Can't format

[Jorge E. Jaramillo]

I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became
obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I
consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could
still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so
many old programs that make its start up to take too long.

So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't
been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I
also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still
when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and
having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole Win
XP without giving me the option to format.

I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: and
rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that this
action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me that it
can not be formatted for the drive is being used.

Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 it
used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't even
have a 3.5 drive.

Thanks

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became
obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I
consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could
still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so
many old programs that make its start up to take too long.

So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't
been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I
also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still
when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and
having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole
Win XP without giving me the option to format.

I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D:
and rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that
this action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me
that it can not be formatted for the drive is being used.

Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98
it used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't
even have a 3.5 drive.

Thanks

You did the right thing by making the CD drive the primary boot
device but it does not appear to work - your machine still boots
off the hard disk. This has nothing to do with Windows. Try setting
the boot order again, then watch the boot process to catch the
moment when you must press a key to force a "CD Boot". If still
unsuccessful, try a hardware newsgroup.

 

[Jorge E. Jaramillo]

Those are the words I did not want to read "if it doesn't work try a
hardware group". I am not that confident on dealing with hardware problems
....

Thanks you for your advie. I will try the startup sequence again and try to
catch that moment in which it allows to force the Cd startup

JeJ

 

[Ron Badour]

I have had many Dells and I don't recognize the "also enabled the Installing
OS" option you speak of--perhaps this is the problem. With the CDRom as the
first boot device, and booting with the Operating System CD in the drive,
you should get a prompt to hit any key to boot from the CD. This leads to
screens where you press Enter, F-8 and Esc. At this last screen you can
delete and/or partition. I believe Format comes on the next screen;
however, I did not want to tempt fate and see what the next screen was

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

If you cannot get around the CD boot issue then your problem
is not related to "the good old days of Windows 98" but
to the fact that you do not have a floppy disk drive. You
could, of course, temporarily connect a second-hand FDD
to your machine but this would cause you further headaches
because you would then have to manufacture a set of WinXP
installation diskettes. You really need to resolve this CD
boot issue.

 

[Jorge E jaramillo]

Thank you very much to those who answered. You gave me the confidence in
what i was doing was right and I solved the problem which was that the
changes I thought i had made to the boot sequence for some unknown reason
were not saved and the boot was not how it was supposed to be.

JeJ

 

[Gurney]

I have a Dell computer that I bought about 3 years ago. With time it became
obsolete for the use I wanted to give it and I bought a brand new one but I
consider that my old machine is a good equipment and that my nephews could
still use it and I wanted to give it to them but without the burden of so
many old programs that make its start up to take too long.

So I thought of formating it and reinstalling the whole XP but I haven't
been able to do it. I changed the boot sequence to start with the CD and I
also enabled the Installing OS (or something like that) option but still
when i turn on the computer with the cd labeled as "Operating System" and
having the Dell logos and stuff, it starts normally and loads the whole Win
XP without giving me the option to format.

I also tried to format form Windows with the Win Explorer pointing at D: and
rightclicking on C and choosing Format, but after it tells me that this
action will erase all data and I agree, another message telling me that it
can not be formatted for the drive is being used.

Can anyone tell me how do i proceed to format this drive? With Windows 98 it
used to be so easy with those startup disks but this computer doesn't even
have a 3.5 drive.

Thanks

You may have changed your boot options to boot from CD, but did you
then TELL it to boot from a CD? EVERY computer I've ever used
involved some user interaction to do this. You can't just change to
boot order, shove in the CD, restart, then sit back and wait. You
have to watch for the message dealing with booting from the CD and do
what it asks...otherwise it just boots normally.

 

[David Webb]

You may have changed your boot options to boot from CD, but did you
then TELL it to boot from a CD? EVERY computer I've ever used
involved some user interaction to do this. You can't just change to
boot order, shove in the CD, restart, then sit back and wait. You
have to watch for the message dealing with booting from the CD and do
what it asks...otherwise it just boots normally.

Gurney,

That's not necessarily true in all cases. I know of two rescue CDs that will
boot directly from the CD without any input from the user. One is the BartPE
disc (which offers a plugin to add the "Press Any Key...." option). The other is
the Acronis TrueImage v11 rescue disc, which by default offers the user a menu
of choices, one being to start Windows.

 

[windmap]

This Document from Dell Support site should help.
How to Reinstall Microsoft® Windows®, Drivers, and Software on a DellT
Computer
http://support.dell.com/support/top...pe=&os=&component=&lang=&doclang=&toggle=&dl=

 

[Kyle]

you have any of those files for gateway on how to format cd's?