Cannot create ASM disk groups in DBCA - Oracle 11gR1, Windows 32bit

Question

Good afternoon,
Using 11gR1 on Windows XP, I need help installing a database (single instance) using ASM, I am not able to select disks to be stamped for use by ASM. I have done the following steps:
1. Installed the Oracle 11gR1 software (no database created - just the software)
2. Connected nine (9) SCSI hard drives to the system
3. Created a primary partition on each hard drive, formatted the partition but did *not* assign a drive letter
4. Created a listener service (working properly - checked with lsnrctl  status)
5. Started DBCA to create a single database instance using ASMIn DBCA I performed the following:
a. at the welcome screen, click Next
b. at "Step 1 of 16", click Next (accepting the default "Create a Database")
c. at "Step 2 of 16", click Next (accepting the default "General Purpose or Transaction Processing)
d. at "Step 3 of 16", "Global Database Name" set to "dbca", "SID" set to "dbca", click Next
e. at "Step 4 of 16", click Next (accepting the defaults)
f. at "Step 5 of 16", click "Use same administrative passwords for all accounts" and entered password, click Next
g. at "Step 6 of 16", click "Automatic Storage Management (ASM)", click Next
Everything seems just fine until I reach the following step
h. at "Step 7 of 16", click "Create New"
    - The Create Disk Group window pops up (there is nothing shown in the "Select Member Disk Area")
    - set the "Disk Group Name" to  "DATAGROUP"
    - click on "Show All" (no devices shown after clicking)
    - click on "Stamp Disks..."  this causes the "asmtool operation" window to pop up
      - click on "Add or change label", click on Next
      - the "Select Disks" step appears.   There are 11 hard drives listed but NONE of them
        can be selected - all I can do here is click on Cancel*The question:* Why aren't the drives selectable and what do I need to do to make them selectable ?
Thank you very much for your help,
John.

Answer 1

>
The question: Why aren't the drives selectable and what do I need to do to make them selectable ?
>
To answer my own question (now that I've figured it out), the reason is because the partition should not be formatted.
When Windows displays the "New Partition Wizard", it is important to:
1. not assign a drive letter
2. and select "Do not format this partition"
This will cause Windows to mount the volume thus making it accessible to Oracle.
Hopefully this will help someone not fall in this trap as I did,
John.