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Format C:drive but the volume is in use..Can't format?
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jaideaw
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12. June 2007 @ 10:27 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Can someone help me format my computer, it won't let me format because it's saying the volume is in use? any suggestion? please help.

ed van
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12. June 2007 @ 10:31 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
download this
http://gparted.sourceforge.net/livecd.php
it is a linux live cd that has a good partitioner in it.

GAMING COMPUTER - Intel q9550 @ 3.4ghz | EVGA GTX 260 core 216 | Gigabyte ds3l | 6gb Gskill DDR2 800 ram | Silverstone 700 watt psu | WD 640gb hdd | Seagate 300gb hdd | LG dvd burner | Samsung dvd burner | Antec p182 case | logitech 2.1 speakers | logitech g11 keyboard | Samsung 25.5in 1900x1200 monitor | 19in 1440x900 secondary monitor | Windows 7 64bit | SERVER - Gigabyte 785g motherboard | AMD Phenom 9650 | 6gb ram | three 1.5tb hdd | Seagate 1tb hdd | WD 750gb hdd | two 300gb hdd | Maxtor 200gb hdd | Ark rackmount case | CentOS 5.5
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12. June 2007 @ 12:26 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
What is your intention? To reinstall? If so, you get that option before you install an OS. If not, grab a Windows 98 boot disk (bootdisk.com) and fdisk/format the drive.

~Rich
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13. June 2007 @ 10:03 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
The C volume is only in use when you're on it....therefore you cannot format the root drive from within Windows. That's asking the OS to commit suicide and it won't do it.

As DoubleDwn suggested, the OS install CD will/can format the drive during setup.
jaideaw
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14. June 2007 @ 01:38 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Thanks for the support...will do...the problem i dont' have the OS software, will get it tho...yeah just wanna wipe off the harddrive, so i can give my computer away.

ed van
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14. June 2007 @ 09:58 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
If you want free software to completely "wipe" the drive, or zero it out... get the drive's diagnostic software from the hardware vendors site from their support section. Usually they have an ISO that you can create a bootable CD..from there you'll find the options to completely erase the drive so no information is recoverable. (usually known as a low level format, or writing zeros)

Other options...use Google to search for "erasing hard drives".

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 14. June 2007 @ 09:58

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GambitRox
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15. June 2007 @ 18:56 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
This may sound a little complex, but follow this CAREFULLY.

Make a Windows 98 boot disk on a floppy with this.

http://download.mcb.ucdavis.edu/public/pc/bootdisks/boot98.exe

Once booted into it, type in.

FDISK

The program will launch. Go into "Delete partition", and delete any you see. When finished, Go into, "Create Primary Partition", and create one. Once finished, reboot into the floppy again, and this time type in Format C:

It should format the drive.

Keep in mind this will wipe everything on the disk, but I'm assuming that's what you want.

I wrote this from memory, so if anyone sees an error or a way to improve this, just say so. Hope this helps.




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