When use FDISK - Error message: Cannot read on the Hard disk

[Nathalie]

I would like to install XP.

I followed the following instruction to format my PC:

How to Prepare the Hard Disk for the Windows 98 Installation Procedure
1.. Insert the Windows 98 Startup disk in the floppy disk drive, and then
restart your computer.
2.. When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed, choose the
Start computer without CD-ROM support option, and then press ENTER.
3.. At a command prompt, type fdisk, and then press ENTER.
And I got the error message: "Cannot read on the Hard disk"

And when I type ">format c: /s" I got the error message: "format is not
considerated by the driver C"

The command scandisk works well "No error detected on the drive C"

Thanks for your help,
NA.

 

[Jason Tsang]

Don't bother with FDisk (it likely doesn't recognize the size of your hard
drive if it is over 64 gigs)

Just do all the partitioning from within Windows XP's setup.

 

[Doug Allen [MSFT]]

Nathalie,

When you run the fdisk command, what drive prompt is that being run from?
Did you first just run the FDISK command to create a partition? If there is
not a partition created to format, you might get this error.

--
Doug Allen
Windows 2000 MCSE
Microsoft Enterprise Support

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[LVTravel]

Place the XP CD in the CD-ROM drive. It is bootable. Reboot the computer.
It should start the CD-ROM installation of XP. If not change your bios to
boot from the CD then reboot.

When the option to install is ready make sure that you delete the current
partition and recreate a new partition. This will delete the current
partition and recreate it for a new install. If you are using an update CD
of XP you will be asked for the "proof" disk. Put your 98 CD in the drive
and once it sees the information on the CD it will instruct you to reinsert
your XP CD

For more information see
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941 and view
using a new disk.

You might also view http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm to
show how to do a clean install of XP

 

[Alex Nichol]

I would like to install XP.

I followed the following instruction to format my PC:

How to Prepare the Hard Disk for the Windows 98 Installation Procedure
1.. Insert the Windows 98 Startup disk in the floppy disk drive, and then
restart your computer.

This is not the normal procedure for installing XP direct. That starts
by setting the BIOS to boot CD before HD, booting the XP CD direct, then
in Setup, taking New install, which will handle partitioning and
formatting.