Why can't I format my internal hard drive?

Boot from the Windows 7 DVD and format your hard drive. You can't format C: while Windows is running.

If your DVD is not booting just restart your computer and then press Delete button.

Go to Boot configuration and select your DVD Writer in first boot.

Press F10 and then OK. After this your DVD will be boot.

If you format your hard drive - you will be erasing everying on it. This rather defeats your purpose of trying to get information off of it. Why don't you try adding the hard drive as a second hard drive in another computer? If you don't have another desktop computer to add the hard drive, maybe one of your friends' has one. You'll have to make sure it is the right type of hard drive for the computer - EIDE, SATA, etc.. And you may have jumpers to change. good luck Howard

Windows 7 can protect itself.

What you can do is create another partition. You don't need a third party partitioner, Windows 7 can do it, although I never tried it.

Install Windows 7 in there. Change the boot drive to the new partition. Copy important files over to new partition and delete the first partition.

Can T Format Hard Drive

Go to "Start, Computer" and you will see your Boot drive, and additional drive. Right click on the second drive or mass storage drive, and right click to see options which include Format. I am sure you did this, and should have noticed this earlier.

Try applying a heavy hammer to the top, sides, and bottom of the tower. Don't be a sissy-smack it good.