Clean all still running after 24 hours.

[Cohedrin]

Hey guys, I wanted to do a fresh install of windows on my computer and ran the clean all command to do so. However, the command is still running after a full 24 hours and the only sign I have that its still working is the blinking cursor. The drive is 2tb so I figured it would take a while, but 24 hours seems a bit much. Any ideas?

 

[theog]

Check the hard drive with the manufacturer's diagnostic tools.
Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities (Storage) - TACKtech Corp.
Hard Drive Diagnostic Procedure

 

[Cohedrin]

Can't quite do that as I'm doing it from the win7 install CD boot.

 

[theog]

Can't quite do that as I'm doing it from the win7 install CD boot.

Windows 7 DVD NOT needed.

 

[gregrocker]

There is no reason to run Diskpart Clean All unless you are trying to make data unrecoverable by all but forensics methods, like if selling a PC.

Otherwise just deleting partitions is sufficient. If something more is called for due to installation problems, instantaneous Clean command is enough to clear the boot code and partition table which are what can present problems.

You can abort the operation and run Clean instead.

 

[Cohedrin]

Can't quite do that as I'm doing it from the win7 install CD boot.

Windows 7 DVD NOT needed.

Why? Im trying to delete the data in the primary drive. I cannot delete the files while running Cmd from the drive.

As for the question of clean all not being needed, I was having some issues with the computer and wanted to make sure all the bad data was off it. Do I not need to do that? If so is there any way to cancel the clean all command?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, close the Command box.



You are not deleting data using Clean All, just overwriting every sector with 0 which is hard on the drive. Once the partition table is deleted this data has no organizing structure so is just random 0's and 1's. The disk reader doesn't know or care if it's reading or overwriting a 0 or a 1.

Deleting the partition is enough unless there are installation problems or the drive's boot code is hanging a disk from booting where disconnecting the drive allows another to boot. Then all that's needed is Clean command to zero out the boot sector and partition table.

 

[Cohedrin]

Closing the command box won't affect the drive even if it is still executing the command?

 

[gregrocker]

From the Disk - Clean and Clean All with Diskpart Command - Windows 7 Help Forums tutorial's author:

It's not going to hurt the HDD, but if it isn't allowed to finish, then you most likely will not be able to use the HDD until either running the commmand again or format the HDD to create a partition/volume on the HDD.

Think of it as about the same as interrupting the formatting of a HDD.

So I would stop it by closing Command box, boot back into disk Command Line to run Diskpart Clean Command, then format your drive in Disk Mgmt or during Clean Install Windows 7.

 

[Cohedrin]

Thanks for all your help, I'm a bit new to command prompt. So if I'm understanding right, I can close the window and just begin to install Windows on it? Windows would make a partition for itself right?

Again thanks for all your help

 

[gregrocker]

I would first run Clean command to make sure the Boot sector and partition table are cleared.

Then boot into installer and use the Drive Options in Steps 7/8 of Clean Install Windows 7
to create and Format New partition(s) as you please, install Win7 to the first partition after the small boot partition it creates at the beginning of drive.

If you want a full format or to avoid the 100mb System REserved partition, use Step 2.2 in SSD - HDD Optimize for Windows Reinstallation without the Quick format switch.