[SOLVED] How to format a secondary SSD that already has windows OS installed

[tacokillafattyboy]

I recently bought a Dell XPS 15 but chose to upgrade the stock M.2 NVME SSD right out of the box without even turning it on.

I am now trying to use that same SSD from dell for my main PC at home to use as extra storage but not have it boot from it since I already have been using another SSD in it for years. But after installing it to my motherboard I was aware that this wasn't going to be just any old new SSD installation because this drive has Windows 10 on it already. Because of that I am unable to format it in disk management and cleaning it in DiskPart does nothing. It still wont let me initialize disk in disk management giving me the error message: "Incorrect Function" if there is anyone who could help, it'd be greatly appreciated!

If you didn't read all above, short story is I want to use a "new" SSD for my main PC as a 3rd disk for extra storage but it won't let me format it because of an already present OS (I think)

EDIT/PROBLEM SOLVED: After running DiskPart and did what was stated ^above^ last night and shutting down, I turned on my computer today and went in the bios to see if my drive would be listed and there it was. The drive now showed up in my file explorer but would not let me delete anything because the partitions were protected. So using DiskPart I selected the disk, selected the 6 partitions and used the "delete partition override" command for each one till the entire disk was shown as "Unallocated".
Thanks a lot for everyone who replied, I can finally use this extra SSD for more games

 

[Colif]

How to wipe a ex windows install

right click start
choose settings
choose update & security
choose recovery
Under Advanced startup, click restart now

Pick troubleshoot
Pick advanced
Pick Command Prompt
Type diskpart and press enter
Type list disk and press enter
This will show the list of drives currently attached to PC, make note of the drive number of the drive you want to wipe

If Disk 1 is the drive you want to clear, type select 1) and press enter. A message will confirm it is selected

Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

Once you sure its right disk, type Clean and press enter

The Command Prompt window will display the message "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk". Close out of the Command Prompt window by clicking the red X in the upper right hand corner.

Another way, if you just wanted to get rid of windows folder itself off drive is to rename windows folder to windows.old on that drive and then run disk cleanup. The other method wipes drive.

 

[tacokillafattyboy]

How to wipe a ex windows install

right click start
choose settings
choose update & security
choose recovery
Under Advanced startup, click restart now

Pick troubleshoot
Pick advanced
Pick Command Prompt
Type diskpart and press enter
Type list disk and press enter
This will show the list of drives currently attached to PC, make note of the drive number of the drive you want to wipe

If Disk 1 is the drive you want to clear, type select 1) and press enter. A message will confirm it is selected

Warning: Diskpart Erase/Clean will permanently erase/destroy all data on the selected drive. Please be certain that you are erasing the correct disk.

Once you sure its right disk, type Clean and press enter

The Command Prompt window will display the message "DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk". Close out of the Command Prompt window by clicking the red X in the upper right hand corner.

Another way, if you just wanted to get rid of windows folder itself off drive is to rename windows folder to windows.old on that drive and then run disk cleanup. The other method wipes drive.

But I have already tried that (as stated above). And I can’t rename any folder for that drive because it doesn’t even show up in my file explorer

 

[mdd1963]

As long as you are sure you are not accidentally booting from the newly inserted NVME drive, and, as long as it is detected in BIOS, then it should show within windows administrative tools/computer mngmt/storage/disk mngmt, where (make sure you select correct disk, as C drive is often not on top!) you can delete partitions/reformat

If any protected partitions for recovery exist (stubborn 14.75 GB partitions, for example), you can find instructions to use diskpart from cmd line....

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKGWrHIQQ1Y&t=315s

 

[popatim]

It might not show up in Windows if the UEFI Secure firmware is seeing it as a foreign OS and blocking it.
Check you bios and see if Secure boot is enabled. and try disabling it and turn on CSM. Make sure it is at the bottom of your boot order LoL.
Then you should be able to run disk management and delte all the partitions and create a new one.