everything.
Well I’ve got windows reinstalled on the new harddrive, and that’s the windows I’m running. But stupid freaking xp wont let me wipe the c:\ partition on the old drive, because it claims I’m using it.
Ok, so I got angry at it, and did something dumb: I deleted everything on c:. Well that wasn’t that dumb, because everything still seems to work. But stupid freaking xp STILL wont let me format c!
Any ideas on how I can format c?
Here is a picture of my drive setup (windows is on H:):
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/2 "2004-09-14T02:29:52Z")
Make sure that Windows isn’t using the drive to store the pagefile in it. Change those settings, restart, then try getting rid of the partition.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/3 "2004-09-14T02:37:07Z")
You mean for virtual memory? I have that disabled on C:. All windows settings are running directly off of H:, other then a few files that Microsoft wont even let you view when you have hidden files enabled, there is NOTHING on C:.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 2:41am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/4 "2004-09-14T02:41:41Z")
Well, it seems that Windows has labeled the C:\ as one with system files on it.
One thing you could do is go through Windows installation again and delete the partition through the setup and simply restart afterwards. I don’t think the setup is biased towards the contents of the drive while it’s in setup.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/5 "2004-09-14T02:44:11Z")
Tried that ☹
I started setup, told it to cache all files on H:, and then tried to delete the partition C:. It said no, because temporary installation files were stored on that partition ☹
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/6 "2004-09-14T02:46:03Z")
Try changing the HDD setup inside your computer. If that HDD is still mastered, move it. Windows may tend to stick their files in the C:\ by default. Besides, it’s generally not a good idea to boot off a drive that’s like in IDE channel 2 slaved.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 2:47am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/7 "2004-09-14T02:47:07Z")
Interesting idea. I’ll go do that now 🙂
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/8 "2004-09-14T03:07:58Z")
my guess is that because c: is NTFS format. you can’t format that, as far as I know. gotta delete that whole partition.
[size=1]i discovered you can’t format ntfs when this once i did a format and the installation went ahead to format my fat32 backup drive instead…dang it, lost a heck load of precious stuff.[/size]
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/9 "2004-09-14T03:20:04Z")
It won’t let me delete the partition. That’s what I want to do.
I switched them around, so now C:\ is HDD1 and H:\ and I:\ are on HDD0. Still nothing. Tried reinstalling windows two different ways. I may have to use boot disks, that’s worked for me before, but I don’t have any 3/5 inch disks anymore…
Interesting note- While Explorer shows NOTHING on C:, cmd shows 687k of data… Cmd won’t let me format C:\ either though…
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/10 "2004-09-14T03:20:31Z")
> [@hsadan](#):
>
> my guess is that because c: is NTFS format. you can’t format that, as far as I know. gotta delete that whole partition.
>
> [size=1]i discovered you can’t format ntfs when this once i did a format and the installation went ahead to format my fat32 backup drive instead…dang it, lost a heck load of precious stuff.[/size]
You can format NTFS.
Morse:
Now that your main HDD isn’t slaved and is in Primary Master (in other words, your C:), now try going into set up and deleting the partition from there. See if that works now.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/11 "2004-09-14T03:27:05Z")
oh? did know that. hmm. do you have to use windows or some funny program to do that?
@morse
oops, sorry, didn’t read your previous post right. have you tried a bootdisk to boot into DOS and use good old fdisk to format it instead of the installation program?
edit: ugh, didn’t read your post proper again. something’s wrong with me today. sorry.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:27am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/12 "2004-09-14T03:27:34Z")
Hum. I can delete a couple of the files, but not $LDR$, $WIN\_NT$.~BT, or textsetup.sif. Access is denied to the first and last file, and when I try to delete the .~BT, I get a confirm. Hitting the y key, cdm prints a list of 117 or so files all ending in .sy\_, stating that access is denied…
I want a Mac.
Didn’t think I’d ever say that…
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:30am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/13 "2004-09-14T03:30:21Z")
ok since you say you’re out of floppy’s, i did a quick google search and this came up top:
[http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/](http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/)
seems like a tutorial to create a boot cd instead of a boot disk.
edit: hm…looks abit complicated. forgeddit.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/14 "2004-09-14T03:31:29Z")
> [@morse](#):
>
> Hum. I can delete a couple of the files, but not $LDR$, $WIN\_NT$.~BT, or textsetup.sif. Access is denied to the first and last file, and when I try to delete the .~BT, I get a confirm. Hitting the y key, cdm prints a list of 117 or so files all ending in .sy\_, stating that access is denied…
>
> I want a Mac.
>
> Didn’t think I’d ever say that…
hm…your hdd may be corrupted and/or affected with a virus. try running a chkdsk on it from windows (checking both options when you do, requires a restart).
booting from a bootdisk isn’t a bad idea either, but in order to access the NTFS drive, you may need something else like Doctor DOS (if it’s the right thing I’m thinking of).
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/15 "2004-09-14T03:35:04Z")
> [@TheRhoPsi](#):
>
> You can format NTFS.
>
> Morse:
>
> Now that your main HDD isn’t slaved and is in Primary Master (in other words, your C:), now try going into set up and deleting the partition from there. See if that works now.
Nope… It’s calling the original C:\ the same (C:), and H is still H… Can’t change the names, can’t do anything. I’m positive it’s got something to do with these strange double-hidden $ files…
Maybe I’ll try this boot cd.
Note to everybody out there- Don’t buy a dell. Their CMOS system sucks, and they don’t give you room to expand things :sigh:
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/16 "2004-09-14T03:37:32Z")
have you tried something like Partition Magic to delete your c: partition?
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/17 "2004-09-14T03:41:06Z")
> [@TheRhoPsi](#):
>
> hm…your hdd may be corrupted and/or affected with a virus. try running a chkdsk on it from windows (checking both options when you do, requires a restart).
>
> booting from a bootdisk isn’t a bad idea either, but in order to access the NTFS drive, you may need something else like Doctor DOS (if it’s the right thing I’m thinking of).
I’m fairly certain it’s not corrupt, it was working flawlessly yesterday, before I installed this new HDD. I think Windows is just dumb and really confused.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/18 "2004-09-14T04:06:28Z")
Hmm, downloaded the trial partition-magic… It claims it can do it no problem, but wont actually do it because it’s a demo. I don’t want to pay for something I’m only going to use once.
Boot disk page was interesting, I tried to whip one up really fast but it didnt want to boot from the disk :crazy:
This CMOS program sucks.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/19 "2004-09-14T04:10:38Z")
oh…right…you’re on a dell - that sure complicates matters.
i heard quite long ago that dells aren’t compatible with just any hardware. gotta use their own. also, did your dell come with any backup discs?
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2004, 4:47am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/pc-harddrive-xp-formatting-issue/64196/20 "2004-09-14T04:47:48Z")
> [@hsadan](#):
>
> oh…right…you’re on a dell - that sure complicates matters.
> i heard quite long ago that dells aren’t compatible with just any hardware. gotta use their own. also, did your dell come with any backup discs?
Yes, but I don’t use stupid xp home that came with it.
I need to get full version of that program…
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