# (Solved) format not supported on drive c:



## compfreek (Sep 7, 2003)

I am trying to reload win,98 on a 20gig hard drive.Scandisk says it's ok.Cmos auto detects it also.It shows up correctly when i fdisk.But after i fdisk /mbr 3 times and reboot to format it says (Format not supported on drive c.)Also before fdisk comes up the screen with the information about drive partition,or maybe a virus and so on,instead of the screen about (do you wish to use the maximum size allowed)Can anyone help?I suspect the drive!:


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

Howdy compfreek...

Try going into the BIOS and turning off the Anti Virus, and all APM features, and see if it will help...


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## akita (Jul 17, 2003)

you have to partition, activate then format drive.... what have you done?


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## NiteHawk (Mar 9, 2003)

Go to http://fdisk.radified.com/ 
Copy and paste the whole page into a Word doc (in word I think it becomes something like 15 or 16 pages) and you have one of the best tutorials going for Fdisk and formatting a HD before installing an OS

Good Luck


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## compfreek (Sep 7, 2003)

Thanks to everyone,I think this forum will help me greatly in my efforts to learn computer repair,and programming.You guy's rock!!


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

So...is the problem fixed or is it still a problem ?


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## compfreek (Sep 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by akita:_
> *you have to partition, activate then format drive.... what have you done? *


 I did all that,some drives it works and some it doesn't.


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

I thought we were working with 1 20 gig HD...

What is happening with the others ?



> Also before fdisk comes up the screen with the information about drive partition,or maybe a virus and so on,instead of the screen about (do you wish to use the maximum size allowed)


This would suggest that the Anti Virus is enabled in the BIOS, and not letting you access/write to the boot sector...


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## compfreek (Sep 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Jedi_Master:_
> *So...is the problem fixed or is it still a problem ? *


Still working on it ,will post as soon as it is. And again thanks.


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## compfreek (Sep 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Jedi_Master:_
> *I thought we were working with 1 20 gig HD...
> 
> What is happening with the others ?
> ...


 We were,but i have alot of used drives that may or may not be good .I am just trying to get a good sized unit,that is good for a customers computer.The others are acting the same.


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

Ok...still curious about the reference about the virus, have you disabled the Anti Virus in the BIOS ?

I know from experience that the Anti Virus in the BIOS monitors any programs accessing, or trying to write to the boot sector of the hard drive, and fdisk does both...


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## compfreek (Sep 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Jedi_Master:_
> *Ok...still curious about the reference about the virus, have you disabled the Anti Virus in the BIOS ?
> 
> I know from experience that the Anti Virus in the BIOS monitors any programs accessing, or trying to write to the boot sector of the hard drive, and fdisk does both... *


Yes,and what do you know it worked.Thanks alot.Hope i can be of help to you sometime.


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

Great it worked...so this one is Solved correct ?


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## compfreek (Sep 7, 2003)

> _Originally posted by Jedi_Master:_
> *Great it worked...so this one is Solved correct ? *


Problem solved with win98 format question.Thanks:


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## Jedi_Master (Mar 13, 2002)

[tsg=yourewelcome][/tsg]


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