Need help formatting external hard drive

[mojouk]

Hi.

I just wanted to ask a question about this external hard drive I've just bought.

It's 60GB drive. When I bought it it was empty/new and had 58GB on it.

I've been using it to back up my PC, I have just deleted everything on it so I could do a new back up.

It's empty and it's now 50GB!!!

I'm not sure why really. I tried to format it again, but it's not letting me.

.....when I right click on the Hard drive and select 'format' the computer tells me I can't format it because there are other windows open on the monitor (which there aren't).

What's the best to why to format an external hard drive?

Your help is much appreciated!!

 

[muckshifter]

Win XP ??

(right-click) My Computer > Manage > Disk Management > (right-click) the external drive and select "Format" > Choose whether you want ...

 

[mojouk]

Cheers muckshifter

Yes it's Windows XP.

I've done what you suggested, but it's coming up with the following message when I right click 'format'

'Primary partition is currently in use. To force format of this volume, click yes.
WARNING: Forcing a format might cause unexpected errors in the application that is using this volume. Do you want to conitinue?'

Is this a normal message when formatting a hard drive? I don't want to wreck my hard drive.

 

[muckshifter]

Click Yes ... you will not wreck the HD.

 

[mojouk]

thanks very much for your help muckshifter.

I do find it puzzling why people advertise a hard drive as being '60GB' as only 55.8 of it is useable. (If I'd known that then I would have bought a bigger drive)

 

[muckshifter]

thanks very much for your help muckshifter.

I do find it puzzling why people advertise a hard drive as being '60GB' as only 55.8 of it is useable. (If I'd known that then I would have bought a bigger drive)

It is a numbers 'game' that they have played for years ...