The "Format" option

[Tim]

Could anyone help.

I want to clear my hard drive without losing data.

if i go into my computer, right click the HD and click
format will i lose the OS because i only have XP update i
cant reinstall

any help would be much appriciated

 

[Rich Barry]

You cannot format the drive your OS and you are using. Formatting
removes everything from your drive. If you want
to clean up your drive get a utility like System Mechanic. www.iolo.com
It's free for 30 days.

 

[John Barnett - MVP]

If you right click on My Computer and select Format you
should get a message telling you that the drive cannot be
format as it is in use (or words to that effect - i also
don't advise that you try it either) To put it simply if
you were to format your hard drive you would loose
absolutley everything, operating system and every single p
[eiece of data you have on your drive. There is no real
way of clearing your hard drive other than formatting.
Yes you can delete files, but these may be attached to
other application files and deleting just one may effect
how an application works. By all means you can delete
files that you have created, such as word documents,
spreadsheets etc.
If you are getting bogged dwon with files you can always
try the disk cleanup option - start button>all
porgrams>accessories>systemtools>disk cleanup. This can
help clean out temporary files and temporary internet
files along with a few other files.

Hope this helps

John Barnett - MVP
Associate expert

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Tim,

What you are saying does not make sense. If it's cleared, you remove all
files from the system. Otherwise, you are not clearing it. Formatting
prepares a disk for a clean install, it also cleans the slate of existing
data. Do not format unless this is what you wish to have happen.

Exactly what is it you are trying to achieve and why?

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Alex Nichol]

I want to clear my hard drive without losing data.

if i go into my computer, right click the HD and click
format will i lose the OS because i only have XP update i
cant reinstall

Clearing the drive by formatting implies loss of everything on it - data
included. You would have to backup the data, and then do the format as
part of installing the system again, and install all programs once more.

You can if you really wish reinstall the system, even if it is an
upgrade one. If you have a 'Proper' retail CD of the previous system,
you show it to the XP install when asked where Windows is; if you only
have a 'restore one' then you restore with it and run the XP CD from it
once again. If you take New Install instead of upgrade, then, when it
asks where you want to put it, you can hit ESC and delete the present
partition, making an new RAW one to be formatted as the next stage. By
that time the check on eligibility has been made.

But I would first do a repair reinstall of XP - Set the BIOS to boot CD
before Hard disk, then boot the XP CD, start Setup (do not take
'Repair' at this stage), then after the license agreement take 'Repair
Installation'. This will retain your existing software installations
and most settings. But Updates will have to be run again, especially
SP1;
It is important to activate the basic XP Firewall before you ever
connect to the net to get the patches, so as to be protected against
things like the BLAST worm.