Formatting Hard Drive from Windows XP.

[Guest]

Hi,

I am currently running Windows XP Home Edition and need to format my hard
drive.

Upon entering the CMOS Setup Utility and setting the CDROM as the primary
boot device I cannot see an menu option to select to carry out the format
operation. I would be so grateful if someone could offer me a step by step
guide to format my hard drive using Windows XP Home Edition.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Guest]

Xp doesn't really allow formatting! It's fussy that way!
If you really have to try and get a boot disk from an earlier version of
windows. Most use 98, me I perfer dos6.6 for formatting. Or You could use a
partition manager, which will partition a drive and/or format it if you want!

Good Luck

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi,

I am currently running Windows XP Home Edition and need to format my hard
drive.

Upon entering the CMOS Setup Utility and setting the CDROM as the primary
boot device I cannot see an menu option to select to carry out the format
operation. I would be so grateful if someone could offer me a step by step
guide to format my hard drive using Windows XP Home Edition.

Many thanks in advance.

You now need to boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
The first installation step will ask you if you wish to format
your hard disk.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Xp doesn't really allow formatting! It's fussy that way!
If you really have to try and get a boot disk from an earlier version of
windows. Most use 98, me I perfer dos6.6 for formatting. Or You could use a
partition manager, which will partition a drive and/or format it if you want!

Good Luck

Not true. You do not need a Win98 boot disk to
format a disk, and a DOS6.6 format would be almost
totally useless since it has a limit of 2 GBytes!

 

[Guest]

Maybe I'm not understanding what HD you want to format, but if it's your root
"C" drive and you are booted into XP already, just right click on the "C"
drive after opening up MY COMPUTER and when the drop down menu appears, click
on "FORMAT".

Redwagon...

 

[Andrew Murray]

You don't format from the BIOS/CMOS.

Set your boot disk to CDROM, exit BIOS/CMOS then reboot and let the PC boot
from the CD.

It will start the windows install procedure, and from there gives you the
option to format/repartition first.

You can't format the Windows drive from within windows; you'll get "Denied:
disk in use error" (obviously because you're in Windows, trying to format
the drive that Windows is installed on....)

 

[Keith]

Maybe I'm not understanding what HD you want to format, but if it's your
root
"C" drive and you are booted into XP already, just right click on the "C"
drive after opening up MY COMPUTER and when the drop down menu appears,
click
on "FORMAT".

Redwagon...

I must assume Redwagon that you are either an idiot or you are deliberately
trying to mislead the OP.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

While the "format" option does appear on the menu you mention,
I don't think WinXP will allow this, because it's the system
partition. I don't have a machine to try it out so I can't be sure
but perhaps you might want to try it before giving firm advice
in this NG.

 

[Richard Urban]

Wrong! You can NOT format drive C: while you are within Windows.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

Well, first: Keith I think youn are the idiot. I have done this on several
occasions with my laptop and also with a couple of desktop computers I have.
You can not only format your root "c" drive but also if you have any other
slave HD's on your system you can do the same thing on them also. Just go to
my computer, right click on the particular HD you want to format and then
click on the FORMAT option when the drop down menu appears.

And as for Pegasus: Maybe you need to try it also, as you said you were not
sure if this would work or not. I suggest before you advise someone else
about trying a particular option in Win XP before giving out advice, you
should be sure of what you are saying too !!

By the way to the real idiot (Keith) I just finished formatting my "C" hard
drive on my laptop and it does work !!! I then used my restore disks I
received with the computer when I bought it and re-installed Win XP (SP1).
And it's back working great again.

Redwagon...

 

[Richard Urban]

You CAN NOT format the Windows partition, whatever it is designated as,
while you are running Windows. If you can format the C: drive then that IS
NOT your Window partition.

A new and normal Windows install will default to the C: drive, C:\Windows
specifically. Your system is screwed up somewhere.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Keith]

Well, first: Keith I think youn are the idiot. I have done this on several
occasions with my laptop and also with a couple of desktop computers I
have.
You can not only format your root "c" drive but also if you have any other
slave HD's on your system you can do the same thing on them also. Just go
to
my computer, right click on the particular HD you want to format and then
click on the FORMAT option when the drop down menu appears.

And as for Pegasus: Maybe you need to try it also, as you said you were
not
sure if this would work or not. I suggest before you advise someone else
about trying a particular option in Win XP before giving out advice, you
should be sure of what you are saying too !!

By the way to the real idiot (Keith) I just finished formatting my "C"
hard
drive on my laptop and it does work !!! I then used my restore disks I
received with the computer when I bought it and re-installed Win XP (SP1).
And it's back working great again.

Redwagon...

Dear Redwagon,
My apologies for understimating you. You're an ever bigger idiot than I
gave you credit for.

 

[Lil' Dave]

Hi,

I am currently running Windows XP Home Edition and need to format my hard
drive.

Upon entering the CMOS Setup Utility and setting the CDROM as the primary
boot device I cannot see an menu option to select to carry out the format
operation. I would be so grateful if someone could offer me a step by step
guide to format my hard drive using Windows XP Home Edition.

Many thanks in advance.

Older bios may have provided a format user option. This is not formatting
at the file level, rather, its a low-level format. When used on many ide
hard drives, it may destroy usability of the hard drive. Only the hard
drive manufacturers low-level formatting is correct in this day and age.

For XP, use this reference.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309000/

 

[Guest]

One question to Richard and Keith: Have you tried what I have suggested ? If
not maybe you should. And all of my computers including my laptop are NOT
screwed up. They all work perfect. The laptop is an HP ze5385us and my other
two desk top computers are custom that I built myself from the MB on up. I
have built about a dozen so far for other people and so far no one has had
problems with any of them. And all of the operating systems are legal and
running fine.

Too bad I can't take a video of the entire format operation and place it on
this group so some of you would take note as how this works. I take it from
all those that have replied on this particular post, have never done what I
have suggested.

By the way Richard, all of my HD's on all of my computers have been
partitioned for 100% of the allocated amount, so I'm not just formatting a
different partition as you suggested.

Last comment for Keith: You are a real loser with a big mouth !!!

Redwagon

 

[Richard Urban]

Well Redwagon, if you say it is so, I guess that everyone else is wrong.

May I apologize for everyone who doubted you - NOT!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

Hey Richard, I certainly won't admit I was wrong. maybe you ought to follow
all the dirctions that I suggested and then follow all the other directions
that XP suggests you do, also. Have you ever heard of "DISMOUNTING" your
hard drive ???

Nuff said on this particular post. And hey "Lil Dave", I'm doing a regular
HD format and not a "Low Level" format.

 

[Richard Urban]

You are making yourself more of an ass with every post. You CAN NOT dismount
the Windows drive while you are using windows. If you could, the error
message would ask you if you wanted to do this. You would check yes - and it
would be done.

BUT IT CAN'T BE DONE!

As of now I won't see any more of your insane ramblings. You are blocked!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Richard Urban]

I hope that all people from Reston Virginia aren't as stupid as you!

--
Regards,

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Guest]

WHILE RUNNING WINDOWS !!!
START--ACCESSORIES--DOS PROMPT---CD\--FORMAT C:
WHAT DOES THE SCREEN TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN DO ??
DISMOUNT THE DRIVE AND YOU CAN FORMAT C: !!!! that's what

And you are still in Windows when you go to the DOS prompt.
And where in the heck did you get "Reston, Virginia" from ? I live thousands
of miles from there.

REGARDS to you too "Crusty"
Redwagon...

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

This is what I get when I follow your recipe:

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)? y
Verifying 4102M

Format cannot run because the volume is in use by another
process. Format may run if this volume is dismounted first.
ALL OPENED HANDLES TO THIS VOLUME WOULD THEN BE INVALID.
Would you like to force a dismount on this volume? (Y/N) y
Cannot lock the drive. The volume is still in use.

I think it is now time for you to produce your own screen print,
proving that you can indeed do what you so forcefully claim
you can (or make a tactical retreat).