Hard disk format

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Piff

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I've just built a new pc and thought I would incorporate an old spare hard disk to use for storing accounts backups.

Pc is working fine except:
1) on start up it asks to chose wich operating system to use - it will not start of the old disk (Win ME) so the only option is the new disk (Win XP)
2) I've now spent several hours trying to format the old disk. I thought I had finally done it under the command prompt (format c: ) but at the end of the format it said that it had not formatted the system folder. Restart the pc and find that the contents of the disk are still there.

Any ideas how to format the disk? Presumably if the old operating system is erased then the choices will not be asked on start up?
 
Last edited:
Is the old disc actually 'C'?
 
You should be able to format in Administrative tools, Computer management.

Have you checked that you have set the second drive to be a slave.?
 
I am a bit confused!!

I would have thought that basically if you can see the drive as a letter in Windows Explorer, just right click on it and hit format.
 
I am a bit confused!!

I would have thought that basically if you can see the drive as a letter in Windows Explorer, just right click on it and hit format.

Doesn't allow it. Tried that several times!
 
Have you tried right clicking as gbjeppm suggested?

Otherwise you may need to remove the system partition first using Partition Magic or some such before you can format.
 
I am a bit confused!!

I would have thought that basically if you can see the drive as a letter in Windows Explorer, just right click on it and hit format.

Afte clicking format, first warning box says:
Warning: formatting will erase all data on this disk. To format the disk click OK, to quit click cancel
So clicked OK & new box pops up:
Windows was unable to complete the format.:confused:
 
Do as Dieselman says, right click on my computer, and go to manage.

Then go to storage, disk management, you should be able to reassign drive letters and format from here etc.
 
Have you tried right clicking as gbjeppm suggested?

Otherwise you may need to remove the system partition first using Partition Magic or some such before you can format.

Right clicking my computer, selecting manage, storage then disk management, shows all the disk drives.
It doesn't show a system partition.
Right clicking on the disk in the bottom right pane, the options for deleting a partition & format are greyed out.
Would the partition be hidden?
 
Sorry to persist but is the redundant disk definately set as a slave now.?
 
You should be able to format in Administrative tools, Computer management.

Have you checked that you have set the second drive to be a slave.?


I think the jumpers on the disk are set to Cable Manage as they were in my old pc.
I thought i would leave it as that as the new disk is sata.
Should I change the jumper to slave?
Also the ide cable is a double, I've used the end connector which is ususlly master(?) should I use the intermediate plug (slave)?
 
guessing here ,but go in to the BIOS and set it to only boot from the SATA, that should solve the issue with the IDE drive I would think. Then try formatting from xp
 
guessing here ,but go in to the BIOS and set it to only boot from the SATA, that should solve the issue with the IDE drive I would think. Then try formatting from xp

I'll try the bios on the next re-start. I had set it to select sata first but i guess i need to select sata 2nd & 3rd also
 
I'd set the jumpers, if only to remove the system files and format it. At present it can't format as it sees it as a system disk.
 

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