Can not format my currently-not-in-use SSD with an old windows installation on it.

stee_vo

Commendable
Aug 7, 2016
3
0
1,510
I have had some issues with my PC the past year, long story short I ended up having to install Windows on my HDD. Now I have an SSD with an old windows installation on it, I would really like to format it so that I can install windows on it again and eventually clear my HDD as well.

I'm going to do a complete factory reset and this is the only thing holding me back.
 
Solution
It's your system partition that's on the hdd then. It happens sometimes when multiple drives are in during install. When you install, only have the ssd plugged in.

stee_vo

Commendable
Aug 7, 2016
3
0
1,510

I have no idea what versions they are, but they are both Windows 7, not registered, I just used the installer that you could get from microsofts webpage and never used a key.

I have no idea what MBR or GPT is but I'll try to check it out.


Yeah I don't have a DVD or USB with windows anymore. Microsoft removed the ability to download the installer from their website for some reason. Guess I'll have to buy a new version.

I honestly can not remember why I had to install windows on my HDD. My motherboard broke and I had to get a new CPU as well, since the OS is bound to the motherboard I also had to get a new OS. That's when the problems started basically, my PC has pretty much survived on small fixes here and there but now it's just a big mess inside. That's why I just want to format my SSD and HDD and start fresh.
 

stee_vo

Commendable
Aug 7, 2016
3
0
1,510


Yeah the installer is there now, it was gone for a while, even spoke to their support about it a while ago too.

I never got a new OS as in a bought one, I just used the installer from their site and installed it on my PC but never activated it with a key, so it's illegitimate.

I right click on the drive and press "format", go through the options and press "OK", then a window pops up that says it can't format. That's it.

But don't worry about it anymore, I realized a while after I made this post that my SSD is actually still in use, I just never realized it. My windows is booted from the SSD but it's located on the HDD, or something like that.

Thanks for your help so far though, I'm going to install W10 and use the installer to clear the disks, see if that works.