Going nuts because you can't fdisk a Windows 2000, NT, or XP drive? 

Don't feel stupid....it just won't work until you kill the NTFS partition with another utility.

I ran into the same thing in the summer of 2000 when a previous presenter had installed NT workstation on the computers I was planning to use for Windows 98 training. It took me about 25 minutes to learn how to use delpart.exe to save the day for my workshop. Hopefully it didn't take you very long to find this page.

Delpart.exe is a Microsoft partitioning tool useful when you need to clear NTFS partitions from NT or W2K drives and reinstall Windows 95/98/Millennium. 

Place it on your boot floppy or a second floppy (boot with the other to A: prompt and then insert the second floppy) and run it to delete the NT partitions which defy Fdisk.exe. I don't have a tutorial to show you these steps, but you should be able to easily figure out the simple menu in delpart...just remove the existing partition, save your changes and then reboot. 

After rebooting you can now use fdisk to create your Windows partitions. 

Delpart comes from the old NT 3.1 CD or Resource Kit and is a very useful file when you need it.

You can click to the official Microsoft KB article for the problem and a link embedded to download the NT Resource Kit containing delpart (over 4 MB though for the whole package):

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q103049   (Update October 2007...it seems the kit is no longer there for download), but here's the KB section describing delpart:

Use the Delpart tool (Delpart.exe) to delete the NTFS partition. The Delpart tool is included with the Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Resource Kit only. It is not included in the Windows NT 3.5, 3.51 or 4.0 Resource Kits.

(Update June 16, 2008...)  Samppa Tolvanen writes to tell me of a file location for the 4 MB kit download:

ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/reskit/nt31/i386/reskit.exe


 Or you can download the small delpart.exe file (a little over 120 KB) as it is the only tool you need for this task:  (Microsoft has never griped about my download link here as I've probably saved them tens of thousands of dollars in support calls) *;-)

Delpart   <<<<<< Yes that is the download link to the left in case you fell asleep! *;-)

It seems I have become known over the years as the Delpart Man and I consider that a high accolade in the world of cyberspace. *;-)  

If you like this help page and find it saved you some grief...write my boss Robb McClellan at mcclellan@esc14.net and tell him how it helped. 

He gets the equipment for me at work that helps me help you and all our educator clients. Your tax dollars at work! *;)  

All the best,

Russell Smith