format laptop hd..help please

kony wrote:
> On Fri, 30 May 2008 08:52:07 +0100, "Terry"
> <terrybetts11138@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Thanks Grinder.
>> I do not have "Administrative Tools" shown via control panel as you
>> suggest...strange!!
>> Sorry ...yes that "spare" drive is the one I want to format.
>
> At the start menu -> Run box you can type "diskmgmt.msc" to
> start disk management, though as mentioned previously you
> can just right click to format a drive in My Computer, no
> need to run Disk Management just to do that.

It might be worth going into Disk Management, though, to check the
partitioning.

> To show Administrative Tools on your start menu, you can
> right click on the taskbar and choose properties, then
> there's a checkbox or something to "Display Administrative
> Tools".

On Fri, 30 May 2008 22:24:29 GMT, Grinder
<grinder@no.spam.maam.com> wrote:

>kony wrote:
>> On Fri, 30 May 2008 08:52:07 +0100, "Terry"
>> <terrybetts11138@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks Grinder.
>>> I do not have "Administrative Tools" shown via control panel as you
>>> suggest...strange!!
>>> Sorry ...yes that "spare" drive is the one I want to format.
>>
>> At the start menu -> Run box you can type "diskmgmt.msc" to
>> start disk management, though as mentioned previously you
>> can just right click to format a drive in My Computer, no
>> need to run Disk Management just to do that.
>
>It might be worth going into Disk Management, though, to check the
>partitioning.


Agreed, if the OP is not certain that there is only one
partition on the hard drive, and considering this is a
laptop drive that might be OEM, there is a fair chance of
all kinds of irregular things like a hidden recovery
partition... though I can't recall how Disk Management would
display one in any, let alone all cases.

Thank you all....eventually sorted with your help.

Terry
"Terry" <terrybetts11138@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:5s2dne7B7Ml8qKDVnZ2dnUVZ8t_inZ2d@bt.com...
>I have a "spare" laptop HD with XP OS installed.
> I now wish to use this HD for portable data storage only.
> I have a USB enclosure case for it, with cable.
>
> How do I prepare this spare HD for data storage please?
>
> TIA
>
> Terry
>