Can't format C:

[Guest]

I have apparently screwed up my registry, and am trying to do a complete
rebuild of my machine. I've tried to start by formatting the hard drive.
I've tried to call for the reformat in several ways, but each time I'm told
that the disk cannot be reformatted because several processes are using it.
If I call "format c:" from a command prompt, I'm eventually offered the
opportunity to "dismount" the drive, so the drive CAN be formatted, but when
I say yes, I am told that, in fact, this cannot be done. Can anyone help?

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I have apparently screwed up my registry, and am trying to do a
complete rebuild of my machine. I've tried to start by formatting
the hard drive. I've tried to call for the reformat in several ways,
but each time I'm told that the disk cannot be reformatted because
several processes are using it. If I call "format c:" from a command
prompt, I'm eventually offered the opportunity to "dismount" the
drive, so the drive CAN be formatted, but when I say yes, I am told
that, in fact, this cannot be done. Can anyone help?

You can't format the Windows drive from within Windows, since that would
leave Windows without a leg to stand on.

Just boot from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if necessary to
accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean installation (delete the
existing partition by pressing "D" when prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp.htm

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

 

[Rich Barry]

You cannot format the system drive from Windows. Set the cdrom drive as
first boot device in Bios and then from the
WinXP CD you can start a new Install and format the drive.

 

[Guest]

This machine actually came with Windows ME installed. I only subsequently
updated to XP. So I try to boot from the Windows ME disk. I am never
offered what appears to be an option to reformat the disk, or kill the old
partition, or create a new partition. At one point, it says something about
existing files NOT being lost. But eventually I am told, "Memory allocation
error. Cannot load COMMAND, system halted." At this point my only choice is
to exit the system. The existing build seems unaffected.

 

[peter]

dont boot from the ME disk...boot from the XP disk and start a new
installation.
This should let you format and when it asks for verification of previous OS
insert the ME disk.
peter

 

[Guest]

That doesn't work.

The BIOS is set to look to the CD first on boot-up, so I put the XP disk in
the drive and restart. The CD seems to be reading the disk, and boot-up
takes a very long time, but in the end, it seems like the machine just boots
from the hard drive. I get to the usual XP log-in screen, and log in as
usual. Eventually, the CD stops spinning.

So I eject the CD, and reinsert it. It asks me what to do, and I select
"Install Windows XP". It tells me that it cannot install over the existing
build, because the existing build is newer than what's on the disk. This
must be because I have installed all the updates, including Service Pack 2.
Paradoxically, it also says that if I choose to remove the existing XP build,
certain files will be lost. There is a "Continue" button, which is
apparently meant to lead the user to remove the existing build, but the
button is grayed out. So there does not seem to be a way to actually
continue and delete the existing build. I'm at a dead-end.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

This machine actually came with Windows ME installed. I only
subsequently updated to XP. So I try to boot from the Windows ME
disk.

No, you don't boot fropm the Me disk. You boot from the XP CD, as I said.
The fact that you upgraded from Me is irrelevant.

The requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own* a previous qualifying
version's installation CD, not to have it installed. When setup doesn't find
a previous qualifying version installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD
as proof of ownership. Just insert the previous version's CD, and follow the
prompts. Everything proceeds quite normally and quite legitimately.

The above assumes that your Me CD is an installation CD, not retore CD. If
it's a restore CD, first restore from the Restore CD. Then run the XP
upgrade CD from within that restored system, and change from Upgrade to New
Install. When it asks where, press Esc to delete the partition and start
over.

 

[Guest]

Check out my post above that was made at 8:36 AM PST on 4/8/07. I did, after
reading peter's prior post, try using the XP disk. But I ran into a dead-end
that way also.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

That doesn't work.

The BIOS is set to look to the CD first on boot-up, so I put the XP
disk in the drive and restart. The CD seems to be reading the disk,
and boot-up takes a very long time,

You usually get a message to "press any key to boot from the CD." Did you?

but in the end, it seems like the
machine just boots from the hard drive.

If that's the case, you've got a hardware issue. Your CD drive would seem to
have a problem.

 

[Bullwinkle]

That doesn't work.

The BIOS is set to look to the CD first on boot-up, so I put the XP disk
in
the drive and restart. The CD seems to be reading the disk, and boot-up
takes a very long time, but in the end, it seems like the machine just
boots
from the hard drive. I get to the usual XP log-in screen, and log in as
usual. Eventually, the CD stops spinning.

So I eject the CD, and reinsert it. It asks me what to do, and I select
"Install Windows XP". It tells me that it cannot install over the
existing
build, because the existing build is newer than what's on the disk. This
must be because I have installed all the updates, including Service Pack
2.
Paradoxically, it also says that if I choose to remove the existing XP
build,
certain files will be lost. There is a "Continue" button, which is
apparently meant to lead the user to remove the existing build, but the
button is grayed out. So there does not seem to be a way to actually
continue and delete the existing build. I'm at a dead-end.

I've probably missed some of the info from you on this subject but I had a
similar problem when trying to reinstall windows xp.

I had updated with sp2 and all the updates so my cd which was sp1 would not
run the install program. I solved that by booting as usual and going into
windows explorer and started to delete the windows directory a directory at
a time until when I rebooted the cd went into a good install mode and I was
able to reinstall windows as a new install.

Only the windows directory was formatted in the install and when all was
installed I updated to sp2 and all the other updates, a total of 74. Took
some time but it did work.

Good luck

Regards,

 

[Guest]

It's possible I got that message, but it went by so quickly that I was busy
looking at something else when it did. Meanwhile, though, I've solved my
problem. Please refer to my response to Bullwinkle below, and thanks for
your help.

 

[Guest]

Ah, thank you. Problem solved. I went into the built-in Windows software
uninstaller and uninstalled SP2. Then, I tried to uninstall XP itself. I
ended up with an ominous blue screen that said something about not performing
the operation to protect my computer. So I put in the XP disk and rebooted.
This time, I did get the prompt asking if I wanted to boot from the CD. I
said yes, and everything was easy from there. Thanks for your help.