Format question??

[abx131]

I am trying to wipe a harddrive clean by doing a reformatting. At the c: prompt I type format c: and it gives me a message that it cannot format this particular drive? Why would that be? How can I wipe this drive clean and start over with a fresh reload of windows?

[Oleg]

Originally Posted by abx131

I am trying to wipe a harddrive clean by doing a reformatting. At the c: prompt I type format c: and it gives me a message that it cannot format this particular drive? Why would that be? How can I wipe this drive clean and start over with a fresh reload of windows?

More info would be more help like a screenshot.

[abx131]

Originally Posted by Oleg

More info would be more help like a screenshot.

Not sure how to do that. I started the computer with a win 98 boot disk and get the following message. Drive does not contain a valid FAT or FAT32 partition.

At the A: I switch it to c:, at the C: I type FORMAT C: and it tells me Format not supported on Drive C, Format terminated!!

Any ideas?

[ANZAC_ELITE]

Originally Posted by abx131

I am trying to wipe a harddrive clean by doing a reformatting. At the c: prompt I type format c: and it gives me a message that it cannot format this particular drive? Why would that be? How can I wipe this drive clean and start over with a fresh reload of windows?

You can not format c drive from within windows because c is the drive windows is installed on.

In your bios set cd rom to first boot, put in your XP cd, reboot, follow the prompts.

Originally Posted by abx131

Not sure how to do that. I started the computer with a win 98 boot disk and get the following message. Drive does not contain a valid FAT or FAT32 partition.

At the A: I switch it to c:, at the C: I type FORMAT C: and it tells me Format not supported on Drive C, Format terminated!!

Any ideas?

XP uses NTFS file system, not fat32. follow the method above, delete the partition, recreate it, format it, load XP ....... simple

[abx131]

Originally Posted by ANZAC_ELITE

You can not format c drive from within windows because c is the drive windows is installed on.

In your bios set cd rom to first boot, put in your XP cd, reboot, follow the prompts.





XP uses NTFS file system, not fat32. follow the method above, delete the partition, recreate it, format it, load XP ....... simple

I have already tried what you are asking. It did not work. I have some strange things going on with this computer I am switching back and fourth between the original HDDtrying to wipe it and start over and a second formatted HDD trying to reload winows on it. These HDD are seperate and not in a master/slave configuration. Which ever one I can get to reload WIN is the one I will go with. This is my son's computer, nothing important on it.

[abx131]

Originally Posted by abx131

I have already tried what you are asking. It did not work. I have some strange things going on with this computer I am switching back and fourth between the original HDDtrying to wipe it and start over and a second formatted HDD trying to reload winows on it. These HDD are seperate and not in a master/slave configuration. Which ever one I can get to reload WIN is the one I will go with. This is my son's computer, nothing important on it.

OK, Deleted the partition, recreated it, tried to format and now I get the message "invalid media type reading drive C abort retry fail

[Oleg]

Originally Posted by abx131

OK, Deleted the partition, recreated it, tried to format and now I get the message "invalid media type reading drive C abort retry fail

You must be doing something wrong or your HD Is bad.

[ANZAC_ELITE]

Originally Posted by abx131

OK, Deleted the partition, recreated it, tried to format and now I get the message "invalid media type reading drive C abort retry fail

What file system are you using when formatting? Fat32 or NTFS?

You are formatting from the cd rom yes?