Thread: How can i format my PC's partition without installing any OS on it????

Hello Forum,

I am using Win XP Pro Media Center Edition on the primary partition (C Drive) of my Compaq PC. Recently i installed another OS on my another partition (D Drive). So, now i am having multiple OS choice (2 OS) on each reboot.

Now, the problem is that i want to remove the other OS (from D Drive). So, how can i do this? I tried to format that partition from Windows Explorer (My Computer) by right clicking on D Drive and choosing "Format" option.

But problem arised here, because when i clicked on Format , there was a message saying------->>>>>

" Windows can not fornat this drive. Quit any program or window that may be using this drive and then try formatting again "

So, what can i do now? I need to format this drive.
Please help me with this issue!!!!!!

Thank you.............

open d: drive and delete OS files


then try to format

There are many ways.
1) First you log into the OS installed on C drive and try that. It will work

2) You can use a startup disk and login to command prompt and from dos you can use format command and format the drive.

3) Just go and delete all the files in that drive

Originally Posted by kirankumargb

There are many ways.
1) First you log into the OS installed on C drive and try that. It will work

2) You can use a startup disk and login to command prompt and from dos you can use format command and format the drive.

3) Just go and delete all the files in that drive

I formatted D drive by logging on C Drive's OS's Safe Mode. The format was done successfully but now this drive is having a folder named as "Recycler" and it has size of 56-57 MBs. And when i tried to delete it, there was a message stating that " The directory is not empty ". Also, when i reboot, there is still a choice given to me to choose between the Primary OS and the Formatted OS.

Please suggest me a fullproof way to remove all folders or files from this drive and to retrieve all the usable space on it.

Please.

The option to choose between primary OS and secondary OS can be changed in system properties.

Recycler folder on the other Drive is for your Primary OS "Recycle Bin". Don't worry about it. It's there to backup all the data you'll delete from D Drive. You have to empty the Recycle bin to delete the data backed up in that folder.

You can remove the Formatted OS entry on startup by:

-right click on my computer, select properties
-move to the advanced tab
-under ’startup and recovery’ select settings
-in the new dialog box you have a couple of options:
-if you wish to leave DOS on the machine, but not see the option screen you can simply set the ‘time to display list of operating systems:’ to 0 as winXP should now be ur default OS
-if the removal of dos is your goal, then click edit
-first save a copy of the notepad file which opens ‘boot.ini’ just incase you make a mistake
-now there will be a lines similar to:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Micro soft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

*There will also be a line for dos here under [operating systems] something like ‘multi(1)disk(0)partition(#)…..’
-check that your default line points to XP, as it does above
-now erase the line with the other OS, in this case DOS 7.1 ie. ‘multi(1)’ NOTE *the entire line may be more than one line in notepad*
-save the file
-then you are free to erase the folder associated with the erased OS NOTE *if a mistake was made, you may wish to do this as the last step*
-reboot your system and its done.

-upon any mistakes load into either DOS or XP, etc which ever is easiest (or still remaining on your system)
-copy the old boot.ini over the modified one, and try again

About the option to choose in the boot menu, it will not go if you just format the drive.
To remove that,
Goto C Drive, open boot.ini (keep your folder setting to show hidden files)
there the link for both the OS will be there, delete the one which you dont want. (remember if you delete the one you want to keep then the OS will not load)

about the recycler goto folder options --> view tab --> scroll down to the last
there will be last line as "Use simple File sharing (recommeneded) uncheck it, save/ok
now goto that recycler folder and right click, properties, you can see a new tab as security click that and below in permissions click all "Allow"

Now delete it, It should get deleted.

Originally Posted by kirankumargb

About the option to choose in the boot menu, it will not go if you just format the drive.
To remove that,
Goto C Drive, open boot.ini (keep your folder setting to show hidden files)
there the link for both the OS will be there, delete the one which you dont want. (remember if you delete the one you want to keep then the OS will not load)

how we now which OS to delete because both have same name

simple always C drive will have

Code:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

D drive will have partition (2)

Originally Posted by kirankumargb

simple always C drive will have

Code:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

D drive will have partition (2)

thanks for help man

Originally Posted by itsmemad

Recycler folder on the other Drive is for your Primary OS "Recycle Bin". Don't worry about it. It's there to backup all the data you'll delete from D Drive. You have to empty the Recycle bin to delete the data backed up in that folder.

You can remove the Formatted OS entry on startup by:

-right click on my computer, select properties
-move to the advanced tab
-under ’startup and recovery’ select settings
-in the new dialog box you have a couple of options:
-if you wish to leave DOS on the machine, but not see the option screen you can simply set the ‘time to display list of operating systems:’ to 0 as winXP should now be ur default OS
-if the removal of dos is your goal, then click edit
-first save a copy of the notepad file which opens ‘boot.ini’ just incase you make a mistake
-now there will be a lines similar to:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Micro soft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

*There will also be a line for dos here under [operating systems] something like ‘multi(1)disk(0)partition(#)…..’
-check that your default line points to XP, as it does above
-now erase the line with the other OS, in this case DOS 7.1 ie. ‘multi(1)’ NOTE *the entire line may be more than one line in notepad*
-save the file
-then you are free to erase the folder associated with the erased OS NOTE *if a mistake was made, you may wish to do this as the last step*
-reboot your system and its done.

-upon any mistakes load into either DOS or XP, etc which ever is easiest (or still remaining on your system)
-copy the old boot.ini over the modified one, and try again

Hello friend,

i have done every thing u suggested, i got rid of that Recycler folder but still 56 MBs are consumed of that drive even when there is nothing on that drive. it's written like this when i place my cursor on that drive------

Free Space: 9.71 GB
Total Size: 9.76 GB

How can i retrieve my 56 MBs?

And this is what is written in my Boot.ini file------



;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windo ws XP Media Center Edition" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT



Can you please tell me what can i edit or delete from these lines as it don't show Disc(1) option in it!!!!!

Originally Posted by coolvaibh2009

Hello friend,

i have done every thing u suggested, i got rid of that Recycler folder but still 56 MBs are consumed of that drive even when there is nothing on that drive. it's written like this when i place my cursor on that drive------

Free Space: 9.71 GB
Total Size: 9.76 GB

How can i retrieve my 56 MBs?

And this is what is written in my Boot.ini file------



;
;Warning: Boot.ini is used on Windows XP and earlier operating systems.
;Warning: Use BCDEDIT.exe to modify Windows Vista boot options.
;
[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windo ws XP Media Center Edition" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT



Can you please tell me what can i do to edit or delete from these lines as it don't show an yof the lines written as Disc(1) option in it!!!!!

Help me for it so that i can learn a little abot Windows configs!!!!!

Originally Posted by kirankumargb

simple always C drive will have

Code:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

D drive will have partition (2)

Hi there,

See i've removed that Recycler folder but still the place consumed by it is not freed!!!!

And i don't have any options for Secondary OS in my Boot.ini file , still i get the option at each Boot!!!!

What can i do now?

Shall i format even my Primary OS so that the Default Boot.ini file will be restored? Or is there any other alternative other than formatting my Primary OS? Please Help..........

Lol... No need to format your Primary OS.

To make your life easy, download EasyBCD, install it on your Windows XP MCE and remove the other entry.

The 56 mb is perhaps the space consumed by the operating system.

Originally Posted by itsmemad

Lol... No need to format your Primary OS.

To make your life easy, download EasyBCD, install it on your Windows XP MCE and remove the other entry.

The 56 mb is perhaps the space consumed by the operating system.

Hi friend.........
Thanks a lot for your suggestion about EasyBCD freeware.......it worked like a charm and i removed the secondary OS's choice entry only in total 5 clicks!!!!!!

Thanks again bro...........keep up the gud work!!!!!

Anyways.......is there any way to remove the folder called Recycler from that drive? Also it is consuming now 75 MBs of space.

If there is any way to do it, then please suggest me......

Thanks..........

To remove RECYCLER folder

1. Right Click Recycle bin-> Properties-> Select "Configure drives independently" in Global tab.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Select the tab for the drive in which RECYCLER folder is in and Select "Do not move files to recycle bin. Remove files immediately when deleted" -> Click Apply and OK
   
   
   

Now you can remove the RECYCLER folder.

Note: Files deleted from that drive will not go to Recycle bin anymore. You can decrease the maximum percentage of size allowed to store the deleted files for that drive using the slider below.

Extra info

Normally the RECYCLER folder is hidden unless the "Hide protected operating system files" option in Control Panel-> Folder Options-> View Tab is deselected.

If the folder is still visible after selecting "Hide protected operating system files" because of some problems, do the first and second step and reset the setting to the way they were. This will create a fresh new hidden RECYCLER folder.

Originally Posted by Archer

To remove RECYCLER folder

1. Right Click Recycle bin-> Properties-> Select "Configure drives independently" in Global tab.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Select the tab for the drive in which RECYCLER folder is in and Select "Do not move files to recycle bin. Remove files immediately when deleted" -> Click Apply and OK
   
   
   

Now you can remove the RECYCLER folder.

Note: Files deleted from that drive will not go to Recycle bin anymore. You can decrease the maximum percentage of size allowed to store the deleted files for that drive using the slider below.

Extra info

Normally the RECYCLER folder is hidden unless the "Hide protected operating system files" option in Control Panel-> Folder Options-> View Tab is deselected.

If the folder is still visible after selecting "Hide protected operating system files" because of some problems, do the first and second step and reset the setting to the way they were. This will create a fresh new hidden RECYCLER folder.

Hello there Archer,
Thanks a lot again for your support!!! I done the things exactly in the way you described above and now there is no folder named Recycler on that drive. But, the space of 75 MBs is still missing. Can you tell me where that space is being consumed? I am concerned about the space only because i have HDD of 40 GBs!!!!!
Otherwise i wouldn't have bothered you people!!!!!!

Anyways.......thanks for your help and support...............

Happy to help.

Format the drive in FAT32 file system with default settings. The performance will be a lower compared NTFS and you might get frequent disk-check screens on startup if the computer is
turned off incorrectly.