format c:

  • Thread starter Thread starter tom
  • Start date Start date
T

tom

hi all,
The other day my pc crashed and i made a clean install of windows xp . Its
installed on my E:
the other partitions are c,d,f.
After installing windows i formatted all the other partitions one by one
through the "DISK MANAGEMENT" PROGRAM.
In between other software installations have taken place and also RESTORE
POINTS CREATED .And yesterday i just tried to see whether the format option
is available for C: . To my surprise i saw the same was not available.
One of my friends was arguing that it was not possible to format C: after
windows is installed.

But the fact is i have formatted.

Pls let know when windows allows/disallows to format C: if it is not
installed on the same but some other partition.

regards
tom
 
Is C listed as System in Disk Management?
NTDETECT.COM, NTLDR and BOOT.INI are boot files for XP.
These files are probably on C.
You can't format C when it contains the boot files.

I believe the old XP installation is also still on C.
--
Ron Sommer

: hi all,
: The other day my pc crashed and i made a clean install of windows xp . Its
: installed on my E:
: the other partitions are c,d,f.
: After installing windows i formatted all the other partitions one by one
: through the "DISK MANAGEMENT" PROGRAM.
: In between other software installations have taken place and also RESTORE
: POINTS CREATED .And yesterday i just tried to see whether the format
option
: is available for C: . To my surprise i saw the same was not available.
: One of my friends was arguing that it was not possible to format C: after
: windows is installed.
:
: But the fact is i have formatted.
:
: Pls let know when windows allows/disallows to format C: if it is not
: installed on the same but some other partition.
:
: regards
: tom
:
:
 
tom said:
hi all,
The other day my pc crashed and i made a clean install of windows xp . Its
installed on my E:
the other partitions are c,d,f.
After installing windows i formatted all the other partitions one by one
through the "DISK MANAGEMENT" PROGRAM.
In between other software installations have taken place and also RESTORE
POINTS CREATED .And yesterday i just tried to see whether the format option
is available for C: . To my surprise i saw the same was not available.
One of my friends was arguing that it was not possible to format C: after
windows is installed.

But the fact is i have formatted.

Pls let know when windows allows/disallows to format C: if it is not
installed on the same but some other partition.

regards
tom
Click to expand...

not only is it possible for format it within a window in windows xp,
but windows xp has a format command where it's possible to format C.

(from the windows xp command prompt)

C:\>format c:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK
DRIVE C: WILL BE LOST!
Proceed with Format (Y/N)? n

C:\>

I haven't gone all the way but you can see it's going to be possible
formats work!

both win9x and win xp have a format.com

windows xp's command.com is 25k
Directory of C:\WINDOWS\system32
07/08/2004 00:16 25,600 format.com

windows 98's command.com is 49k
Directory of D:\allbackups\basic98sys\WINDOWS\COMMAND
06/06/1999 21:30 49,575 FORMAT.COM

Another difference, which applies to all win98 or msdos commands vs
winxp commands-
if you open the files (e.g. edit.com) or dump them to the screen e.g.
"type" , then you will also see that
win98's format.com has "Incorrect MSDOS version written in it"
Win XP's format.com has "This program cannot be run from dos mode"
written in it"

onto what i'm less sure of-
Remember, windows 98 uses DOS . I think DOS 7.
Those win98 commands have written in them "Incorrect MSDOS version"
(that is the message you may be familiar with in msdos days if using
commands from one version of dos on another one, so seeing that in the
file shows it's an msdos command you're looking at, a DOS16 thing. (I
think it will run from a win98 command prompt. i'm not sure). But it
will from win98's F8..command prompt only). It can run from a win xp
command prompt. You only get that "incorrerct msdos versino" if mixing
versino of msdos. But there is a way to run different versino of
commands, something to add to config.sys or autoexec.bat

All win xp commands have "This program cannot...." written in them.
You can run win98 commands in the win xp command prompt. but a win xp
command won't run in msdos.
 
not only is it possible for format it within a window in windows xp,
but windows xp has a format command where it's possible to format C.

(from the windows xp command prompt)

C:\>format c:
The type of the file system is NTFS.

WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK
DRIVE C: WILL BE LOST!
Proceed with Format (Y/N)? n

C:\>

I haven't gone all the way but you can see it's going to be possible
formats work!

both win9x and win xp have a format.com

windows xp's command.com is 25k
Directory of C:\WINDOWS\system32
07/08/2004 00:16 25,600 format.com

windows 98's command.com is 49k
Directory of D:\allbackups\basic98sys\WINDOWS\COMMAND
06/06/1999 21:30 49,575 FORMAT.COM

Another difference, which applies to all win98 or msdos commands vs
winxp commands-
if you open the files (e.g. edit.com) or dump them to the screen e.g.
"type" , then you will also see that
win98's format.com has "Incorrect MSDOS version written in it"
Win XP's format.com has "This program cannot be run from dos mode"
written in it"

onto what i'm less sure of-
Remember, windows 98 uses DOS . I think DOS 7.
Those win98 commands have written in them "Incorrect MSDOS version"
(that is the message you may be familiar with in msdos days if using
commands from one version of dos on another one, so seeing that in the
file shows it's an msdos command you're looking at, a DOS16 thing. (I
think it will run from a win98 command prompt. i'm not sure). But it
will from win98's F8..command prompt only). It can run from a win xp
command prompt. You only get that "incorrerct msdos versino" if mixing
versino of msdos. But there is a way to run different versino of
commands, something to add to config.sys or autoexec.bat

All win xp commands have "This program cannot...." written in them.
You can run win98 commands in the win xp command prompt. but a win xp
command won't run in msdos.
Click to expand...


if you find the format command isn't there, you better look for it in
\windows\system32 it'll be there.
I think you just haven't set the path to it.

cd \windows\system32 then run it from there.
I think path automatically includes . (current directory) (at least it
does for xp, it prob even does for 98)

otherwise set the environment variable - path
 
tom said:
hi all,
The other day my pc crashed and i made a clean install of windows xp . Its
installed on my E:
the other partitions are c,d,f.
After installing windows i formatted all the other partitions one by one
through the "DISK MANAGEMENT" PROGRAM.
In between other software installations have taken place and also RESTORE
POINTS CREATED .And yesterday i just tried to see whether the format option
is available for C: . To my surprise i saw the same was not available.
One of my friends was arguing that it was not possible to format C: after
windows is installed.

But the fact is i have formatted.

Pls let know when windows allows/disallows to format C: if it is not
installed on the same but some other partition.

regards
tom
Click to expand...


Why do you need a restore point for C: if no boot or system files reside
there? Its just a waste of resources.

Ignore the idiots that can't think outside the 'C:' box, unless of
course they are semi-right and you don't know what a bootstrap file is.

Have fun,

John
 
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