DOS prompt needed to format C: drive

[Doug Main]

Suffice it to say I've tried everything, and now plan to do a complete
reinstall of w2Kpro. However, despite extended efforts over the past
two days of searching and fiddling, I have yet to find a simple way of
getting to a prompt, outside of the Windows environment, that will
accept a format c: /fs:ntfs command. I get the "Forced Dismount, Cannot
Lock drive" answer under the prompt available under Safe Mode with
Command Prompt. My other efforts to boot to a floppy, switch to C and
try again have been frustrating since the C: drive I get to is actually
my E: slave with all my data on it.

I've looked around at the MSKB a bit but it's a needle/haystack thing.

Can anyone here help?

Many thanks.

 

[Guest]

Have a read of my responce to Johns question with
subject "dos help plz.", just a few posts below your post.
Gav

 

[Eric McG]

You can't access an NTFS partition using standard MS-DOS utilities, and as
you've found out, you can't format the active partition from inside or outside
of Windows.

Set up your system to boot from the CD-ROM drive and then bootup from the
Windows 2000 installation CD. You can then format your C drive.

See this article for more details:

How To Install Windows 2000 Professional
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304868

If your system is not able to bootup from a CD, you'll have to bootup from the
four setup floppies. Instructions for creating these floppy discs are contained
in a link to article 197063 in the above article.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Simply boot from the Win2K installation CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the
installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot
devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)


Bruce Chambers
--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. - RAH

 

[Doug Main]

If your system is not able to bootup from a CD, you'll have to bootup from the
four setup floppies. Instructions for creating these floppy discs are contained
in a link to article 197063 in the above article.

Does this floppy set up eventually get me to a clean c: prompt? I
really need to do a complete clean up/format and reinstall.

 

[Eric McG]

Yes. After the last floppy completes its file transfers, you'll be asked to
insert the Windows 2000 installation CD. You'll then be able to create and
format partitions and install Windows in the same manner as if you had booted
from the CD itself.

The exact procedures are outlined in the MSKB article that I previously
referenced.