Unable to format internal HDD (Doesn't have OS installed on it)

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stefica222

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Nov 16, 2013
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I have a program installed onto the HDD that whenever I open it blue screens the pc. Interacting with it in any way trying to uninstall via control panel)with it just flat out blue screens the pc. I go to quick format and fill in all the boxes that need to be filled, until eventually it gives me this error message "Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or any other programs that are using this drive, and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of the drive. Then try formatting again."

I've closed every single program on my pc - retried and it didn't work. I went to the 'Disk Management tool' and that didn't work; it won't even give me the option the format the drive.

2TB Seagate 3.5" 7200rpm SATA 6Gb/s HDD PN ST2000DM001
That's the HDD I'm trying to format. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
 
Solution
Dogsnake
Sounds like a virus. Boot into safe mode and run (http://www.malwarebytes.org/lp/lp4/?gclid=CPW5x_y66roCFU7xOgodIDsAhA) the free version. You can run it from a flash drive if you can not download and install it before booting to safe mode. Also you can make a boot disk and run the format from it and it will format the drive that way. Once you do a normal boot you are loading the virus as if it were a driver. Once formatted you will have to reinstall everything; chip set drivers, device drivers, window and all its' updates. Then all your programs. If you have data like music, pics. or documents, you better save them before you format. If you want to try to clean the drive before having to format here is a malware removal guide that will...
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Dogsnake

Dogsnake

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Oct 20, 2006
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Sounds like a virus. Boot into safe mode and run (http://www.malwarebytes.org/lp/lp4/?gclid=CPW5x_y66roCFU7xOgodIDsAhA) the free version. You can run it from a flash drive if you can not download and install it before booting to safe mode. Also you can make a boot disk and run the format from it and it will format the drive that way. Once you do a normal boot you are loading the virus as if it were a driver. Once formatted you will have to reinstall everything; chip set drivers, device drivers, window and all its' updates. Then all your programs. If you have data like music, pics. or documents, you better save them before you format. If you want to try to clean the drive before having to format here is a malware removal guide that will catch about everything you might have (http://www.selectrealsecurity.com/malware-removal-guide).
 
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Solution
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stefica222

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Nov 16, 2013
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Would I have to reinstall Windows? My OS isn't on the HDD.
 
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stefica222

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Nov 16, 2013
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Alright, so I did the first thing you said; you were right and there was a virus. Although I still can't format. How do I do this boot disk thing?
 
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Dogsnake

Dogsnake

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Try this (http://www.techhack.co.uk/2011/03/31/format-a-hard-drive-with-command-prompt/) from your normal boot. If it does not work, try the same procedure but boot to safe mode using the safe mode with command prompt option. Did you scan both drives? Also go to control panel/system/system protection (Win7?)/configure; delete all the system restore points. The virus is probably present in the back up system image(s). After you delete, reboot and create a clean restore point. If you have win7 you can create a boot disk from control panel/back up and restore section.
 
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