Cannot format Hard Disk - Engraving Etc. Forum

<body> <h1>Full Version: <a href="https://www.engravingetc.org:443/archive/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.23">Cannot format Hard Disk</a></h1><a name="a3872_23"></a><p><b>From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.23">#23</a>]<br /> 19 May 2006<br /><b>To: Upacreek</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.22">#22</a>] 20 May 2006</p> <div class="quotetext" id="quote"><b>quote: </b></div><div class="quote">The CD will ask if you want to repair or reinstall Windows and you can proceed from there.</div><br /> <br /> Michel,<br /> <br /> Thank you and EVERYONE for your help. Together ( ya gotta love this forum) we solved the problem.<br /> The XP Professional cd also gives an option to run the recovery console ( Thank you Harold for your input which led me to this) which I did.... it took me to the dos prompt for the C drive and I was able to format from there. <br /> I'm up and running and faster than ever for a notebook with 1gig of ram.<br /> <br /> Thank you to all for your help. <hr /><a name="a3872_24"></a><p><b>From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.24">#24</a>]<br /> 20 May 2006<br /><b>To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.23">#23</a>] 20 May 2006</p> <p>Chuck,</p> <p>All I can say is wow! The help you got on this subject shows what range of talent there is on this forum. I am humbled. <span class="e_embarrassed" title=":-$"><span class="e__">:-$</span> </span></p> <hr /><a name="a3872_25"></a><p><b>From: Ken D. (KDEVORY)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.25">#25</a>]<br /> 20 May 2006<br /><b>To: Upacreek</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.22">#22</a>] 20 May 2006</p> <div class="quotetext" id="quote"><b>quote: </b></div><div class="quote">I have found that even though XP formats the drive and installs a clean copy of Windows, it takes more hard drive space then formating the drive or wiping the drive without the XP CD.</div> I may be wrong, but I suspect it's enabling/creating some kind of "undo" option. <hr /><a name="a3872_26"></a><p><b>From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.26">#26</a>]<br /> 20 May 2006<br /><b>To: Ken D. (KDEVORY)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.25">#25</a>] 20 May 2006</p> You spurred a memory. I remember somewhere, now, that you CAN undo that operation. Your memory beats mine. <hr /><a name="a3872_27"></a><p><b>From: Ken D. (KDEVORY)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.27">#27</a>]<br /> 20 May 2006<br /><b>To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.26">#26</a>] 20 May 2006</p> <span class="e_smile" title=":-)"><span class="e__">:-)</span> </span> <hr /><a name="a3872_28"></a><p><b>From: Upacreek</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.28">#28</a>]<br /> 20 May 2006<br /><b>To: Ken D. (KDEVORY)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.25">#25</a>] 21 May 2006</p> <p>Not with that type of install. Once XP formats the drive, it can't undo it. You can test that theory out on your machine and prove me wrong if you want. <span class="e_smile" title=":-)"><span class="e__">:-)</span> </span></p> <p>It wasn't worth the time to compare file differences between the two types of installs, but I'm confident it was garbage temp files and such left over from the XP Setup.</p> <p>Michel</p><hr /><a name="a3872_29"></a><p><b>From: Paul (JACKPETTY)</b> [<a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.29">#29</a>]<br /> 22 May 2006<br /><b>To: ALL</b></p> <p>I always suggest a copy of Partition Magic which does all the hard work for you. While it's not needed since, as alreayd mentioned, you can do everything you want with the OS disk but it does other things that I find helpful. <br /> Also useful is a copy of Acronis True Image or Norton Ghost...I like True Image. I set my systems up with all the drivers and with a clean install, make an image of it and save it and when I want to do a reformat and clean install, simply use the image and in less than 20 minutes or so, I'm back up and running.</p><hr /><p align="center">Show messages:  <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.1">1-2</a>  <a href="lmessages.php?webtag=EE&msg=3872.3">3-22</a>  23-29</p> <h4><a href="lthread_list.php?webtag=EE">Back to thread list</a> | <a href="llogout.php?webtag=EE">Login</a></h4> <h6>© 2025 <a href="http://www.beehiveforum.net/" target="_blank">Project Beehive Forum</a></h6> </body>