format second drive

[fasedww]

OK I installed win XP on a 30 gig drive everything up and running good, I have just decided to install another 30 gig as a slave, But this hardrive has stuff on it. Heres the question, When i hook it up in the computer and all, how do I erase what's on it? do I format it using the winxp bootable cd? or can I use a win98se bootdisk and say format D: or what ever drive letter it is. I just want to erase whats on it:confused:

[exar]

Install the drive and boot to XP. Then just open My Computer, right click on the drive letter you want to format, and select Format. It will open a window similar to formatting a floppy disk.

It's only when you are formatting the boot drive that you need to do all that other stuff.

[fasedww]

I was thinking thats all I had to do. Thanks again':)

[PsychoSy]

You could also do it from the "Computer Management" section in the Adminstation Tools area of the Control Panel. I like this method better because formating and partioning through this is FAST. Interactive menus make it a no-brainer.

Although I can still use the old trusty FDISK & FORMAT commands from a boot floppy but it hardens the old arteries. :)

[Mandarb1]

You should be able to go through a cmd window during a Windows session and do something like

C:\format d: /q

(it could also be the \q or -q) (im confusing Linux switches with Windows switches again...)

That should quick format your other hard drive (assuming its d). Since you arent using that hard drive for anything important (like your Windows) you should be fine with a quick format. Regularly formatting a 30 gig will take some time....