[Adzi]

I've never actually needed to format my HDD and its seems the time has come to learn. My main drive (C:) 80gb has windows installed, i then put a 160gb HDD (D:) in as well, the windows installation in C: developed a fault of some sort so i Installed windows on my secondary (D:), When i boot up, it asks me to select an installation of Windows XP and i always chose the one on D:/ However i would like to now clear my C: Drive of everything ans set that as the slave as i have backed up all my personal files from it. Just need to know how to re-format it and then how to set the jumpers?

Any help greatly appreciated

[Advertisements]

First of all, windows on a partition other than C:\ makes me nervous. I did this when building a system for a relative one time without realizing it and ended up properly reinstalling Windows on the C:\ partition a year later.

That point aside, Windows ought to be able to format the drive for you.

Go here for a complete guide:
Microsoft Article

This might also help:
Using Windows Disk Management Tool-MS Article

Edited by fsb1284, 04 December 2005 - 01:03 PM.

[fsb1284]

First of all, windows on a partition other than C:\ makes me nervous. I did this when building a system for a relative one time without realizing it and ended up properly reinstalling Windows on the C:\ partition a year later.

That point aside, Windows ought to be able to format the drive for you.

Go here for a complete guide:
Microsoft Article

This might also help:
Using Windows Disk Management Tool-MS Article

Edited by fsb1284, 04 December 2005 - 01:03 PM.

[Tyger]

If the drives are set to cable select, just switch there positions on the IDE cable, and your D: will magically turn into C:, and be master, and C: will turn into D:, and be slave. However, a caveat, this will only work if the now D: drive has a proper working master boot record on it, so there is no guarantee, but it's simple to do and worth a try.

[Adzi]

sorry i've been out the country for a while !! basically my D: has a full installation of windows XP home edition. So does that mean it has a master boot record?

And if so i just need to switch the jumpers to cable select and move the drives around?

[warriorscot]

Easiest way to find out is to try it, when its done and if you can boot into the C drive formerly known as D then you select the D drive formerly known as C in my computer right click it and select format.