Not possible to format partition.
Not possible to format partition.
I performed a cleanup by removing the old W10 from the HDD and replacing it with a fresh SSD. While setting up Windows, I formatted the old drive using the new one, which left behind some files such as the boot folder and bootmgr. Now formatting that partition is not possible. In Disk Management it appears as System, Active, Primary Partition. The SSD shows up as Boot, Page File, Crash Dump. How can I resolve this issue? Would making the SSD active in Disk Management help?
Windows' Disk Management isn't very good in this case. It's usually better to fully format a drive using GParted on a Live Linux USB, particularly if the disk already had an operating system. Another option is to use a Windows installer USB, but I tend to prefer GParted for its usability. Third-party tools aren't recommended either.
When you set up Windows with the HDD still attached, it likely put the bootloader on that drive, even though you chose to install on an SSD. To verify, unplug the HDD. If you can start Windows, you can proceed to format the SSD using GParted or create a media installation. If the SSD isn't bootable, you may need to reinstall Windows Repair using the install media or try setting up a new EFI partition on the SSD—see the guide at the provided link.
Thanks for the feedback. After deleting the HDD, the system couldn't find Windows on the SSD. I chose to create an active partition for the SSD and that resolved the issue. Then I replaced the HDD with an inactive one and removed it from the boot sequence. Now I can format the HDD successfully.