Windows 10: Format option in context menu in Disk Management disabled

I want to completely delete all partition and format one of my drives. When I go to Disk Management and right-click the drive, I can't select "Format", nor "Delete Volume".




Then, when I try to use DISKPART from the command line, I get this message:
Code: DISKPART> clean Virtual Disk Service error: Clean is not allowed on the disk containing the current boot, system, pagefile, crashdump or hibernation volume.[/quote] Even though is said the drive contains the current boot, it does not. I have a separate SSD which have Windows installed, and which is my main OS drive.

I even tried to format the drive from Explorer, but got the error message: "The drive is in use by another program. Do you want to continue?" (something like that.)

I believe the drive I want to clean is somehow used to boot Windows or used by a program. However, trying to think of currently open programs installed on the drive, I come up short. I tried closing all open programs to no avail. Furthermore, I shut down my computer, disconnected the SATA cable to the drive and booted my machine up again. Windows booted up with no troubles.

The EFI partition could be from when I had Windows installed on the drive, but that's a long time ago now. The only solution I have at the moment is to boot up Linux from a thumb-drive and format the disk from there. However, I would prefer to do it in Windows just to be safe.

If anyone know what could be the problem, or could point me in the right direction, please do let me know! Thanks!

Edit: I posted over at Tom's Hardware as well. No solution is found yet, but there is a discussion going on. Format option in context menu in Disk Management disabled - Hard Drives - Storage

:)

 

Added HDD not showing in File Manager

Sounds like you'll have to first format the HD. In Disk management can you do that (right click on the listed drive to call up context menu) or does it remain inaccessible?

You may have to boot from an ISO and use some option to get to Diskpart. I haven't used that much so you'd best google that for a how-to.

 

CANNOT SEE SECOND HDD

May I know if the Disk Management can detect the device? If so, can you tell me what is the file system of it. Or if it is unallocated?

To open Disk Management, right-click on the Start Menu icon and choose it from the context menu.

 

SOLUTION (2016-07-12): After a while I've concluded that (in my case) it was the Page File that was keeping me from formating the drive. After I freed up some space on my C:\ drive, it automatically moved over there. If that is not an option (i.e. freeing up space), it should be possible to temporarily disable it, format the drive, partition it as you like, and then enable the Page File again (you will need at least one partition formatted with NTFS). Then Windows will automatically choose the fitting place for the Page File.

See the Tom's Hardware post for more information.