Unable to format my back-up HDD 3

[Mickerry]

Trying to format my back-up HDD to gain space on the drive. i get a message saying "Quit any disk utility or other program using the drive, and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of the drive. Then try formatting again."
I used an Unlocker program to make sure other processes weren't using the disk (they were, but they're not now) and tried again. No joy. Even closed the My COmputer screen in case THAT was "a windows displaying the contents of the drive", even though it wasn't. I'm puzzled - i've done this before with no problem.
Noticed in another thread a formatting program, but it wipes out all the hard drives in the system, and i don't want that.
Wish i knew how to get this format function to work ... do you have any ideas? Thx in advance.

Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[linney]

Have you tried running MsConfig, and disabling all Startup Programs, and also all non-Microsoft Services, in case your Unlocker missed something like a Disk Maintenance or Backup program?

You could try using the Recovery Console.

Format - formats a disk. The /q switch performs a quick format; the /fs switch specifies the file system.

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Unlikely that you missed this, but be sure the drive is not being indexed .





To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[jurgen36]

Had the same problems. Tried just about anything possible, no effect. Finally booted in win98se, made a quick format and the drive was ok ever after. As I have for many reasons, mainly file recovery and speed, all my drives in fat 32 it posed no problems. If you use NTSF you could change the drive to NTSF in winxp after formating in fat 32.
Regards

Jurgen

 

[Mickerry]

thx all, very much. seems like a solvable problem now.
i might need a little clarification help please, though.
i CAN boot into recovery console ... i think i'll try that first.
i'll bet the drive was either indexed or mounted (or both) ... i don't know commands to change either of those settings ! i'd love to learn how.

i have a win98 boot disk to try if that doesn't work. i wouldn't know how to change the file system to NTSF after it was created, though - can you explain that? (remember, this is my backup drive, not system drive).

thanks lots. - seems like you all had solutions.


Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[Mickerry]

well, that didn't work so well.
for recovery console, it seemed to hang (for a half hour) scanning my 160 GB hard drive ... i decided there was something wrong and aborted. should i have let it run longer?

i still think it might be helpful to know how to dismount a volume. (i don't believe th bcakup drive is indexed, but i don't know...)

the Win98 boot disk works, but i t does not "see" my backup HDD - only the system drive (whicis fine and i don't want to format it). so that didn't work either.

i was thinking, if all else fails, of Darik's Boot and Nuke, and disconnectin my system drive and letting it run on the only remaining HDD, my backup, but when i downloaded the DBAN .exe to create a floppy, it will not run ... a cmd screen opens, but then there's an error of some kind. i suppose i need to go back and get the error msg for you guys to troubleshoot. that'd be agood plan if i can get DBAN to run.

hope you're tracking this thread and will hang in there a little longer with me ...

thanks lots.


Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[Mickerry]

i got DBAN onto a floppy by disabling my antivirus. i'm going to try disconnecting my system HDD and hope DBAN picks up my backup HDD and nukes it !

Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[linney]

Half an hour on a 160 GB is a bit short, perhaps you should have let it go a bit longer.

307881 - HOW TO: Convert a FAT16 or FAT32 Volume to NTFS in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307881&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

From the Recovery Console, I don't think there is any need to, or a Command parameter to, dismount any drive, as nothing should be running other than the Recovery Console.

See the paragraph called "Mounted Drives" in this article.

Working with File Systems

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457112.aspx

In fact a good look at the whole article may help you.


Format

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windo...4029-4bf7-8383-31b3ef0c76631033.mspx?mfr=true

Formats the disk in the specified volume to accept Windows files.

See the x switch (I don'think it applies to Recovery Console)

/x
Causes the volume to dismount, if necessary, before it is formatted. Any open handles to the volume will no longer be valid.
/?
Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks
Using format at the Recovery Console
The format command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.

Administrative privileges
You must be a member of the Administrators group to format a hard drive.

 

[Mickerry]

thank for following this, linney.
i didn't realize it would take longer than a half hour to load recovery console ... i thought there was something worng with it.
it is VERY USEFUL to know that it was probably running as it should have.
and i will read the other articles to learn more about these things.

in the meantime, i did disconnect my system drive and used DBAN to format my backup HDD. it worked well - though it took three hours (for another 160GB HDD). i am now back in business with that drive.

thx very much for the help and information. "see" you around <g>

Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[linney]

It doesn't, or shouldn't, take 3 hours to load the actual Recovery Console. Yes, as you have discovered, formatting large sized hard drives cant take a fair amount of time. I suppose that is why Microsoft offers the "Quick Format" option in some of their software.

 

[Mickerry]

No no, it took 3 hours to run DBAN on a 160 GB HDD ... not to load Recovery Console. i never finished loading Recovery Console, quitting after 1/2 hour, not knowing it was supposed to take that long. Learning that is one of the things i learned through this activity - i'll have a lot more patience next time i need Recovery Console, i'll know it's not a "glitch", just normal start-up time.

And i look forward to chasing down those last links you gave me sometime soon, too. Thx again!

Mikl

A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.

 

[linney]

This was the comment I was trying to comment on, "i didn't realize it would take longer than a half hour to load recovery console ... i thought there was something worng with it".

Whenever I have loaded the Recovery Console from the XP CD so that it becomes a boot option at Startup it only takes about 5 minutes, plus a reboot. When running the Recovery (Console) Option via Setup on the XP CD it will take about 10 minutes, while Setup copies all the XP Setup files to the hard drive before then offering you the option to press "R" for the Recovery Console. When booting from the installed Recovery Console, then loading the console is almost instantaneous.