How do I format un-allocated drive?

Question

I've asked this b4, but new on this answer thing, so I think I closed it, like I'd solved it, but no :(

I asked - I'm using Win X, and I've got a 250g SATA hard drive installed and plugged in, when I look in computer management>disk management - I can see it in the list. It's unallocated though, against my other drive which shows allocated and has blue bar on it, so any ideas?

Sure I did it once long time back, but forgot what I did. I got reply - Either right click inside the unallocated area & choose format or alternatively choose that area by left clicking on it (puts diagonal stripes on it) then go to actions in the menu bar then tasks then format. - then to this I added - When I right click inside the unallocated area I do not get option to format. only New Partion, Properties, and Help. If I select Action in the menu I get Refresh, Rescan Disks, All Tasks>NewPartition, Properties, also Help. Have I missed something?

So thanks for the previous help ppl, but I'm still stuck ??:(

Answer 1

write click the unallocated space in disk management.
from the pop up menu select new partition.
click next.
u can create a primary or a secondary partition.
if it's primary. it can hold another operating system.
if it's secondary. u can divide it into smaller logical drives.

Answer 2

You cannot format "un-allocated drive"! You have to make partitions first then format them through Disk Management utility coming in Windows XP.

Answer 3

of course you have to create a New Partition first. Choose a primary partition. Allocate disk space if you want to create more than one partition in the hard disk. After that you can format them.

Answer 4

You have to format the drive before starting to use .I can give you a link that deals with hard drive problems. Some RAM/hard drive problems can be easily fixed yourself by using easily available tools. I found the info at http://fixit.in useful. Try this site, if you can get what is required.

Answer 5

I believe to format it you have to "import" drive and then activate the drive through disk management. Then you can format it.

Answer 6

you already have sata drives on ur pc? if you never loaded a sata driver to ur machine then do that first ... yeah make it a new partition for the entire disk then format ...

Answer 7

with your partinon manager have you tried GROWING existing partitions? and or FDISK the drive you want to allocate....maybe format the drive you are trying to allocate so that the O/S recognizes the size and reports it?

Answer 8

hey try this-- if u have a bootable OS cd.. wat eva it is.. win xp or 2000 depends.. boot ur computer using ur cdrom then 4m the bootable u can partition the un allocated part of ur hard disc... u can't format if its unallocated now.. so.. partition us har disc 1st