Formatting my harddrive

P

panther05

New Member
When I go to:

my computer;
right click C: Drive
and try to format, I get a message saying:

"Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or other programs that are using this drive, and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of the drive. Then try formatting again."

I don't have any uitility open, and nothing is installed besides Windows XP

How exactly do you format the drive before entering Windows? I think it's by entering DOS, but I'm new to this, so not too sure. I'm guessing this would be the best way. I want to erase everything, and re-install windows.

Thanks
 
You cannot format the hard drive that your operating system is running from - if you could then you'd be formatting the program that is formatting - which wouldn't make sense.

You can format the hard drive as an option before you reinstall windows, you just need to make sure the computer is booting from the Windows CD-ROM drive and follow the instructions. Then "delete the partition" and create a new one in its place.
 
well go into bios and change it so the first boot is from disc drive and second is from harddrive ok
then put ur oprating system disc in the disc drive and it and restart
the screen will say bot from drivr push any key..
then go from there
 
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