Cant format hard drive

The_Judge · 9 Dec 2008 at 20:56

Im trying to format my Dell XPS laptop and it wont let me format the hard drive. The drive is sepeated into two partitions, one with windows and all my old programs n files on, and the second now has windows on aswell. I cant format the c drive with all my old stuff on and i cant even delete the partition when using the windows xp installation cd.

I just want one big drive, how can i delete the partitions? windows wont let me

The_Judge · 9 Dec 2008 at 21:07

just seen there is a hard drive section, ill post it there

andy_n64 · 10 Dec 2008 at 09:18

Don't you get a recovery partition with Dell XPS Laptops? if so then one of them partitions will have a copy of the windows installation files on.

If you really want to delete it then you could use a boot CD like Hiren Boot CD or the Ultimate Boot cd. they both have partition tools on such as partition magic and should let you delete the partition

trackrat · 10 Dec 2008 at 09:29

You can also use GParted.
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=173828

bledd · 10 Dec 2008 at 09:40

if it's not working with the xp disc (never seen that tbh)

download gparted (link above) burn the iso to disc as an image using imgburn and boot from that

it's easy to use.

braveheart · 10 Dec 2008 at 10:12

try press F10 when you boot up laptop - I remember when I format my old Acer laptop years ago - tried to format and pressed F10 then it begin to format full then reinstall Windows OS --- on other hand remove the laptop hard drive and use the 3.5" adapter into PC and then format and put hard drive back into laptop