fdisk, format, where's DOS, etc

[Rob]

There seems to be no native DOS in XP. tapping f8 at startup brings up only
"windows advanced menu". Nothing obviously useful there.
XP startup disk yields for fdisk: "incorrect dos version". For format:
"this program cannot be run in DOS"


The format facility in xp windows, maintenance, shows that of course the
system disk cannot be formated.

I mean, I need a new hard disk. MS requires 1.5 GB, so surely my present 3
GB would be ample. HA. big laugh. So, how can I prepare the new disk, when
I get it, for installation?

The win 98 startup diskette I still have contains format and fdisk, but will
they work.

I appreciate very much the responsiveness and expertise of this group.

 

[LVTravel]

If you are going to install a new disk and install XP
operating system on it simply boot from the XP installation
CD and follow the onscreen instructions to partition and
format the disk. You will need to read your manual to
determine how to set the bios of the computer to boot from a
CD (if it can't do so right now. If you only have a 3 GB
drive in your machine, have you run XP's configuration
checker (on the CD or download from Microsoft) to see if all
your hardware is compatible with XP?

If you are attempting to install the new disk as a second
drive in the system, Right click My Computer then left click
Manage, Disk management and then find the drive in the list
on the right bottom of the window. Right click on the drive
and partition and format the drive for XP from there.
Remember that XP can't format a FAT32 format larger than 32
GB so if your drive is larger it will only show up for a
NTFS format and this is OK.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

There seems to be no native DOS in XP.

That's correct.

tapping f8 at startup brings
up only "windows advanced menu". Nothing obviously useful there.
XP startup disk yields for fdisk: "incorrect dos version". For
format: "this program cannot be run in DOS"


The format facility in xp windows, maintenance, shows that of course
the system disk cannot be formated.

Of course. You can't format the system drive from within Windows. That would
be sawing off the branch of the tree you're sitting on.

I mean, I need a new hard disk. MS requires 1.5 GB, so surely my
present 3 GB would be ample.

Not even close. You can just begin to use Windows XP with a drive as small
as 10GB. For all practical purposes, almost everyone should have at least a
40GB drive (if you can still buy one that small).

HA. big laugh. So, how can I prepare
the new disk, when I get it, for installation?

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

 

[Wesley Vogel]

In addition to what LVTravel posted.

There seems to be no native DOS in XP.

Bingo, you are correct, XP does not have MS-DOS.

Open a command prompt....
Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK |
Type: format /? and hit Enter

More Format Help.
Paste the following line into Start | run and click OK...

hh ntcmds.chm::/format.htm

fdisk.exe does not exist on NT operating systems, nor can it be used.

fdisk
Not currently supported. Use the diskpart command, which enables you to
manage disks, partitions, or volumes. For more information about the
diskpart command, see Diskpart.

To see see Diskpart HELP.
Paste the following line into Start | run and click OK...

hh ntcmds.chm::/diskpart.htm

New ways to do familiar tasks
Changes to MS-DOS Commands

hh ntcmds.chm::/dos_diffs.htm

"This Program Cannot Be Run in DOS Mode" Running Windows XP Setup
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278104

This program cannot be run in DOS mode
http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=476756

You can boot into Safe Mode with Command Prompt.

This does not start MS-DOS, but will allow you to start your computer at a
command prompt if that is what you want.

From XP HELP:

[[To start your computer at a command prompt
1. Print these instructions before continuing. They will not be available
after you shut your computer down in step 2.
2. Click Start, click Shut Down, and then, in the drop-down list, click
Shut down.
3. In the Shut Down Windows dialog box, click Restart, and then click OK.
4. When you see the message Please select the operating system to start,
press F8.
5. Use the arrow keys to highlight Safe Mode with Command Prompt, and then
press ENTER.
6. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation
that you need to access using the arrow keys, and then press ENTER.

Notes
NUM LOCK must be off before the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will
function.]]

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Rob]

Thanks much, LV. Very enlightening. The CD _ NOT the startup diskette. I
wouldn't have found that out alone. Am posting a new article requesting
recommendations for brand - Western Digital, Seagate/Maxtor, or any of the
many others. Please see, if you have the time.

BTW, I'm new to this group, so must ask if the custom here is top or bottom
posting. Some groups have consensus among subscribers for one or the other.

--
RobF

| If you are going to install a new disk and install XP
| operating system on it simply boot from the XP installation
| CD and follow the onscreen instructions to partition and
| format the disk. You will need to read your manual to
| determine how to set the bios of the computer to boot from a
| CD (if it can't do so right now. If you only have a 3 GB
| drive in your machine, have you run XP's configuration
| checker (on the CD or download from Microsoft) to see if all
| your hardware is compatible with XP?
|
| If you are attempting to install the new disk as a second
| drive in the system, Right click My Computer then left click
| Manage, Disk management and then find the drive in the list
| on the right bottom of the window. Right click on the drive
| and partition and format the drive for XP from there.
| Remember that XP can't format a FAT32 format larger than 32
| GB so if your drive is larger it will only show up for a
| NTFS format and this is OK.
|
|
| | > There seems to be no native DOS in XP. tapping f8 at
| > startup brings up only
| > "windows advanced menu". Nothing obviously useful there.
| > XP startup disk yields for fdisk: "incorrect dos version".
| > For format:
| > "this program cannot be run in DOS"
| >
| >
| > The format facility in xp windows, maintenance, shows that
| > of course the
| > system disk cannot be formated.
| >
| > I mean, I need a new hard disk. MS requires 1.5 GB, so
| > surely my present 3
| > GB would be ample. HA. big laugh. So, how can I prepare
| > the new disk, when
| > I get it, for installation?
| >
| > The win 98 startup diskette I still have contains format
| > and fdisk, but will
| > they work.
| >
| > I appreciate very much the responsiveness and expertise of
| > this group.
| >
| >
| >
|
|

 

[Wesley Vogel]

BTW, I'm new to this group, so must ask if the custom here is top or

bottom posting. Some groups have consensus among subscribers for one or
the other.

Post however you like. Whatever you do, someone else will not like it, so
please yourself.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[GO]

Post however you like. Whatever you do, someone else will not like
it, so please yourself.

How true! I personally prefer top-posting but it's easily debateable both
ways. What I do recommend though is to follow the current trend in the
thread, if the thread is bottom-posting then you should bottom-post as well.
It get's very confusing when you have both happening at once.

 

[Curt Christianson]

|> BTW, I'm new to this group, so must ask if the custom here is top or
| > bottom posting. Some groups have consensus among subscribers for one or
| > the other.
|
Wesleys correct. I've been "chewed out" here no matter what I do, so I'm
trying middle posting. <g>

--
Curt

http://dundats.mvps.org/
http://www.aumha.org/

| Post however you like. Whatever you do, someone else will not like it, so
| please yourself.
|
| --
| Hope this helps. Let us know.
|
| Wes
| MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

 

[db]

it sounds like you simply
need to expand your system to
accommodate a better operating system.

just buy yourself an additional hd from
the same maker that your current hd is from,
except it should be bigger and will
likely be faster too. don't try a different
brand since you know that your current
harddrive is proven to be compatible
to your machine.

afterwards install the bigger hd as a slave,
eg secondary hd and
then install your winxp to it - its that simple.

the setup cd will walk you through
all the options available and will easily
install, that is if your w'98 computer can
handle the power of w'XP.

there is no need to screw around with
your current configuration unless you
are somewhat of an expert otherwise
you will end up with a disaster and a big
headache over the course of several days
trying to recover from the mistake.

Just expand upon what you have already...

- db


There seems to be no native DOS in XP. tapping f8 at startup brings up only
"windows advanced menu". Nothing obviously useful there.
XP startup disk yields for fdisk: "incorrect dos version". For format:
"this program cannot be run in DOS"


The format facility in xp windows, maintenance, shows that of course the
system disk cannot be formated.

I mean, I need a new hard disk. MS requires 1.5 GB, so surely my present 3
GB would be ample. HA. big laugh. So, how can I prepare the new disk, when
I get it, for installation?

The win 98 startup diskette I still have contains format and fdisk, but will
they work.

I appreciate very much the responsiveness and expertise of this group.

 

[User66]

Just to clarify a point, if you boot with XP, the maximum size
of the XP created FAT drive could only be 32 Gig (or 36 ~).
But, if you use the old Win98 boot floppy to boot your PC,
you can create a FAT drive up to 80 Gig size, using FDISK.
Although, it will show, during boot time, that it is only
10880 Meg, but actually under XP (or Win98) it will show
80 Gig. I have gone through this couple of days ago.
I bought an 80 Gig drive for only $72 last week. I needed a
FAT file system for a very unusual old DOS Fortran program,
so I used the old Win98 boot floppy to create the C drive of
80 Gig size. I also have an 80 Gig drive for D drive.
Both are FAT file type. Once formatted, with DOS, I have
loaded the Win98 on C: drive and later loaded the XP Pro
on D: drive.

Remember - if you format a drive as NT, the Win98 will not
see the drive, but if you format a drive as FAT, both
Win98 and XP can operate on them. Not only that, as you
boot with the old DOS floppy, you can still use FDISK or
DIR etc. or DOS on a FAT formatted drive, but not on
NT drive.

When it comes to 'security', you may not be too secure
with FAT file system, but for normal home use, we are not
worried that much. Use a good two-way firewall, and a
good virus cleaner. You will be safe.

By the way, your 1.5 or 2 gig drive is probably 1992 variety.
We still have few of them in the attick!

 

[Jaymon]

Hi,

Actually, if you want to format FAT32 in XP on any size drive or partition
up to 2TB with the help of Disk Management, you might try the fat32format
app..
It is super fast too..
http://www.ridgecrop.demon.co.uk/index.htm?fat32format.htm
Cheers
j;-j

 

[Noncompliant]

There seems to be no native DOS in XP. tapping f8 at startup brings up
only
"windows advanced menu". Nothing obviously useful there.
XP startup disk yields for fdisk: "incorrect dos version". For format:
"this program cannot be run in DOS"

Normal. Fdisk.exe and format.com are meant to be run in msdos environment.
And there versions specific to a specific msdos version.

The format facility in xp windows, maintenance, shows that of course the
system disk cannot be formated.

Same in dos and prior versions of windows. Won't format a partition where
the same resident running OS resides.

I mean, I need a new hard disk. MS requires 1.5 GB, so surely my present 3
GB would be ample. HA. big laugh. So, how can I prepare the new disk,
when
I get it, for installation?

Too small capacity.

The win 98 startup diskette I still have contains format and fdisk, but
will
they work.

Up to 64GB partition size with original fdisk reliably. 128GB with the
newer version fdisk at the MS website.

I appreciate very much the responsiveness and expertise of this group.

Why can't you partition and format the hard drive using the XP installation
boot CD? Can you boot from CD?

Why can't you format the hard drive using the 98 startup floppy?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Honestly, I do not waste my time reading very many bottom posts. ;-)

I'm waiting for that middle poster to chew me out now. LOL

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Curt Christianson]

I gave up trying to convince anyone about anything a long time ago on
Usenet. Especially in the top vs. bottom debate. Whew!!

"The Smoker you are, the Player you Get"

--
Curt

http://dundats.mvps.org/
http://www.aumha.org/


| Honestly, I do not waste my time reading very many bottom posts. ;-)
|
| I'm waiting for that middle poster to chew me out now. LOL
|
| --
| Hope this helps. Let us know.
|
| Wes
| MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
|
| In | GO <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
| > Wesley Vogel wrote:
| >>> BTW, I'm new to this group, so must ask if the custom here is top or
| >>> bottom posting. Some groups have consensus among subscribers for one
| >>> or the other.
| >>
| >> Post however you like. Whatever you do, someone else will not like
| >> it, so please yourself.
| >
| > How true! I personally prefer top-posting but it's easily debateable
both
| > ways. What I do recommend though is to follow the current trend in the
| > thread, if the thread is bottom-posting then you should bottom-post as
| > well. It get's very confusing when you have both happening at once.
|

 

[Noozer]

| Honestly, I do not waste my time reading very many bottom posts. ;-)
|
| I'm waiting for that middle poster to chew me out now. LOL

Replies should be inline with the original message. The original message
should be trimmed down to relevan items as well.

Quick replies on top, sure. But if the discussion is going to keep going, do
it inline.

Bottom posting is just stupid.

 

[Curt Christianson]

To be specific, that's top vs. bottom POSTING.
Ambiguity is another no-no on Usenet.

--
Curt

http://dundats.mvps.org/
http://www.aumha.org/


|I gave up trying to convince anyone about anything a long time ago on
| Usenet. Especially in the top vs. bottom debate. Whew!!
|
| "The Smoker you are, the Player you Get"
|
| --
| Curt
|
| http://dundats.mvps.org/
| http://www.aumha.org/
|
|
| || Honestly, I do not waste my time reading very many bottom posts. ;-)
||
|| I'm waiting for that middle poster to chew me out now. LOL
||
|| --
|| Hope this helps. Let us know.
||
|| Wes
|| MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
||
|| In || GO <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:
|| > Wesley Vogel wrote:
|| >>> BTW, I'm new to this group, so must ask if the custom here is top or
|| >>> bottom posting. Some groups have consensus among subscribers for one
|| >>> or the other.
|| >>
|| >> Post however you like. Whatever you do, someone else will not like
|| >> it, so please yourself.
|| >
|| > How true! I personally prefer top-posting but it's easily debateable
| both
|| > ways. What I do recommend though is to follow the current trend in the
|| > thread, if the thread is bottom-posting then you should bottom-post as
|| > well. It get's very confusing when you have both happening at once.
||
|
|

 

[Rock]

Honestly, I do not waste my time reading very many bottom posts. ;-)

I'm waiting for that middle poster to chew me out now. LOL

My feelings are hurt now.

 

[Noncompliant]

Whatever is not apparently relevant at the specific instant may become
relevant later in the same thread... Keep all intact.

 

[Noncompliant]

The version of fdisk native with 98/98SE rolls over at 64GB. The newer
downloadable fdisk version rolls over at 128GB, so won't see this incorrect
partition size with a 80GB hard drive, all one partition.

 

[LVTravel]

Personally I normally top post when I aim the first to
respond to a thread since I use Outlook Express as my news
reader and if everyone top posts it makes it easier to
follow the thread in that reader. Other newsreaders
automatically bottom post and if someone starts a response
by bottom posting I will follow that "established" standard.

There are times when it is appropriate to include statements
within the post of another but this should be seldom used as
it can really get confusing and hard to follow the thoughts
of both the OP and the responder.

Let your heart be your guide!

Glad I could help. As for hard drives, I have used Maxtor,
WD and Seagate, as well as Fijitsu. I have had drive
crashes on all of them over the years (I started with PCs
back when a 5 MB full height drive on an IBM PC was
considered great. I have had the most luck with WD drives
in the last 5 years. I had a 3 year old Maxtor 100 GB
system drive die recently in my server and have had a 5 year
old 80 GB WD drive die in a raid system. I also had a 160
GB Maxtor drive that was only 1 month old die in a new USB
external enclosure.

You may purchase the most expensive drive and it may die as
soon as you plug it in but I also have a 1 GB drive that
still functions in my DOS 486 2/66 box after 8 years (been
running most of those years without stop.)