formatting problem

H

hispania54

New Member
Hi,
have tried to format my laptop hard drive from a dos prompt but keep getting the message:
format cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. format may run if this volume is dismounted first.
All opened handles to this volume would then be invalid. Would you like to force a dismount on this volume?
Y/N I choose Y and get the response Cannot lock the drive the volume is still in use.

Anyone got any ideas please.:)
 
You can't format the drive that you working from. What are you actually trying to do? If trying to reinstall windows just use the windows install cd to format your drive.
 
Johnb35 is right.
You can't format the drive from which you are trying to run the format from.

FORMAT procecure uses format tools (programs) such as "FORMAT.COM" on the drive on which you are currently working on and therefore it would be completely illogical to format the drive from which you are trying to run the format from and from which those format tools (programs) are executing from.
 
Then you will either have to do it from a different machine or download and use Killdisk or dban to totally wipe the drive.

If you plan on reinstalling windows then just use the install cd.

Both killdisk and dban will require to make a bootable cd to wipe the drive.
 
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