Why can't I format an HDD?

[babaghan]

I have a hardware RAID 5 array that's working fine on Vista, but I want to format an HDD that's connected directly to the motherboard. It's dangling there like an appendix and I want to wipe it out, but Vista keeps telling me it can't format it. This should be a simple task and I'm missing a simple step.

 

[jitpublisher]

Unless for some reason there are OS files on it, and Vista is somehow using it to boot, you should be able to simply format it, no special tricks needed.
How did you end up with your RAID 5 array? How did you install Vista?
What drives were connected and how? You didn't accidently include it in the RAID array did you?
Try unplugging the extra drive and see if your system will boot.
But be warned, if you have this drive somehow attached to the array, unplugging it could really mess things up.
It would help to have some history here.

 

[babaghan]

I have a RAID 5 array with the OS on it, from which I boot. The RAID array is connected to a hardware RAID controller to the motherboard. I have a spare Raptor connected directly to the motherboard and it too has Vista on it. When I boot the computer up, I get a choice to load Vista or Vista. This is mildly annoying and I want to wipe out the OS on the spare drive.

 

[runswindows95]

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=115843&package_id=173828

Download the ISO, burn to CD, boot of said CD, follow instructions, and reformat the hard drive.

 

[rockbyter]

a sata drive? leave the data cable unplugged, get into windows, plug the data cable in and format it from there. this gaurantees the drive is not used for anything and you can do what you want. Modern boards and PATA drives can do it too, vista is friendly about hot plugging drives, just dont do it to your regular data drives as something may not get written or saved - and that would be bad.

 

[babaghan]

I fixed the problem. Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

[Zorg]

I fixed the problem. Thanks for the replies, guys.

Thanks for sharing the solution.

 

[babaghan]

The problem lays (lies?) with the user who has half-baked ideas how RAID/Windows/HDDs work. I unplugged the lone HDD connected directly to the motherboard, reinstalled Vista to the RAID array, replugged the lone HDD, formatted the lone HDD, now everything works nicely.

 

[Zorg]

So I'm guessing that the winload.exe was on the Raptor and therefore Vista wouldn't let you partition because then nothing would boot. Makes sense. Another way to clear it would be to unplug the Raptor and do a fixmbr from the cd to repair the boot to the RAID and format the Raptor with the WD tools or UBCD etc.

Either way I guess. At least other searchers will know what the problem was.