Format C:\

[Teresa]

Please can someone tell me in simple English how to
format a c: drive which has Windows XP loaded on it. I
know with other versions of Windows it was easy to do
when you got to a dos screen, but with XP it doesn't seem
to recognize any hard drives whilst in dos.

 

[Chris Lanier]

Greetings

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary to
partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow Windows XP
to partition and format your drive:

1. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.
2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your omputer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After installing Windows XP, be sure and visit the support website of
the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any available
Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter and audio drivers.

 

[Edward]

Hi, Teresa.

There is no DOS in XP. You are probably in Command Prompt which is totally
different.

Anyway, a Clean install will do what you ask, but is this really your only
way out?

Go to.... Clean Install Windows XP.... and print off the instructions.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Good luck,

Ed

 

[Michael Stevens]

Please can someone tell me in simple English how to
format a c: drive which has Windows XP loaded on it. I
know with other versions of Windows it was easy to do
when you got to a dos screen, but with XP it doesn't seem
to recognize any hard drives whilst in dos.

Click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into the address box
if using the web based newsgroup.
Format XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[Alex Nichol]

Please can someone tell me in simple English how to
format a c: drive which has Windows XP loaded on it. I
know with other versions of Windows it was easy to do
when you got to a dos screen

You do it as part of a reinstall of the system after booting the XP CD
direct. Enter Setup, and after the license agreement take New Install.
When it asks you to confirm where, hit ESC; select and delete the
current partition and make a new RAW one to be formatted at the next
stage

The important point is the delete. Without that it will just go ahead
and make a new install over the top of the old one