Unable to format D: drive, no add'l info in error

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  1. Posts : 1
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #1

    Unable to format D: drive, no add'l info in error


    I'm going to preface this with admitting that I have no idea what I'm doing and only know that I want this drive clean!

    I have two hard drives, one of which (the D: drive) I'm trying to format by right-clicking it and selecting Format. The C drive is where I'm running Windows 7 from, but when I go to Computer Management -> Disk Management, it shows this:
    Unable to format D: drive, no add'l info in error-diskmngmnt.png

    I read somewhere that having the Page File active on the D: drive would prevent it from being formatted, but you can see there that it is not active on my D: drive. When I right-click -> Format the D: drive from My Computer screen, Capacity is set to 186 GB (the only option), File system is set to NTFS (Default) (the only option) and Allocation unit size is automatically set to 4096 bytes. For Format Options, only Quick Format is available and already has a checkmark next to it. When I click Start, it says "WARNING: Formatting with erase ALL data on this disk. To format the disk, click OK. To quit, click CANCEL." So, I click OK, and immediately a small window pops up that says "Windows was unable to complete the format."

    This D: drive used to be my OS drive before I built this new computer and put my OS on the 500GB. I can't remember what caused it, but I was unable to format this D: drive and clean up all the files on it before, so right now it's sitting here with a whole Windows folder full of stuff I can't delete, and I don't know if that would be affecting this or not. All I know is that my current OS is on my C: drive (and I'm almost 100% positive about this, I swear!) and that I can't format this D: drive with that handy Format option in the right-click menu. I should also add that I do not have a Windows CD, or a disc drive for that matter. Also, in the Boot tab of the System Configuration window, it says "Windows 7 (C:\Windows) : Current OS; Default OS", so I have no idea why that screenshot shows the D drive as System, Active.

    Anyone out there that can help?
    Last edited by totallyhelpless; 22 Mar 2013 at 11:16. Reason: added more info that may help
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 233
    W7 Home Premium 32bit
       #2

    Your boot files (active flag) are on the D. That's why W7 won't let you format it.

    When you clean install W7, you should have no other hd running.

    If you don't have a W7 disc, how did you install on the 500g?

    In DiskMgmt try adding the active flag to the C: drive. Right-click the C drive and mark partition as active. Reboot.

    If that worked, you should now be able to format D.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 6,830
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32-Bit & Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit
       #3

    You could try Diskpart

    Open command prompt by clicking on typing CMD in the Search box . Right click on CMD and choose Run as administrator . Your command prompt should open to C:\Windows\System32>_ type in the commands below

    Diskpart
    List disk
       Note
    You should see Disk 0 which is your D drive and Disk 1 is your C drive

    Select disk 0
    Clean
       Note
    Clean command will wipe your D drive
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 233
    W7 Home Premium 32bit
       #4

    Don't forget to set active flag on C drive first. Otherwise you won't boot.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       #5

    VistaKing said:
    You could try Diskpart

    Open command prompt by clicking on typing CMD in the Search box . Right click on CMD and choose Run as administrator . Your command prompt should open to C:\Windows\System32>_ type in the commands below

    Diskpart
    List disk
       Note
    You should see Disk 0 which is your D drive and Disk 1 is your C drive

    Select disk 0
    Clean
       Note
    Clean command will wipe your D drive
    Absolutely VK Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 504
       #6

    First check where your Windows folder really is. Is it on C: or D: ? You're not able to format D: because it is marked as "System, active". Though your bootmanager seems to reside on C:. Pretty weird. You even have labeled your D: as "Windows 7". Check and please do report back.

    Regards
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       #7

    nilank said:
    First check where your Windows folder really is. Is it on C: or D: ? You're not able to format D: because it is marked as "System, active". Though your bootmanager seems to reside on C:. Pretty weird. You even have labeled your D: as "Windows 7". Check and please do report back.

    Regards
    Might not be nilank as you can see C: has boot on it and is a Windows default letter.

    Just thought install and run this http://www.partitionwizard.com/free-...n-manager.html

    right click on the partition and then Explore it will tell you whats in there.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 504
       #8

    ICit2lol said:
    nilank said:
    First check where your Windows folder really is. Is it on C: or D: ? You're not able to format D: because it is marked as "System, active". Though your bootmanager seems to reside on C:. Pretty weird. You even have labeled your D: as "Windows 7". Check and please do report back.

    Regards
    Might not be nilank as you can see C: has boot on it and is a Windows default letter.

    Just thought install and run this Best Free Partition Manager Freeware and free partition magic for Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows Vista and Windows XP 32 bit & 64 bit. MiniTool Free Partition Manager Software Home Edition.

    right click on the partition and then Explore it will tell you whats in there.
    Though his/her Boot is on C:, but D: is marked as "System". This point should be noted.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       #9

    Yep well it will soon show up when the OP opens up that PW and explores. That D: might just be an image for all we know.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 21,004
    Desk1 7 Home Prem / Desk2 10 Pro / Main lap Asus ROG 10 Pro 2 laptop Toshiba 7 Pro Asus P2520 7 & 10
       #10

    Actually it can be explored from the computer management but this is what I see in mine and you cn see boot in the small 100MB partition in C: - X: is the same but does not have a boot ref on either partition.



    I have to adnit the shots the OP sent us is rather confusing.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Unable to format D: drive, no add'l info in error-sys1.png   Unable to format D: drive, no add'l info in error-sys2.png  
      My Computer


 
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