

Am trying to format a new hard drive but my PC/laptop cannot process format?

Actually it's a previously-owned hard drive but the seller told me he hasn't used it because he had asked for a PC HDD and got the laptop HDD instead so he sold it. Have mounted it on an external enclosure and the flashing lights tell me that the set-up is processing power at the very least

3 Answers

  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    would need more information on this but a surefire way of getting it formated is with fdisk (you can get fdisk from fdisk is in a startup disk. There is also other applications you can use and a reccomendation is that you use pertition magic if its a dual petitioned HDD otherwise if this dont work most likely the hard drive is stuffed or not connected properly

  • kettie
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    a million. First, make confident that your computing gadget is determined besides from a CD. that is a diverse technique counting on your computing gadget. at the same time as your computing gadget first boots seem for an selection to enter the BIOS settings. lower than the BIOS settings locate the "Boot Order" and make confident the CD-ROM is determined besides first. 2. With the residing house windows XP CD interior the CD-ROM force, keep your BIOS settings and go out. 3. in case you've performed each little thing wisely you have to be requested to "Press Any Key besides from CD". 4. After installation the mandatory setup information, residing house windows XP will reveal your walls. Delete any latest walls with the help of determining on the wanted partition with the arrow keys, press D to delete and then L to verify the deletion. 5. you need to now have basically one selection, "Unpartitioned area". Press enter to position in residing house windows XP to the unpartitioned area. 6. at the same time as requested the way you'll favor to format the partition, elect "format utilizing the NTFS record equipment". 7. After the partition is formatted, residing house windows XP will initiate installation. the computing gadget will reboot. at the same time as the computing gadget is rebooting, please do not contact any keys. 8. enter your product key. in case to procure residing house windows XP from a save, the product key will be positioned on the decrease back of the sleeve your CD got here in. if you're reformatting utilizing a residing house windows XP CD that got here with your computing gadget, the product key would nicely be positioned on a sticky label someplace on your computing gadget case.

  • .PANiC
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    If there are any partitions on it you should try deleting it with a Win98 boot disk and then reformatting. You can get a Win98 boot disk creator from

    Source(s): My knowledge
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