formatting a hard drive

[Guest]

I want to format a hard drive that has an operating system active on it. When
I alternate-click the hard drive icon it says: there are files that Windows
need to operate, cannot format this drive. Someone told me to use the
original OS disc and then to format the hard drive and said also I might have
to hold down the CD key. What is the CD key? And what other ideas or
suggestions can you give me to format this drive that has a virus, without
having to manually take out the hard drive and install it in another PC as a
back-up drive, and then format it since it won't have the OS that is
operating the other PC that I use. I've done that before, installing a drive
into another PC, as a back-up drive, and formatting that way. Kinda a hassle
I've been told I can skip.
Thanks, attilathehun1

 

[Richard Urban]

You are misinterpreting what you heard.

You have to boot from the original Windows XP CD. During the early part of
the boot process, you will see a message to press "any" key to boot from the
CD. You have about 5 seconds to do this. The computer then starts the
install process from the XP CD.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Curt Christianson]

Check out this site of Michael Stevens MS-MVP :

http://michaelstevenstech.com/format_XP.htm

Select the option you are looking for on the left hand side.

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


|I want to format a hard drive that has an operating system active on it.
When
| I alternate-click the hard drive icon it says: there are files that
Windows
| need to operate, cannot format this drive. Someone told me to use the
| original OS disc and then to format the hard drive and said also I might
have
| to hold down the CD key. What is the CD key? And what other ideas or
| suggestions can you give me to format this drive that has a virus, without
| having to manually take out the hard drive and install it in another PC as
a
| back-up drive, and then format it since it won't have the OS that is
| operating the other PC that I use. I've done that before, installing a
drive
| into another PC, as a back-up drive, and formatting that way. Kinda a
hassle
| I've been told I can skip.
| Thanks,
attilathehun1
| --
| attilathehun1

 

[Guest]

I want to format a hard drive that has an operating system active on it.

When I alternate-click the hard drive icon it says: there are files that
Windows need to operate, cannot format this drive.

YES, of course your PC is much intelligent than human -- that's why it
warn you ahead. If virus is the ONLY problem then get a Anti-Virus
program. It'll take out the virus very easy BUT you need to give time to
clean it up for you. Google avg (get FREE version) and get latest
updates then use it.

No need to Format --- we do format ONLY at the last resort if you
don't care everything will be erase out.

--Rino


I want to format a hard drive that has an operating system active on it. When
I alternate-click the hard drive icon it says: there are files that Windows
need to operate, cannot format this drive. Someone told me to use the
original OS disc and then to format the hard drive and said also I might have
to hold down the CD key. What is the CD key? And what other ideas or
suggestions can you give me to format this drive that has a virus, without
having to manually take out the hard drive and install it in another PC as a
back-up drive, and then format it since it won't have the OS that is
operating the other PC that I use. I've done that before, installing a drive
into another PC, as a back-up drive, and formatting that way. Kinda a hassle
I've been told I can skip.
Thanks, attilathehun1

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I want to format a hard drive that has an operating system active on it. When
I alternate-click the hard drive icon it says: there are files that Windows
need to operate, cannot format this drive.

You're trying to format the drive containing the system volume from
within WinXP. You can't. This would be the computer equivalent of
sawing off the tree limb you're sitting on, and WinXP is "too smart" to
allow this.

Someone told me to use the
original OS disc and then to format the hard drive and said also I might have
to hold down the CD key. What is the CD key?

It's whatever key your specific computer tell you to press to boot from
the CD. Most computers will simply prompt, "Press any key to boot from
the CD."

And what other ideas or
suggestions can you give me to format this drive that has a virus, without
having to manually take out the hard drive and install it in another PC as a
back-up drive, and then format it since it won't have the OS that is
operating the other PC that I use. I've done that before, installing a drive
into another PC, as a back-up drive, and formatting that way. Kinda a hassle
I've been told I can skip.
Thanks, attilathehun1

Is there any reason you haven't read any of the dozens of responses
you've received to your original question?


--

Bruce Chambers

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrand Russell

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I want to format a hard drive that has an operating system active on
it. When I alternate-click the hard drive icon it says: there are
files that Windows need to operate, cannot format this drive.

I assume that your intent is to reformat and reinstall Windows on the drive.

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

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Take this link and look at How To Format
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm