cannot format Hard drive windows 10

[tburdz]

I try formatting the drive which I have deleted all the files from but it still for some reason has 15 gb of stuff that I cant find and delete.

Whenever I click format I get this error- Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or other programs that are using this drive and make sure no window is displaying the contents of this drive then try formatting again.

Is there a way around this if so please explain.

Any help I am very thankful for Thanks!!!

 

[D_Know_WD]

Hi there tburdz,

So, you have a secondary drive, that is being accessed by something and you can't format it right?

If this is the case, you have a couple of options:
- Find out what is accessing the drive. There are some third party programs that can show you that. Yet, I can't name a specific one, as I am a rep.
- Boot Ubuntu from a CD or a flash drive and format your HDD while you are under a different OS. Here's a thread on the Ubuntu Live CD: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/267999-32-recover-data-mode

Let me know in case you have some more questions,
D_Know_WD