hi everyone, can anyone please help me....

[michael]

hi, and i do hope someone can help....

i have windows xp home edition on my computer..... and i do not have a
windows xp disc.

i wanted to format my "c" drive, as if i had just bought the computer.
i have saved all i wanted, and tried it, but it says i can't format it
because it is in use.... as far as i know, it is not in use... i tried
a different method, and it basically says that i cannot format it. i
tried doing a "system restore", and it don't go back far enough. where
it goes back to, it brings everything with it. i want to start fresh
and clean. it let me do the "d" drive, but not the "c". (my computer
came already partitioned, and already came with windows xp) what in the
world do i do? (besides spending money to buy windows xp) and please
use the "okay i can do that text-lol" not the "what in the world are
they saying text" lololol....
anyone, please help.....

you can email me directly if needed....

~michael

 

[All Things Mopar]

Today michael commented courteously on the subject at hand

hi, and i do hope someone can help....

i have windows xp home edition on my computer..... and i do
not have a windows xp disc.

i wanted to format my "c" drive, as if i had just bought
the computer. i have saved all i wanted, and tried it, but
it says i can't format it because it is in use.... as far
as i know, it is not in use... i tried a different method,
and it basically says that i cannot format it. i tried
doing a "system restore", and it don't go back far enough.
where it goes back to, it brings everything with it. i want
to start fresh and clean. it let me do the "d" drive, but
not the "c". (my computer came already partitioned, and
already came with windows xp) what in the world do i do?
(besides spending money to buy windows xp) and please use
the "okay i can do that text-lol" not the "what in the
world are they saying text" lololol....
anyone, please help.....

you can email me directly if needed....

If you did succeed in formatting your HD, how would you re-
install Windoze? Didn't your PC come with some sort of OEM
recovery disc? That isn't an OEM license to XP but usually means
you can do the nuke and reinstall you want to do. If you don't
have that, either, have you tried contacting the manufacturer?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

hi, and i do hope someone can help....

i have windows xp home edition on my computer..... and i do not have a
windows xp disc.

i wanted to format my "c" drive, as if i had just bought the computer.
i have saved all i wanted, and tried it, but it says i can't format it
because it is in use.... as far as i know, it is not in use... i tried
a different method, and it basically says that i cannot format it. i
tried doing a "system restore", and it don't go back far enough. where
it goes back to, it brings everything with it. i want to start fresh
and clean. it let me do the "d" drive, but not the "c". (my computer
came already partitioned, and already came with windows xp) what in the
world do i do? (besides spending money to buy windows xp) and please
use the "okay i can do that text-lol" not the "what in the world are
they saying text" lololol....
anyone, please help.....

you can email me directly if needed....

~michael

Attempting to format drive C: from within Windows is equivalent
to sawing off the branch you're sitting on. Could be painful . . .

Set your BIOS so that the CD drive is your primary boot device,
then boot the machine with your WinXP CD. You will then see
an option to format drive C:.

By the way, try to think of a meaningful Subject line for your
next post. While your current line is very friendly it tells us
nothing about your problem and it certainly won't attract the
attention of those who know most about it. How about
something like "How to format drive C:"?

 

[Guest]

C: drive is in use,thats where the OS is installed to.W/O an xp cd,youre
limited,
but you should have the mfgs cds that allow you to reinstall the OS and/or
a cd that will format before you reinstall.If not,see what mfg made youre hd,
(R.click C: in my comp.properties,hardware),go to the mfg web site,download
thier MS-DOS utility,install on a formatted MS-DOS floppy,boot to
floppy,format
the hd.

 

[Malke]

hi, and i do hope someone can help....

i have windows xp home edition on my computer..... and i do not have a
windows xp disc.

i wanted to format my "c" drive, as if i had just bought the computer.
i have saved all i wanted, and tried it, but it says i can't format it
because it is in use.... as far as i know, it is not in use... i tried
a different method, and it basically says that i cannot format it. i
tried doing a "system restore", and it don't go back far enough. where
it goes back to, it brings everything with it. i want to start fresh
and clean. it let me do the "d" drive, but not the "c". (my computer
came already partitioned, and already came with windows xp) what in
the
world do i do? (besides spending money to buy windows xp) and please
use the "okay i can do that text-lol" not the "what in the world are
they saying text" lololol....
anyone, please help.....

As you've been told, you can't format and clean-install any operating
system from within that operating system.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install

Legally, a system builder who preinstalls a Windows operating system
must give the customer a way to return the computer to factory
condition. They can do this by providing:

A. A physical CD with the actual operating system on it. If an OEM
version (as opposed to retail), there must be a product key sticker on
the computer. If you have the product key sticker, a local computer
shop may be willing to install Windows for you since the product key is
your license, not the physical cd.

B. A physical CD with an image of the operating system as installed at
the factory.

C. An image of the operating system on a special partition, sometimes
hidden, on the hard drive.

Refer to your computer manual for which method was used. If you
purchased a used computer from "a friend", yard sale, or unscrupulous
local computer shop and did not receive the operating system or product
key, I'm afraid you will have to buy a copy.

See this link for more details:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#reinstall_Windows

If you don't have an OEM machine with a way of returning the computer to
factory condition and you don't want to spend money on an operating
system, then I'm sorry but you won't be able to run Windows. Install
one of the many Linux distros instead.

http://distrowatch.com/

Malke

 

[peter]

As everyone has said you cannot format XP from within.
The question is have you already formatted your D partition???
Chances are that is your "recovery/restore to factory default partition
where XP and every program you bought with the computer resides.
If you have formatted this partition then you are SOL..........you will need
to go out and buy a copy of XP or if the seller of your system is really
nice they will sell you one cheaper.

If you have not formated said partition..........read the manual and it will
explain how to set back to factory level.After which you will need to do all
of the updates over again.
good luck
peter