I can not format my C: Drive

[Guest]

I loaded XP over Windows ME and I am having all kinds of problems. I want to
reformat my drive and start over. I have tried everything and can not
reformat. I have Windows XP professional. Everyone says there is a format
option on the disk but i do not see it at all. (I have a legal copy) I was
trying to get into set up to boot from disk first but I can not do that
either. I have tried right clicking my C: Drive and clicking format. it
gives me the warning all data will be erased but when I say ok it tells me it
can not do it that other programs or utilities are using the drive. I have
closed down everything.

 

[Daniel]

You need to go into the BIOS, usually press Del at the
start of the boot cycle, and set the PC to boot to
your CD drive first, then reboot with the CD in the CD drive,
watch the process and it will come up to pres any key to
boot to the CD, just press the space bar and the PC will boot to the CD
and the options will be there.

cheers

Daniel

 

[Dazza]

In the BIOS the option is usually named "Boot Order" then there may be
up to 4 options to set. The best boot options is to set 1 to Floppy, 2
to CD-Rom and 3 to IDE 0 (or it may read HDD 0). Leave the 4th as
disabled/off.

Setting the boot order in this way means that when your PC starts up it
will firstly look to the floopy drive for boot information then move
onto the CD-Rom and only boot from the Hard Drive if the latter two
contain not boot media.

Hope this helps
Regards
Dazza

 

[Michael Stevens]

In

I loaded XP over Windows ME and I am having all kinds of problems. I
want to reformat my drive and start over. I have tried everything
and can not reformat. I have Windows XP professional. Everyone says
there is a format option on the disk but i do not see it at all. (I
have a legal copy) I was trying to get into set up to boot from disk
first but I can not do that either. I have tried right clicking my
C: Drive and clicking format. it gives me the warning all data will
be erased but when I say ok it tells me it can not do it that other
programs or utilities are using the drive. I have closed down
everything.

Click on or copy and paste the link below into your web browser address bar.
How to clean install XP.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
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[Yeeeha]

I've always used a Floppy Startup diskette to do this, however, you must
copy FDISK and FORMAT.COM to the flopyy.

Boot from floppy the type in Format c: and you're off and running.

 

[Guest]

is that the only 2 files need to format the hard drive?

 

[Cliff Pratt]

No. You need a boot floppy AND those two files, if they are not already
on the floppy.

Cheers,

Cliff