What is the AMF format?

Windows XP cannot format HDD?

• Hi, I have a SATA HDD which is the second drive in my computer (there is no operating system on this one - in fact there is nothing on that drive at all). I got it from one of my friends who said Windows XP could not format it. So I deleted its partition and created a partition with Partition Magic (booting from CD) and then formatted it to NTFS with Partition Magic. Windows XP starts, CHKDSK automatically runs, founds no problem. SMART values are all okay, no reallocated clusters or anything like that. With Windows XP I can re-name the drive, can copy-read-modify-delete files on it etc. I can make Windows XP to show the drive properties. Everything looks absolutely normal. But, when I try to format it with WinXP (no matter if quick format or full format), after 1 minute or so it says "Windows cannot format this drive. Quit any disk utilities or other programs that are using this drive, and make sure that no window is displaying the contents of this drive. Then try formatting again.". Funny thing that there is no disk utilities, programs or windows using that drive... Okay, then I go to Administrative Tools' hdd handling section and try to delete the partition with Windows XP. The whole thing freezes so I have to restart the system. Okay, I do a "low-level" format with a 3rd party program, takes an hour or so, no errors, drive is now full with zeros. Windows XP does not even sense it. So boot from CD, Partition Magic, create partition, format it to NTFS, start Windows, CHKDSK finds no error, but STILL cannot format the drive using Windows XP. The weird thing that the drive itself appears completely okay and all other programs can format it after booting from CD. Only Windows XP cannot format it. Is that a bug in WinXP (SP3)? Or? Thanks

• Answer:

  Are you trying to format a disk that you are currently using for your operating system? Or is this a blank new secondary disk that you'll be using to store data on? Have you tried formatting it as FAT32 instead of NTFS? Are you able to make partitions, but not format it, or can you not even modify the partition table? Why do you need to keep formatting it if you already formatted it using the Partition Magic boot CDROM? The thing I would try is completely delete the partition table (use gparted in Ubuntu boot CD instead of Partition Magic) and then try to see if Windows can format it.