best way to format hard drive?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jboriii
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J

jboriii

I have two hard drives on my system: C with XP on it and D with
another OS on it.

I now want to use D just for storage.

Is the best way to completely delete this HD to right click and select
format? Or is there some software which will do a better job?

The reason why I ask was the last time this HD was empty I would hover
my mouse buton over it and the bouble would say "free space 148GB,
total size 149GB" (The drive is "160GB", ), so I want to get that
missing 1GB back.

thanks in advance,
JimBob
 
I have two hard drives on my system: C with XP on it and D with
another OS on it.

I now want to use D just for storage.

Is the best way to completely delete this HD to right click and select
format? Or is there some software which will do a better job?

The reason why I ask was the last time this HD was empty I would hover
my mouse buton over it and the bouble would say "free space 148GB,
total size 149GB" (The drive is "160GB", ), so I want to get that
missing 1GB back.
Click to expand...

Don't listen to bouble. Format using XP Disk Manager. Make sure you have SP1
or SP2 installed.
 
(e-mail address removed) wrote
I have two hard drives on my system:
C with XP on it and D with another OS on it.
Click to expand...
I now want to use D just for storage.
Click to expand...
Is the best way to completely delete this HD to right click and select format?
Click to expand...

Yep. Or disk management in XP if you think that the partition
doesnt occupy the entire physical drive. No evidence of that tho.
Or is there some software which will do a better job?
Nope.

The reason why I ask was the last time this HD was empty
I would hover my mouse buton over it and the bouble would
say "free space 148GB, total size 149GB" (The drive is
"160GB", ), so I want to get that missing 1GB back.
Click to expand...

Thats just the space lost to directory structures.
There is no way to eliminate that completely.

In fact you'll lose a bit more if you format it NTFS.
 
how do I access XP Disk Manager?
Click to expand...

You can navigate to there from the control panel,
Performance and Maintenance, Admin Tools or
Click Start, click Run, type compmgmt.msc, and then click OK.
 
I get this message when I try to format:
"Logical Disk Manager
the request cannot be completed because the volume is open or in use".

I not using anything on the D drive to warrent this.

any ideas?
JimBob
 
I get this message when I try to format
"Logical Disk Manager
the request cannot be completed because the volume is open or in use".
Click to expand...

Thats normally seen when you're trying to format
the partition that has a swap or page file etc on it.

You sure you're telling it to format the correct partition ?
I not using anything on the D drive to warrent this.
Click to expand...

How was it formatted, what OS etc ?
 
I get this message when I try to format:
"Logical Disk Manager
the request cannot be completed because the volume is open or in use".
Click to expand...
I not using anything on the D drive to warrent this.
Click to expand...

What happens if you just right mouse click on the partition in
My Computer and select the Format option in the popup menu ?
 
did that in My computer and it formated; went back to disk manager and
it's formatting there now.
I took the "quick format" option in my computer. Is that all I need to
do or should I do a format in Disk Manager as well?

thanks
JimBob
 
did that in My computer and it formated; went back
to disk manager and it's formatting there now.
Click to expand...
I took the "quick format" option in my computer. Is that all I need to do
Yep.

or should I do a format in Disk Manager as well?
Click to expand...

Nope, not unless you have some doubts about the drive dying etc.
 
:
:> did that in My computer and it formated; went back
:> to disk manager and it's formatting there now.
:
:> I took the "quick format" option in my computer. Is that all I need to do
:
:Yep.
:
:> or should I do a format in Disk Manager as well?
:
:Nope, not unless you have some doubts about the drive dying etc.

This brings up a question...

How do "quick format" and the standard format differ?

I'm guessing that the standard format will locate bad sectors and mark
them for non-use.
 
Disable system restore for that partition within XP. Using disk management
in XP to format the partition.

.............
Jonny
 
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