HELP FORMATTING A DRIVE

[ryanandcasey]

Ok, so I tried everything to delete some files on my secondary HDD and nothing. So I've backed everything up that I need off there and am now trying to format the drive. However when I try to format it I get ..."Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilites or other programs that are using this drive, and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of the drive. Then try fornatting again."...No programs are using the drive, and nothing is open. Any suggestions?
Thanks for the help

 

[imported_LoKe]

Boot from the Windows XP CD.

 

[ryanandcasey]

 

[ryanandcasey]

Here's what I did in case anyone else is having the same problem. As Loke said I booted from my CD-ROM with the XP cd. In the "Recovery Console" specify the appropriate Windows installation. It will be listed. It's probably #1. Then log on by using your Windows XP Administrator password. You are probably the administrator and the password if you have never assigned is probably blank, so just hit the Enter key. If you run Windows XP Pro and want to turn off the password prompt then learn how here.

Next, type:

map

and hit the ENTER key.

Note the drive that you want to reformat. The drive letters may be different in the Recovery Console from what they are in Windows XP, but if you want to reformat the C: drive then its likely the largest.

Next, type:

format C: /fs:ntfs

worked like a charm and the previous issue of not being able to delete, rename or move files on that drive has been fixed. Thanks everyone for all the help