Format a drive - not possible - in use... but by what?

tfwul · 14 May 2018

Trying to format an empty partition. The only things there are two system folders:
$Recycle.bin
System Volume Information

Am getting a warning:

"
This drive is in use. Another program or process is using this drive. Do you want to format it anyway?
"

The possible solutions that can be found on Internet are using DISKPART or DiskManagement or simply click on [YES] in the warning pop-up.

However, my question is: is there a way to figure out what other program is 'using' the drive?

I may force a format, but then again, I wouldn't know what other program, or process, has been holding me back from the conventional way of formatting.

Thanks!

Cliff S · 14 May 2018

You can try opening Resource Monitor, disk tab, and look at Disk Activity, and see if anything is reading/writing to the disk in the file column.

Format a drive - not possible - in use... but by what?-image.png

PolarNettles · 14 May 2018

Process Explorer - Windows Sysinternals | Microsoft Docs will also show you

tfwul · 14 May 2018

Thank you both very much.
I am afraid I could not really figure this out thru Resource Monitor - but I am sure that is just lack of knowledge on my part. Using Process Explorer did show what is holding me back.
Note, I also tried with exiting Opus using Windows Explorer, but still there was 'something' holding me back.
I know now - it is SnagItEditor.

After exiting SnagIt I could format the drive.

Thanks again!