Formatting disk drives with previous versions of Windows on.

[Guest]

I want to install windows XP on my computer, but on the D:\ drive as it is
larger than my C:\ drive. This seems to work fine, but I am unable to format
my C:\ drive that has my previous version of windows on it. This is a huge
problem as its taking up almost all of my hard drive space. Does anyone have
any solutions?

 

[Guest]

I'm suspecting that the reason is your bootloader is on the C: drive, and
the Windows folder on D:

Thus if you formatted C: Windows would not boot.

This situation comes about if Windows is installed to a drive or partition
which is not the Active one, at install-time.

 

[Jim]

I want to install windows XP on my computer, but on the D:\ drive as it is
larger than my C:\ drive. This seems to work fine, but I am unable to format
my C:\ drive that has my previous version of windows on it. This is a huge
problem as its taking up almost all of my hard drive space. Does anyone have
any solutions?

Ian is right. This is one of the MANY downsides of using the Windows boot
loader. It ALWAYS installs itself to the C: partition. Thus whenever you
add another OS partition, you've effectively created a dependency between C:
and that new OS partition (D:, E:, whatever). You can't just now go and
delete or reformat the C: partition and expect to boot your new OS.

The solution to avoiding such problems is to NOT use the Windows default
boot loader. Instead, use a boot manager like BootIt NG
(http://www.bootitng.com, my personal favorite, there are others as well,
such as XOSL). A good boot manager can be installed in its own partition
(usually VERY small, only requires a few MBs) and can hide one partition
from another. Thus, you could install a second version of XP on another
partition and using the boot manager to hide one from the other. And since
each is hidden from the other, each can be assigned the drive letter C:!
And no dependencies! In fact, you can move those partitions to other HDs,
swap partitions, delete one or the other, without any worries about the
effect on other partitions/OSes.

The reason the Windows boot loader isn't a full fledged boot manager as
described above is that MS has no interest in supporting it. But to provide
some level of support for multiple OS installations, they've provide what
amounts to little more than a "hack" -- they just install their boot loader
in the first partition (C and keep adding new partitions for each
subsequent OS (D:, E:, F:, etc.). The fact this creates dependencies, makes
it difficult to delete or move partitions, exposes some or ALL partitions
whenever any OS is booted (thus inviting corruption), is of no concern to
them. That's YOUR problem. And when the problems eventually do crop up
(and they always do), MS leaves it to YOU to deal with them.

IOW, the whole problem here stems from not using the right tool(s) for the
job. Using the Windows boot loader for multiple OS installations is a
recipe for problems. If not now, then later when you need to make
modifications.

 

[Guest]

I have already assigned my D drive as the boot volume, and previously have
been able to format the C drive and have windows work fine on the D drive.
However, this was with my upgrade from 98 to ME. Is there any way of manually
formatting the C drive even though it contains windows files?

 

[Robert Moir]

I have already assigned my D drive as the boot volume, and previously have
been able to format the C drive and have windows work fine on the D drive.
However, this was with my upgrade from 98 to ME. Is there any way of
manually
formatting the C drive even though it contains windows files?

Why are you fixed on using Format?

If you want to tidy up that disk, and you're sure your current OS is on
another drive (bootloader aside), you should be pretty much set if you just
remove folders like \windows and \program files from the old disk.

 

[Jim]

I have already assigned my D drive as the boot volume, and previously have
been able to format the C drive and have windows work fine on the D drive.
However, this was with my upgrade from 98 to ME. Is there any way of manually
formatting the C drive even though it contains windows files?

Let's clarify something first, so we're all on the same page. When you say
"C: drive" vs. "D: drive", do you mean different partitions on the SAME
PHYSICAL hard drive, OR, two different hard drives, one you're calling "C:
drive", the other "D: drive".

People on these forums often (erroneously) use the terms "partition",
"drive", "C:", "C: drive", etc., all interchangeably. This leads to
confusion when providing advice.

A "drive" or "hard drive" is the PHYSICAL device, the hardware you install
in the computer.
A "partition" is a logical, addressable section of that PHYSICAL device. A
hard drive may contain zero or more of these partitions.
A "C: drive" (or just "C:") is just a NAME given to uniquely identify a
specific partition.

IOW, hard drives contain zero or more partitions. Those partitions are then
used either to install an OS or used as a data storage area. When we create
partitions, the OS then assigns drive letters to those partitions to
distinguish one partition from another.

In light of this, again, are your "C: drive" and "D: drive" references to
hard drives, or partitions?

 

[Guest]

Let's clarify something first, so we're all on the same page. When you say
"C: drive" vs. "D: drive", do you mean different partitions on the SAME
PHYSICAL hard drive, OR, two different hard drives, one you're calling "C:
drive", the other "D: drive".

People on these forums often (erroneously) use the terms "partition",
"drive", "C:", "C: drive", etc., all interchangeably. This leads to
confusion when providing advice.

A "drive" or "hard drive" is the PHYSICAL device, the hardware you install
in the computer.
A "partition" is a logical, addressable section of that PHYSICAL device. A
hard drive may contain zero or more of these partitions.
A "C: drive" (or just "C:") is just a NAME given to uniquely identify a
specific partition.

IOW, hard drives contain zero or more partitions. Those partitions are then
used either to install an OS or used as a data storage area. When we create
partitions, the OS then assigns drive letters to those partitions to
distinguish one partition from another.

In light of this, again, are your "C: drive" and "D: drive" references to
hard drives, or partitions?

They are two partitions on one physical drive. How does this affect the
action that i'm trying to undertake?