Format Second Hard Drive

NotAGolf · 31 Oct 2006 at 21:28

I've just bought a new WD 250GB hdd and have installed windows on it (as if it was a brand new system with fresh install). I have added a second SATA hdd (Samsung Spinpoint 160GB) to act as a storage hdd for music video etc. However this secong hdd was taken from a pc which was using it as the primary hdd , i.e. it sill has windows, prog files and everything still on it. What's the easiest way to wipe this second hdd? I tried right clicking it and clickg format but it says something along the lines of:
"The drive is still in use, close all programs using the drive....."

If i just delete all the data manually, i.e deleting all the folders, is that the same as a format?? Thanks people.

hp7909 · 31 Oct 2006 at 21:37

mpledge52 said:
{snip}If i just delete all the data manually, i.e deleting all the folders, is that the same as a format?? Thanks people.

No!

Best & easiest way is to invest in a program like Acronis Disk Director (here). But if not...

Right click on 'My Computer' icon select 'Manage' then 'Disk Management' under 'Storage'. Here you can not only format but delete & create partitions

NotAGolf · 31 Oct 2006 at 21:45

Lovely job! Using the My computer method, formatting away as we speak.

Thanks

rpstewart · 1 Nov 2006 at 09:55

mpledge52 said:
I tried right clicking it and clickg format but it says something along the lines of:
"The drive is still in use, close all programs using the drive....."

That's probably down to the order of the clicking, this is something that bugs me about windows. If you do it in explorer and left click so that you see the contents of the root directory and then right click and pick format it doesn't work. But, if you right click with the right hand pane showing the contents of another drive it does work - right royal pain in the rear.