@msdn=http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?qu=$$$ @pinvoke=http://pinvoke.net/$$$.htm Summary: The SHFormatDrive API !!!!C# Signature: [DllImport("shell32.dll")] static extern uint SHFormatDrive(IntPtr hwnd, uint drive, uint fmtID, uint options); !!!!User-Defined Types: public enum SHFormatFlags : uint { SHFMT_ID_DEFAULT = 0xFFFF, SHFMT_OPT_FULL = 0x1, SHFMT_OPT_SYSONLY = 0x2, SHFMT_ERROR = 0xFFFFFFFF, SHFMT_CANCEL = 0xFFFFFFFE, SHFMT_NOFORMAT = 0xFFFFFFD, } !!!!Another C# Signature: [DllImport("shell32.dll")] static extern uint SHFormatDrive(IntPtr hwnd, uint drive, SHFormatFlags fmtID, SHFormatOptions options); !!!!User-Defined Types: public enum SHFormatFlags : uint { SHFMT_ID_DEFAULT = 0xFFFF, } [Flags] public enum SHFormatOptions : uint { SHFMT_OPT_FULL = 0x1, SHFMT_OPT_SYSONLY = 0x2, } !!!!User-Defined Helper Method: public const uint SHFMT_ERROR = 0xFFFFFFFF; public const uint SHFMT_CANCEL = 0xFFFFFFFE; public const uint SHFMT_NOFORMAT = 0xFFFFFFD; /// <summary> /// Permit to check the result of the format call /// Throw Exception with a detailed message /// </summary> /// <param name="shFormatResult"></param> public static void CheckFormatResult(uint shFormatResult) { if (shFormatResult == SHFMT_ERROR) throw new Exception("An error occurred during the format. This does not indicate that the drive is unformattable."); if (shFormatResult == SHFMT_CANCEL) throw new OperationCanceledException("The format was canceled."); if (shFormatResult == SHFMT_NOFORMAT) throw new IOException("The drive cannot be formatted."); //we can exit normally return; } !!!!Notes: The hwnd field should be the handle of the required parent calling window (see http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb762169.aspx). passing in <parent window>.Handle (in C#) works in XP, but in Vista it does not. What works on Vista is passing in 0 (IntPtr.Zero). I have tested this on WP SP2 and it works there as well. The fmtID field should always be passed SHFMT_ID_DEFAULT. The drive field should denote the numerical listing of the drive letter to be formatted. (Ex: A is 0, Z is 25) The options field should be 0 for a full disk format, pass SHFMT_OPT_FULL for a Quick Format, or set SHFMT_OPT_SYSONLY to create an MS-DOS System Boot Disk. The function will return the ID of the last successful format, or one of the following error codes: - SHFMT_ERROR: A general error occured while formatting. This is not an indication that the drive cannot be formatted though. - SHFMT_CANCEL: The drive format was cancelled by user/OS. - SHFMT_NOFORMAT: A serious error occured while formatting. The drive is unable to be formatted by the OS. !!!!Tips & Tricks: !!!!Converting a DriveInfo to drive number in C#: DriveInfo drive = new DriveInfo("F:\\"); byte[] bytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(drive.Name.ToCharArray()); uint driveNumber = Convert.ToUInt32(bytes[0] - Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(new [] {'A'})[0]); !!!!Sample Code: C# Sample Call: uint result = SHFormatDrive( this.Handle, 2, // formatting C: (uint)SHFormatFlags.SHFMT_ID_DEFAULT, 0 ); // full format of C: if ( result == SHFormatFlags.SHFMT_ERROR ) MessageBox.Show( "Unable to format the drive" ); NOTE- See the Note above about the hwnd field and Vista. Use SHFormatDrive( IntPtr.Zero, 2, // formatting C: (uint)SHFormatFlags.SHFMT_ID_DEFAULT, 0 ); // full format of C: On Vista and better, you also have the Win32_Volume WMI classes. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa390432(VS.85).aspx !!!!Another Sample Code: byte[] bytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(drive.Name.ToCharArray()); uint driveNumber = Convert.ToUInt32(bytes[0] - Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(new [] {'A'})[0]); uint shFormatResult = SHFormatDrive(IntPtr.Zero, driveNumber, SHFormatFlags.SHFMT_ID_DEFAULT, SHFormatOptions.SHFMT_OPT_FULL); CheckFormatResult(shFormatResult); !!!!Alternative Managed API: Do you know one? Please contribute it! Documentation: SHFormatDrive@msdn on MSDN
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