# Format hard drive



## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

Iv'e just bought a second hand lab top with windows XP on it Can anyone tell me If its possible to format the hard then install windows ME [which I prefer] without any complications.


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## Styxx (Sep 8, 2001)

Yes you can (said without unequivocal guarantee of absolutely no possiblilty of complcations though). If you have not got the ability with that laptop to have both floppy a CD drives inserted simultaneously it's a little different, but you still can format and install as long as both drives work. You must have the drivers for the Audio, Video and Modem at hand, just in case, because Windows rarely, but not never, has the drivers for those capabilities. For questions or concerns reply back before taking any action.

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Backup all your Sensitive Data (Internet Explorer Favorites; Netscape Bookmarks, Address Book and Netscape Mail Folders; Outlook Express Address Books and Folders (compress any Netscape Mail or Outlook Express folders first) letters, pictures, databases, spreadsheets, music, etc.) to removable media for restoring later.


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Please see the below to print out as necessary and the following printable attachment for more complete information on Starting From Scratch.

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Note: These instructions will work only with a Windows 98 or Windows Me startup disk. Also, this process will only work if the laptop computer has only one hard disk or partition. If your laptop has multiple partitions, you will need to remove them before proceeding with the instructions below. Use the Enter key to execute commands as instructed.

To do a clean install, follow these directions: 

Start your computer with the floppy disk drive in place, and with the startup disk in the drive. When asked if you want to start with CD-ROM support, select Start the computer without CD-ROM support. 


You will eventually see the following prompt: 
A:\>
(Above that, you should see a line reading "The diagnostic tools were successfully loaded to drive X:". Throughout these instructions, replace X: with the drive letter specified by this line.) 

At the A:\> prompt, enter: 
format c: /s
This command will take a moment to complete, and at the end it will ask you to specify a disk label. Enter an 11-character name or simply press Enter. 


Once you are back at the A:\ prompt, enter: 
copy oakcd*.sys c:
When the A:\ prompt appears again, enter: 
X:
You should now see an X:\ prompt. Enter: 
copy mscdex.exe c:
Enter edit . This will open the text editor in DOS. Enter the following line: 
c:\mscdex /d:mscd001
Press Alt-f and select Save As... . Name this file c:\autoexec.bat . 


Press Alt-f again, and select New. 


Type the following line: 
DEVICE = C:\oakcdrom.sys /d:mscd001
Press Alt-f and select Save As... . Name this file c:\config.sys . 


Turn off the laptop, insert the CD-ROM drive, and restart. The computer will come back up with the A:\ prompt as before. Now, type D: and press enter. 


Put the Windows CD in the CD-ROM drive, at the D:\> prompt, type setup then press enter. This should start Windows Setup.


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## Cowboy622 (Oct 4, 2001)

Styxx typed you a great step by step procedure to follow but for more in formatting and reinstalling see:

For another link to reformatting instructions see: 
Murph's link 
http://members.cox.net/joemurphy/Startover.htm

Murf has a good tutorial on his site 
PC911 has one

murf: http://personal.picusnet.com/jtmurphy/format.htm 
PC911: http://www.pcnineoneone.com/howto/clean1.html

also
http://members.shaw.ca/pyritechips/JimsGuide.htm

And see: 
Boot Disk Creation Revealed 
with Proper Fdisk and Format Methods 
Based on tips by, and in collaboration with Jaak T. Doom at 
http://www.lurkhere.com/boot600.html

Boot disk site2 
http://freepctech.com/pc/002/files010.shtml


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

thanks for the help, can i get the drivers off my laptop before starting the install?

How do i know what drivers i need?

And yes, it takes cdrom and floppy
thanks


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

I have found all the drivers here http://support.toshiba-tro.de/internet/machines/portege/port7000/port7000.htm

But none for ME, any help please


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

If I may, why don't you work with XP a while and get familiar with it. My guess is you'll end up preferring it over ME.


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

I need a programme to work in Dos, and it doesnt work with XP for some reason. works for a second then the serial port cuts off!

The serial port is ok as i can run it in a windows based programme which isnt as good!


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## Styxx (Sep 8, 2001)

AcaCandy is correct in that it would be easier for you to work with WinxP. However you may have irreconcilable issues that make XP undesirable even for short-term use

In that case most often the Win98 drivers will work for WinME. But I would contact your hardware vendor to ensure that these drivers you posted above will work for your Laptop, running WinME.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

http://forums.techguy.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=188385

Is this the same program? Also, I see you have more than one thread where you've left us hanging. Perhaps you can give some feedback to them?


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

yes this is the programme,

this is my dads account, and computer im using.

I got the programme working on my pc by putting ME onto it, But now im having a similar problem with xp, But XP does read the data from my external source for a few seconds, and then it cuts off!


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

What i havnt said is my floppy and CD rom are on a docking station, so how will that effect the booting up if i format C?


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Could create install problems. I'm not that familiar with the use of a docking station.

May I ask what program you are trying to run?


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

Its a programe that links up to a Motor Dyno, showing me graphs etc on a motors performance, the dyno does the sums, then the cpu reads the data!


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Is there an updated version of the program?

A quick google search shows 'fantom dyno' is that something similar?


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

robitronics dyno!

the new software is windows based, expensive, and not as good/easy to use!


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

ok iv spoke to the shop that sold it and they say they will sort the drivers if ME hasnt got them,

when i try and format it says format of c is not suported!


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Close 

I guess I'm wondering if they have any kind of support desk that could tell you whether or not it will work thru XP or not.

Can you either tell us here, or post back to the other thread what you had to do to get it to work thru ME? Like I mentioned in that thread, (I think) I had a dos version of Peachtree and had to jump thru similar hoops to make it work in 98.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

> _Originally posted by bigjim:_
> *ok iv spoke to the shop that sold it and they say they will sort the drivers if ME hasnt got them,
> 
> when i try and format it says format of c is not suported! *


Where are you trying to format from? From within Windows? IF so, Windows isn't stupid, it isn't going to kill itself. You have to do that from a dos prompt with a boot disk.


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

started with boot disk, it says it cant find FAT, or Fat 32 file!

Typed format c:

Format not supported on drive C:


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

used an ME boot disk!

In response to other question. i didnt have to do anything to get it working with ME! worked straight away!


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

What happens if you change boot order to cdrom first, and put the ME cd in the drive, will ME attempt to install that way?


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

not tried yet,

if i use xp startup it goes straight to a command prompt a: and if i put format c it says bad command


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

no it6 skips the cd-rom and carries onto startup


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Is the bios set to boot to cdrom first?


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## NiteHawk (Mar 9, 2003)

> _Originally posted by bigjim:_
> *started with boot disk, it says it cant find FAT, or Fat 32 file!
> 
> Typed format c:
> ...


Since the PC is running XP it looks like the drive is formatted to NTFS and not FAT32. The DOS boot disk and the format command isn't going to read the NTFS.

May have to Fdisk this puppy and start from scratch.


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

how do i do that?


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

yes i set it to boot from cd rom first!


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

in fdisk it says the type is ntfs!


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

You are probably going to have to download or create an XP boot disk.


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

i have created an xp boot disk, but it starts straight with a command prompt A: where do i go from there?

I can start up and create one again!

Or am i confusing boot and startup? they are the same are'nt they?


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Well, I've never tried to format c: on an XP system, so we'll have to wait for input on that from someone else.

I'm going to experiment on something else later on today or tomorrow, which will probably have bad results, and if it does, I will give the format c: a shot and see what happens.


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## NiteHawk (Mar 9, 2003)

I've never formatted an XP system and tried to make it FAT32, so that kind of puts me out of the loop.


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## NotRiteÂ² (Nov 7, 2002)

http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/installxphome1.htm

I visit blkvipers site when it comes to XP. He has a fairly nice How-to about formatting and even fdisking XP(with screenshots even). Try him out and see if that helps you guys......er......and gals out.

Good [email protected]


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

im still getting nowhere! Emailed black viper and waiting for response


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

You shouldn't need to email, just look thru the site for some helpful insight.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm

Found this at another site.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

It would appear that you can't just start with format c:, you have to start with fdisk and delete partitions first.


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/q303/6/61.asp&NoWebContent=1

working through this now!! il keep you posted


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Ah, I don't think that is going to help, as you didn't use an upgrade path. Yours came preinstalled, correct?


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## bigjim (Aug 1, 2001)

Ha Haaa

formatting now.

Did what it says here http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm

Thanks guys, watch out for another post when i get problems installing ME!!!


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)




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## NiteHawk (Mar 9, 2003)

It's kind of late since you are formatting, but note this for future reference.
This is a utility that will back up all your drivers into one folder (with many many subfolders) so you can then burn them to CD for easy re-install.

Software to Backup all Drivers in one spot
http://www.jermar.com/wdrvbck.htm << web page
http://www.jermar.com/wdrvbck1.exe << direct download


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Cool, NH, bookmarked for my anticipated self destruction


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## NiteHawk (Mar 9, 2003)

It's always a safe and secure feeling to know that you can fall back on your old drivers. 

What type of self destruction are you planning?


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I'm testing something on my XP install, and when I installed AutoCad 2004 a few weeks ago, it crashed and wouldn't boot. So I'm going to do things in a different order this time....

I downloaded that program, but I only have one non MS driver, the sound, so I guess I shouldn't need it 

But, I'll be replacing motherboards in a couple of weeks too, any ideas if Ghost will protect me on that?????


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## thumper289 (Jul 2, 2004)

you can make xp run in dos mode if u creat a short cut, right click on it and choose compatibilty tab,,,you can chose your os...dos,,95 ect there...might be easier then a format if it works for ya.


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