format

[frank]

I was wondering if there was a way to completely format
everything on my computer. I want to start over clean. It
won't take my ME recovery disk and I can't get rid of xp
which I upgraded to. I want my original ME version that
came with my computer. thanks in advance

 

[GK Mikolas]

insert a win 98 or ME floppy boot disk (make sure your
floppy boots before c

once everything loads, type format c: and hit enter.

if you have partions on the drive, remove them first,
using fdisk.

 

[NobodyMan]

insert a win 98 or ME floppy boot disk (make sure your
floppy boots before c

once everything loads, type format c: and hit enter.

if you have partions on the drive, remove them first,
using fdisk.

Don't go through all that hassle. Just set your BIOS to boot from CD,
then insert the WinXP CD and reboot. It will take care of everything
else for you; just follow the prompts.

 

[Ron Sommer]

Don't go through all that hassle. Just set your BIOS to boot from CD,
then insert the WinXP CD and reboot. It will take care of everything
else for you; just follow the prompts.

Frank wants the original ME version, so how is using the XP CD going to do
that?

 

[Alex Nichol]

I was wondering if there was a way to completely format
everything on my computer. I want to start over clean. It
won't take my ME recovery disk and I can't get rid of xp
which I upgraded to

You may need to get rid of the XP partition in advance if you have that
on NTFS. Best way is with an ME startup floppy, use its FDISK (say Y to
'Large disk support?') to delete the partition (a non-DOS one if NTFS),
and make a new 'DOS Primary' one, reboot and FORMAT C:

Then you can use the ME recovery disk - run the Setup from that Startup
floppy unless the makers of the machine gave any other instructions.

Once done you can if you wish re-install the XP - from the running ME
system, run the XP CD, start on Install and change Upgrade to New
install, then when it asks you to confirm where, you can hit ESC and get
the chance to select the current partition, delete it, and create a
new RAW one, going on to format it as part of the setup

This will by then have checked the eligibility to upgrade, so it will
not even ask for the previous system's CD as evidence,

 

[NobodyMan]

Frank wants the original ME version, so how is using the XP CD going to do
that?

Whoops, sorry. Didn't catch the last sentence in the original post.
There are bootable ME CDs though. I've got one and booted from it
once. I used ME about two days and dumped it. Hated it.

The point is, my advice will still work if you substitute the ME cd
for the XP cd.