format hard drive

[Tom]

I am getting the following error when I try to format my
hard drive:
Format can not run because the volume is in use by
another process. Format may run if this volume is
dismounted first.
ALL OPEN HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.

Need help thanks

Tom

 

[Lem]

I am getting the following error when I try to format my
hard drive:
Format can not run because the volume is in use by
another process. Format may run if this volume is
dismounted first.
ALL OPEN HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.

Need help thanks

Tom

You can't format the drive on which Windows is installed from within
Windows. And why would you want to?

 

[Chris Lanier]

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary to
partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow Windows XP
to partition and format your drive:

1. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.
2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your omputer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After installing Windows XP, be sure and visit the support website of
the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any available
Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter and audio drivers.

*All Courtesy of Nicholas

 

[John Dingley]

Are you trying to format the drive that your operating system is on while
running that operting system? If you are, it is not a good idea.

You must use the bootable XP CD to do it.

 

[jasper]

I am getting the following error when I try to format my
hard drive:
Format can not run because the volume is in use by
another process. Format may run if this volume is
dismounted first.
ALL OPEN HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.

Need help thanks

Tom

It sounds as if you are trying to format the drive with PM or FDISK
mounted on the drive you are trying to format. Boot to a DOS prompt
and then format. Or move your PM to another drive and then format.