Format issues

[mightyboosh]

Hi,

i figured that when the questions are kind of simple, google seems to give you answers for more complex, widely searched for keywords. Well i have a few questions, if somebody could answer them;

1. I have a 160 Gb HDD, it's brand new so it's not formatted yet. I would like to use it purely as an external storage device, with 4 drives of 40 GB each. I do not want to install any OS on this disc. Could someone please tell me how i could simply format this disc without running it through an OS installation (for eg; Windows XP installation)

2. I have another 160Gb HDD, which i've been using on my computer right now. It's a dual boot with Linux and Windows installed on it. I would at some point in the future want to make this an external storage device as well. Could you tell me how to uninstall Linux (without losing any data files) and then how to uninstall windows (i don't mind losing all the c: contents) I figured i could just right click on the C: (when i've plugged it in as a removable device of course) and click 'Format' Will this work?

[Garbage]

Originally Posted by mushroomcloudwarrior

1. I have a 160 Gb HDD, it's brand new so it's not formatted yet. I would like to use it purely as an external storage device, with 4 drives of 40 GB each. I do not want to install any OS on this disc. Could someone please tell me how i could simply format this disc without running it through an OS installation (for eg; Windows XP installation)

Just make it a removable device or USB HDD. Connect to computer.
Then right click on My computer --> Manage --> Disk Management.
Here you can make partitions on the HDD.

Originally Posted by mushroomcloudwarrior

2. I have another 160Gb HDD, which i've been using on my computer right now. It's a dual boot with Linux and Windows installed on it. I would at some point in the future want to make this an external storage device as well. Could you tell me how to uninstall Linux (without losing any data files) and then how to uninstall windows (i don't mind losing all the c: contents) I figured i could just right click on the C: (when i've plugged it in as a removable device of course) and click 'Format' Will this work?

Do same as first step. Just format first partition on that removable HDD and Linux partition also!

[mightyboosh]

in the first case, it's a new HDD, so it's never been formatted, which means that it does not get detected when i make it a removable drive.

About the second one, How do i format the linux partition? do i insert the removable when i'm on linux?

[Garbage]

Nah... It will be detected. But as there will be no partitions, u can't see in my computer. But can be seen in Disk management.

In second case, that Linux partition will be detected as unknown partition in Disk Management. So u can delete it if u don't need that data any more.

[mightyboosh]

Ah, alright..Thanks.