C: drive won't reformat

[Shawn]

Hello,
I am currently trying to reformat my C: drive and
start over due to issues with my computer at the moment.
However, when I access the command prompt and try to
input the command format c:, it says "cannot run because
volume is in use by another process". It then asks if I
want to force a dismount of the volume using it. At this
point I type yes, and it still rejects me saying that it
couldn't do it. Can anyone help me? I made sure that no
programs were running, etc. Thanks

 

[Steve Hebert]

Boot with a boot disk (floppy or cd). You can't format the drive while
you're using it to run your computer.

Steve

 

[t.cruise]

If you have a Windows XP CD, assuming your System Setup (BIOS) is set for
the CD drive to be the first boot device (otherwise go into system setup and
change the boot order), boot with the Windows XP CD, and go ahead with a
regular install until you're informed that setup has found a version of
Windows XP already installed. DON'T take the option to Repair it, and
you'll be given options to format etc... As someone else has posted, you
can't format the C: drive while you're running Windows XP, because Windows
XP files are in use there.

BUT, if you're formatting the drive to install Windows 98, NOT Windows XP,
then you'd go to:

http://www.bootdisk.com

There, you'd download the file for a Windows 98 SE boot disk. After you
download that file, double click it, you'll be asked to insert a floppy, and
the Windows 98 boot disk will be made. Boot with that floppy, and you can
use fdisk and format to be able get rid of NTFS, which Windows 98 can't
read, and then you'll be able to format FAT32, which Windows 98 can read.
(Windows XP can read both NTFS and FAT32 formats)

 

[Richard Urban]

Do you also like to lay on the ground under a jacked up vehicle and then
lower the jack. Not a good idea. Windows also won't allow you to format the
drive you are operating from, for "your" safety!

Boot from the CD and format the drive during the install process!

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard