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Easy question, how do I format a hard drive? 4
- Thread starter hipster
- Start date
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1
- #2
To reformat a drive (simply wipe it "clean"
I'd suggest using a windows 98 boot disk (you have cdrom support for when your ready to install whatever).
Boot the computer with the windows 98 boot disk (put in the floppy, turn computer on) choose "start computer with cdrom support" after a few moments (minutes??) you will be greeted with a dos prompt.
Type in FORMAT c:\ then press enter, this willformat your C drive, or the primary partition. substitue C for any other letter (except a, dont reformat your boot disk!)
after it is done, your finished, your hard drive is now wipes.
FDISK is a utility to delete/ create different partitions on the hard drive. A partition is a "wall" like a cubicle. you can divide one hard drive into many smaller ones, or use it as one big one. I'd suggest you dont mess around in here tomuch, unless you have another computer so you can get yourself out of trouble. Have fun, and happy formatting!
I'd suggest using a windows 98 boot disk (you have cdrom support for when your ready to install whatever).Boot the computer with the windows 98 boot disk (put in the floppy, turn computer on) choose "start computer with cdrom support" after a few moments (minutes??) you will be greeted with a dos prompt.
Type in FORMAT c:\ then press enter, this willformat your C drive, or the primary partition. substitue C for any other letter (except a, dont reformat your boot disk!)
after it is done, your finished, your hard drive is now wipes.
FDISK is a utility to delete/ create different partitions on the hard drive. A partition is a "wall" like a cubicle. you can divide one hard drive into many smaller ones, or use it as one big one. I'd suggest you dont mess around in here tomuch, unless you have another computer so you can get yourself out of trouble. Have fun, and happy formatting!
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- #3
estesflyer
Programmer
fdisk... if you only want to format, go ahead and just type in the command prompt
"format C:\" (c being your primary hardrive, or the one you want to format)
but if it doesn't work, you'll prolly need a boot diskette.. for some reason format doesn't always work from the cdrom.
hope this helps!
- Rusty - Rusty
"format C:\" (c being your primary hardrive, or the one you want to format)
but if it doesn't work, you'll prolly need a boot diskette.. for some reason format doesn't always work from the cdrom.
hope this helps!
- Rusty - Rusty
there is another way. say you had a virus or something and just wanted to wipe EVERYTHING off the disk. you could do what's called low-level format. what it does is set all the bits to 0. usually a hard drive will come with a disk to do so.. but if not just search the web for a utility. in your case, it seems as though your just routinely wiping out data because of clutter, in which case win98 or winME's boot disk. if you don't have one, go to control panel -> add remove software -> startup disk (it's a tab) then follow the instruction. restart the computer after backing everything up that is necessary through in the boot disk but make sure your floppy is the first disk to boot in cmos. then start without cdrom support (you'll need to restart the system anyway) make sure you didn't forget to back anything up and type format c:
restart through in your winME/98 setup disk boot, start with cdrom support and type e: (your cdrom will change temporarily, because the boot disk will load things to a virtual d: ) then type setup. you'll be all set!
hope this helps.
restart through in your winME/98 setup disk boot, start with cdrom support and type e: (your cdrom will change temporarily, because the boot disk will load things to a virtual d: ) then type setup. you'll be all set!
hope this helps.
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- #5
If you need any special drivers for hardware, be careful of formatting the hard drive. If you need a driver for the video card, sound card, network card (NIC), Modem, CD, scanner, camera, etc., it is a good idea to make sure you have everything organized before you format the drive.
Some new advanced video cards should be set to the lowest setting before you format the drive.
If you have a large drive you can use FDISK to split up the drive and put the operating system in a logical drive and store all of your documents on a different logical drive. That way you could back up all your drivers and downloads and critical stuff on a separate logical drive.
Good Luck. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
Some new advanced video cards should be set to the lowest setting before you format the drive.
If you have a large drive you can use FDISK to split up the drive and put the operating system in a logical drive and store all of your documents on a different logical drive. That way you could back up all your drivers and downloads and critical stuff on a separate logical drive.
Good Luck. If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.
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- #6
All good advice, just remember to have everything backed up if possible, that you have all the drivers you need to reinstall, a boot disk, a copy of 98, any updates that you need to make everything work.
Windows 98, Boot disk, motherboard driver disk, modem drivers, graphics drivers, sound drivers, printer drivers, scanner drivers etc etc etc and all the software you intend to load to hand. Martin
Windows 98, Boot disk, motherboard driver disk, modem drivers, graphics drivers, sound drivers, printer drivers, scanner drivers etc etc etc and all the software you intend to load to hand. Martin
- Thread starter
- #7
Thank you all for the tips. I have question about drivers, shouldn't Win 98 detect and install appropriate drivers for them? I just bought a $60.00 Pent 100mhz 1G Compaq5100 and the 98 CD and it loaded everything fine by its self. This one is for work, my question is for my home PC. Thanks again
Jeff
Jeff
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