how do I format c: w/Win2000 OS

[lexiinlace]

MY OS is Win2000. I'm trying to format my hard drive in order to "start fresh" after a 3-week visit from my boyfriend's 14 year old, computer illiterate son. My computer was working perfectly before I was unwise enough to let sonny "play" on it. (next time he'll be using the BF's computer!)

I'm sure this is something I should remember, having just done it a month ago... however, it's not working this time.

Using Recovery Console from bootup (not on CD), I get past everything and to the prompt "C:\WINNT>" I type in "format C:" and am assured that this will erase everything on my hard drive! Do I want to continue? As this IS the desired result, I type in "Y". The system pauses a moment then "C:\WINNT>" reappears. What sort of loop have I gotten myself caught in and how can I get out of it to continue with my reformat?

Any help will certainly be appreciated!

Alexis

[s7p9a2m4]

It is best to review the install procedures. Here is a good start.
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase...ro_install.asp

[lexiinlace]

Thank you for your reply, s7p9a2m4, but I have already visited that site (as well as many others during my research) and, while it was interesting and informative, it did nothing to walk me through what I *want* to do. I want to format my hard drive. I don't want to install over the existing version of Win2000.

My last attempt to perform a "clean install" over an existing version of Win2000 proved to me that the only way I'll actually GET a "clean install" is to start from scratch. When I had finished that previous "clean install" most of my files were still there and I had several incarnations of personal folders in Docs and Sets. Everything was slower in opening and I wound up with quite a few conflicts.

Again, can anyone tell me how to perform a format of my hard drive with Win2000 as my current OS? I will be *reinstalling* Win2000, but only after I've formatted my hd.

Thanks so much.

Alexis

[s7p9a2m4]

I agree. A clean install is best. When you boot from your windows 2000 cd you need to delete partition/s before you will get the option to create and format a new partition/s.
If you are having no luck with this process and many times the install will cycle to another point if there are old install files from botched install attempts left over. You can erase your hard drive with free software giving windows no choice but to start a fresh install. Hope these links help.
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/inst...lw2k/index.htm
http://dban.sourceforge.net/
http://www.tolvanen.com/eraser/

[lexiinlace]

Thanks again, s7p9a2m4 (spam), but I'd really rather not use my Win2000 CD to do this. I've tried that before and it hasn't worked. I checked the links you included and I don't feel comfortable using any of the software they offered, either.

Isn't there some other way of formatting a hd with a Win2000 OS without using the CD? Recovery Console *should* work for that, but I'm not having any luck with that, either... even though I used it to format successfully the last time.

Thanks again!

Alexis

[s7p9a2m4]

Good luck!

[Overclocked Doc]

Instead of this

the prompt "C:\WINNT>" I type in "format C:"

type this: FDISK (enter)
Then remove all partitions and then create partition.

Here's step by step! I run 2000 and this works well! After that reboot with the 2000 disk in the drive. It's that easy.FDISK TOOL CLICK HERE

[Ghost-Dweller]

instead of going to the recovery console, go on as if u where installing a new os somewhere just before it proceeds with installing it'll ask you where you want it installed

in that menu you can delete and create partitions

[BillHardie]

Alexis,

The only way I have been able to format my hard drive is to use an old MSDOS floppy with the format command on it.

Windows 98 onwards (in my experience) will not let you format the drive containing the operating system.

When you then reinstall Win 2000, you will be asked if you want to format NTFS.

Good luck.

Bill

[theroboticben]

This is just a shot in the dark, but does it need the file system to be specified? try:

format C: /FS NTFS

--- OR ---

Maybe your problem is that you are running Recovery Console from your hard drive, and not from a disk. You should make startup disks. (Different from an emergency recovery disk)

To create Setup startup disks

1. Insert a blank, formatted disk into the floppy disk drive, and insert the Windows 2000 Professional CD into the CD-ROM drive. You need four blank, 1.44 MB formatted 3.5-inch disks. Label them "Setup Disk 1," "Setup Disk 2," and so on.

2. Click Start, and then click Run.
At the prompt, type the following command, replacing “d” with the letter of your CD-ROM drive and “a” with the letter of your floppy disk drive.
d:\bootdisk\Makeboot.exe a:

3. Follow the instructions that appear.

Then restart with disk 1 in the drive. Put the other disks in when prompted.

When you come to the “Welcome to Setup” screen, press F10. Then try your format C: command again.

After the format is done, put disk 1 in before you type "exit". because i think it will restart your comp.

[patrickjb]

What file system are you using (NTFS or FAT32)? I’m not sure if the “Recovery Console” will recognize NTFS file systems. I’ve seen this problem many times, people trying to get rid of a drive formatted with NTFS. You can use a program from Microsoft called “DELPART” or a third party program such as “Partition Magic” to get rid of NTFS partitions. FDISk will not work.

“Removing a Primary NTFS Partition
In general, attempts to modify the primary, bootable NTFS partition do not succeed for the following reasons:
· MS-DOS versions 5.0 and 6.0 do not recognize an NTFS partition. The MS-DOS Fdisk program reports an NTFS partition as an OS/2 high-performance file system (HPFS) partition.
· You cannot modify or delete an NTFS primary partition within the partition.
To delete or modify a primary NTFS partition, use any of the following methods:
· Boot MS-DOS version 6.0 from a floppy disk and press RETURN to continue installing MS-DOS 6. When you are prompted to do so, choose Remove Files.
· Initiate Windows NT Setup from floppy disks or a CD-ROM. When you are prompted to do so, press P to remove the partition.
· Use the Delpart tool (Delpart.exe) to delete the NTFS partition. The Delpart tool is included with the Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 Resource Kit only. It is not included in the Windows NT 3.5, 3.51 or 4.0 Resource Kits.
· Boot OS/2 version 1.x from a floppy disk and run its Fdisk program. To remove the partition, specify the /D option.”

Go to this web site for info on how to run DELPART:
http://www.geocities.com/thestarman3/DELpart.htm

Go here to download a copy of DELPART. This site also has many other useful utilities:
http://www.svrops.com/svrops/dwnldutil.htm

[rdpaullin]

I had a similar problem not long ago and found this site to be very helpfull.

www.rinocanada.com


You can download the harddrive utility needed for your drive.
It will be cleaned and formatted and ready to reinstall when finished.


Good Luck