Problem reformatting my hard drive
-
Hi, I would appreciate some advice on this. The operating system (Win XP) in my Dell PC got corrupted and I lost internat connecton, Dell advised me to reformat and reinstall the XP to fix this. However, I have problems reformating my hard drive.
I have tried the following and failed:
1. Attempted to use the format function in "My Computer", says some applications in use.
2. Cannot create a floppy bootdisk from which to boot into.... My PC does not have a floppy drive
3. Tried booting from my Dell resource CD disk into DOS prompt, and tried "format C:"..... but the DOD system message told me that this fucntion is not supported.
4. Tried booting from my Dell Windows XP installation CD. It does not give me the option to reformat my harddrive, nor does it allow me t boot to DOS prompt. It only offers me 2 options; to repair the current installation and to reinstall over the existing operating system. I tried both options and it does noyt solve my system corruption problem.
Can any computer gurus please help? Thanks a million! -
Try to go to safe mode then try option number 1 again and see how it goesOriginally posted by Kelthuzad:Hi, I would appreciate some advice on this. The operating system (Win XP) in my Dell PC got corrupted and I lost internat connecton, Dell advised me to reformat and reinstall the XP to fix this. However, I have problems reformating my hard drive.
I have tried the following and failed:
1. Attempted to use the format function in "My Computer", says some applications in use.
2. Cannot create a floppy bootdisk from which to boot into.... My PC does not have a floppy drive
3. Tried booting from my Dell resource CD disk into DOS prompt, and tried "format C:"..... but the DOD system message told me that this fucntion is not supported.
4. Tried booting from my Dell Windows XP installation CD. It does not give me the option to reformat my harddrive, nor does it allow me t boot to DOS prompt. It only offers me 2 options; to repair the current installation and to reinstall over the existing operating system. I tried both options and it does noyt solve my system corruption problem.
Can any computer gurus please help? Thanks a million! -
Thanks. I tried that... and I got the same message saying that some applications are in use.....Originally posted by lpx88:Try to go to safe mode then try option number 1 again and see how it goes
Any other suggestions? -
Try starting in DOS mode and take in fdisk
-
i know this sounds redundant, but...
make sure you back up ALL your important data before formatting
use your winXP installation CD.
during the installation. choose reinstall (do not use repair).
then when they ask you to select where to install, delete away the existing partition and recreate the partition.
will format the newly created partition before installing -
buy a mac.
-
Mac have it's own disadvantage as well.Originally posted by thinger:buy a mac. -
heard macs crashes nowadays also...Originally posted by thinger:buy a mac.
no longer the robust system it used to be... -
Download and install a special software that "Wipe" out entire drive(including partition)Originally posted by Kelthuzad:Hi, I would appreciate some advice on this. The operating system (Win XP) in my Dell PC got corrupted and I lost internat connecton, Dell advised me to reformat and reinstall the XP to fix this. However, I have problems reformating my hard drive.
I have tried the following and failed:
1. Attempted to use the format function in "My Computer", says some applications in use.
2. Cannot create a floppy bootdisk from which to boot into.... My PC does not have a floppy drive
3. Tried booting from my Dell resource CD disk into DOS prompt, and tried "format C:"..... but the DOD system message told me that this fucntion is not supported.
4. Tried booting from my Dell Windows XP installation CD. It does not give me the option to reformat my harddrive, nor does it allow me t boot to DOS prompt. It only offers me 2 options; to repair the current installation and to reinstall over the existing operating system. I tried both options and it does noyt solve my system corruption problem.
Can any computer gurus please help? Thanks a million!
but it takes a long time to "wipe" a drive using the special software(40GB HDD takes 5hour, 10+min).
Warning: Using this special software to "wipe" the HDD is totally IRREVERSIBLE !!!! -
true...but tell me what?Originally posted by M©+square:Mac have it's own disadvantage as well. -
yeah - but i hear windows crashes more.Originally posted by kalangkabo:heard macs crashes nowadays also...
no longer the robust system it used to be...
-
cause there are more window users!Originally posted by thinger:yeah - but i hear windows crashes more. -
i have this problem also,cannot reformatOriginally posted by kalangkabo:i know this sounds redundant, but...
make sure you back up ALL your important data before formatting
use your winXP installation CD.
during the installation. choose reinstall (do not use repair).
then when they ask you to select where to install, delete away the existing partition and recreate the partition.
will format the newly created partition before installing
no,cannot delete partition it will also say partition contains boot&system sector,so.......... any idea?? -
Originally posted by Diesel_Dimension:cause there are more window users!
good comeback.
but you know its true. -
for step 3, did you try booting it directly instead of going into DOS?Originally posted by Kelthuzad:Hi, I would appreciate some advice on this. The operating system (Win XP) in my Dell PC got corrupted and I lost internat connecton, Dell advised me to reformat and reinstall the XP to fix this. However, I have problems reformating my hard drive.
I have tried the following and failed:
3. Tried booting from my Dell resource CD disk into DOS prompt, and tried "format C:"..... but the DOD system message told me that this fucntion is not supported.
4. Tried booting from my Dell Windows XP installation CD. It does not give me the option to reformat my harddrive, nor does it allow me t boot to DOS prompt. It only offers me 2 options; to repair the current installation and to reinstall over the existing operating system. I tried both options and it does noyt solve my system corruption problem.
Can any computer gurus please help? Thanks a million!
im not sure about dell but for other brands, the resource CD usually contains everything and once you boot up using the resource CD, there will be some options for you install misc application of reformat -
ANSOriginally posted by Kelthuzad:Hi, I would appreciate some advice on this. The operating system (Win XP) in my Dell PC got corrupted and I lost internat connecton, Dell advised me to reformat and reinstall the XP to fix this. However, I have problems reformating my hard drive.
I have tried the following and failed:
1. Attempted to use the format function in "My Computer", says some applications in use.
2. Cannot create a floppy bootdisk from which to boot into.... My PC does not have a floppy drive
3. Tried booting from my Dell resource CD disk into DOS prompt, and tried "format C:"..... but the DOD system message told me that this fucntion is not supported.
4. Tried booting from my Dell Windows XP installation CD. It does not give me the option to reformat my harddrive, nor does it allow me t boot to DOS prompt. It only offers me 2 options; to repair the current installation and to reinstall over the existing operating system. I tried both options and it does noyt solve my system corruption problem.
Can any computer gurus please help? Thanks a million!
1.of course you can;'t format windows that way.....you need to boot from floppy and under dos format c drive..
2.you pc doesn't have a floppy drive but that doesn't mean that it won't accept a floppy disk drive........borrow a floppy disk drive cable and a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive and a bootable floppy disk from someone.....or buy them.......
3.unknown......the manufacturer should have instructions on how to format.....and boot.....sorrie can't help here....
4.hmmm....can't help on that choice.......dunno...........best if you format the things......use win98 bootup disk......its easier to format the whole PC system with a bootdisk....... -
no my previous comp running win xp sp2 also can reformat without a floppy driveOriginally posted by gohkatkat:ANS
1.of course you can;'t format windows that way.....you need to boot from floppy and under dos format c drive..
2.you pc doesn't have a floppy drive but that doesn't mean that it won't accept a floppy disk drive........borrow a floppy disk drive cable and a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive and a bootable floppy disk from someone.....or buy them.......
3.unknown......the manufacturer should have instructions on how to format.....and boot.....sorrie can't help here....
4.hmmm....can't help on that choice.......dunno...........best if you format the things......use win98 bootup disk......its easier to format the whole PC system with a bootdisk....... -
i wanna ask.
ur Dell Windows XP installation CD is a bootable cd? -
Where did you get this news from?Originally posted by kalangkabo:heard macs crashes nowadays also...
no longer the robust system it used to be...
-
come to think of it, i dont remember windows me being as robust as windows 95.
-
from ppl who use macsOriginally posted by chanff8:Where did you get this news from? -
is ur winXP installation CD bootable?Originally posted by Diesel_Dimension:i have this problem also,cannot reformat
no,cannot delete partition it will also say partition contains boot&system sector,so.......... any idea??
(need to configure ur bios to boot from CD)
those that i've come across are... -
I maintain 22 Macs in school, abused by secondary school kids everyday and so far only one kena kernal panic and somehow healed by itself a few days later...Originally posted by kalangkabo:from ppl who use macs
Dunno why the ppl you know crash their Macs so often... -
i have 23 pcs in my office (including 5 notebooks)Originally posted by chanff8:I maintain 22 Macs in school, abused by secondary school kids everyday and so far only one kena kernal panic and somehow healed by itself a few days later...
Dunno why the ppl you know crash their Macs so often...
all running on windows XP
none have crashed before
can i therefore conclude that windows is very stable?
my point is:
all along i've thought that macs are very stable.
no drivers conflict, system hanging, viruses and other nonsense...
the only deterrent i've faced when considering buying a pc or a mac is the price.
but now it seems that macs also have such problems (as reported by 3 independent parties)
so what's the draw of macs now? -
The topic stater is gone and has probably solved his problem... while you people are just taking this opportunity to talk about Macs vs Windows... not that you cannot, just weird...
