Full Version: Cannot format Hard Disk
From: Shaddy [#15]
19 May 2006
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#13] 19 May 2006
XP has a cool roll back feature, at least Pro does. You should do that, pick a date that was before your issues.
I think it's called System Restore. I'll let one of the pros here explain more, as i haven't done it before.
Shaddy
From: Ken D. (KDEVORY) [#16]
19 May 2006
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#10] 19 May 2006
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17]
19 May 2006
To: Ken D. (KDEVORY) [#16] 19 May 2006
Ken, my accounting computer, ( Compaq) came like that also.....my Dell notebook came with software pre installed and the disks as opposed to a back up partition etc. which is the way I prefer it......
I DO have windows installation disks......XP Professional, office standard, office professional 2003 upgrade...plus all the other......software I need.....
Thanks
From: Upacreek [#18]
19 May 2006
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#17] 19 May 2006
So basically, you just want to wipe out the entire drive, format it and start from scratch and install a clean copy of Windows?
You are not trying to format the drive and keep all of your programs installed, right?
Michel
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#19]
19 May 2006
To: Upacreek [#18] 19 May 2006
From: Bieb (HABIEB) [#20]
19 May 2006
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#19] 19 May 2006
Chuck, No need to format first. Drop the Windows XP disk in, and boot. During the first couple screens of the install, it will ask if you want to repair Windows or install a fresh copy. Select fresh install, then when the option to select the partition to install to you can selet and recreate/format the partition, and then just continue with the Windows install.
If you have any other questions or problems, email me directly.
Harold
southeastlaser(at)gmail(dot)com
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#21]
19 May 2006
To: Bieb (HABIEB) [#20] 19 May 2006
Sigh..Harold, you know, I think I knew that somewhere back in the clutter of my mind....I even started to DO that, but then bailed on it for some reason. I'll try it again tonight.......
Thanks
From: Upacreek [#22]
19 May 2006
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#19] 19 May 2006
You can do a quick format and install of XP by inserting your XP CD into the CD drive and boot the laptop with the CD in the drive.
Depending upon your BIOS settings, the laptop will probably ask you if you want to boot from the CD. Depending upon how new your Dell is or if you have updated your BIOS, you can possibly hit F2 during the first few seconds of boot and select from a Boot Menu.
The CD will ask if you want to repair or reinstall Windows and you can proceed from there.
I personally do not run an install this way. 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. I use a utility to zap the drive and then install Windows.
IBM made two free utilities about 10 years ago that come in REALLY handy. One is called Wipe and the other is called Zap. Wipe writes 0's (zero's) over the ENTIRE drive and Zap writes over the first blocks of the drive and eliminates the boot record. What that means in simple terms, is after you Zap a drive, Windows Setup thinks it's a Brand New hard drive and asks if you'd like to format it.
You can find IBM's utilities at http://lists.suse.com/archive/suse-linux-e/2001-Jun/att-0780/01-welcome.htm
Michel
From: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#23]
19 May 2006
To: Upacreek [#22] 20 May 2006
Michel,
Thank you and EVERYONE for your help. Together ( ya gotta love this forum) we solved the problem.
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.
I'm up and running and faster than ever for a notebook with 1gig of ram.
Thank you to all for your help.
From: Engravin' Dave (DATAKES) [#24]
20 May 2006
To: LaZerDude (C_BURKE) [#23] 20 May 2006
Chuck,
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.
From: Ken D. (KDEVORY) [#25]
20 May 2006
To: Upacreek [#22] 20 May 2006
From: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#26]
20 May 2006
To: Ken D. (KDEVORY) [#25] 20 May 2006
From: Ken D. (KDEVORY) [#27]
20 May 2006
To: Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY) [#26] 20 May 2006
From: Upacreek [#28]
20 May 2006
To: Ken D. (KDEVORY) [#25] 21 May 2006
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. :-)
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.
Michel
From: Paul (JACKPETTY) [#29]
22 May 2006
To: ALL
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.
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.
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