need help formatting hard drive
 

I have a larger hard drive (installed as a slave f drive)When I click on "format" it starts to process giving me the warning about if I cont. it will erase the driv,etc.I click ok and I get the following

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

What am I missing?The only thing open is when I went to "my computer" to access the slave drive(f).

Have you tried this from DOS mode not just the windows dos prompt.

No,how do I access the DOS mode?

depending on your version of windows, but

start> run> then type "command" should bring it up

then do "format f:"

I don't think that will work because it won't be shutting down whatever is using the drive. Assuming you are running Windows XP or possible ME, I would right-click My Computer and go to Manage, and attempt to format the drive there. If it still won't work, you would either need to find out what's using the drive and shut it down, or else create a boot disk and format from DOS before Windows loads.

let's start with what OS and what size drive. You may have a swap file assigned to that drive, which would lock it in use.

Ok,formated the slave(f drive)whish is a 60g hard drive.My prime drive(c) is only 15g,so I was going to copy all files on the prime drive onto the slave and then switch out the drives so the slave becomes the prime.
The problem now is when I copy the files and start the transfer,about 3/4 into the transfer,I get message saying unable to copy some file(big long number)check to see if file is being used by other source and close.

The best way to do this is a with a drive cloning tool. Ghost is my preferred tool.

If you want this 60GB to work as your new master with everything running as before, you can't just copy the files over. You need to get your hands on a floppy with Norton's ghostpe on it. Jumper your 60GB the master and your 15GB the slave. Boot from the floppy into ghostpe then run copy disk to disk. MAKE SURE YOU SELECT YOUR 15GB as SOURCE and 60GB AS DESTINATION or you will overwrite everything with nothing. Thats really annoying ;) Once its done you take out the floppy and reboot and presto, your 60GB is your new master with everything as before.
Works about 90% of the time. I always recommend people run their new drive for at least a week before wiping the old one...just in case the ghost has issues. After that if your comfortable that everything is ok you can go ahead and format the 15GB. Use it for backups or MP3's....whatever. Thats about the easiest way to do it.

On a side note to all, I own a computer store in Nanaimo and am more than willing to answer any tech related questions....(hmm may regret that offer but ahh well, I'm getting tons of answers to my reef questions form this great community so.....I'll pay my dues somehow)

Yup, you're likely to regret that one... I have a few unsolved tickets at the office right now, I'll pass them along ....:biggrin: