Formatting second disk

[roehrle]

Can't find a procedure for formatting a second HD
I have a IDE to USB Ext Storage system with a new HD that I need to format. Nothing fancy, just want to back up all my data on the 2nd disk for easy recovery.

 

[harpua]

If you hook up the drive and can see it in windows, just right click on the drive you want to format and select format from the right click context menu.

If you can't see the drive when you connect it. You may need to enter the disk management console and assign it a drive letter because it needs a letter to be visible in Windows.

To do that, simply right click "Computer," select manage and from the dialog that comes up select disk managment (on the left side). You should be able to see your new drive in there. Right click on the drive and select "change or add drive letter" (or words to that effect), and give it a drive letter of your choice. It will by default show you the first available drive letter.

 

[roehrle]

To do that, simply right click "Computer," select manage and from the dialog that comes up select disk managment (on the left side). You should be able to see your new drive in there. Right click on the drive and select "change or add drive letter" (or words to that effect), and give it a drive letter of your choice. It will by default show you the first available drive letter.

I got to the part in red but it had 2 choices
Convert to Dynamic Disk
Convert to MBR
Neither did anything when I clicked on them
Didn't find anything about naming drive

It also reported Unallocated. Had the correct size of the drive.

 

[RogerR]

You can't name it until its allocated. So you'll either need to create a partition or extend an adjacent partition to include the unallocated disk space. Do you have an "extend volume" option in the next partition? Or do you specifically want a new partition?

 

[gregrocker]

Use Disk Management to Create A Partition and Format it logical.

 

[roehrle]

Thanks guys for the help. I got it formatted but don't ask me how I did it. I kept trying different things and finally it worked. Just hope I don't have to do that again for another couple years. Don't remember having this much trouble in the past .It's amazing how they can complicate what used to be a pretty simple operation.:sarc:

 

[dalefhome]

I am having the same problem as roehrle.
I got to the part in red but it had 2 choices
Convert to Dynamic Disk
Convert to MBR
it also reported Unallocated. had the correct size of the drive.
If I right click on the original drive, C the Extend Volume choice is not highlighted, ont giving that choice.
I don't know what to do at this point. Please Help.

 

[garysgold]

In disk manager, right click on the unallocated space and select new simple volume.

 

[dalefhome]

Thank you garysgold
All is good.