Cannot format Hard Disk - Engraving Etc. Forum

From:	LaZerDude (C_BURKE)	19 May 2006
To:	Bieb (HABIEB)	21 of 29

3872.21 In reply to 3872.20
quote: 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. 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	19 May 2006
To:	LaZerDude (C_BURKE)	22 of 29

3872.22 In reply to 3872.19

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)	19 May 2006
To:	Upacreek	23 of 29

3872.23 In reply to 3872.22
quote: The CD will ask if you want to repair or reinstall Windows and you can proceed from there. 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)	20 May 2006
To:	LaZerDude (C_BURKE)	24 of 29

3872.24 In reply to 3872.23

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)	20 May 2006
To:	Upacreek	25 of 29

3872.25 In reply to 3872.22
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. I may be wrong, but I suspect it's enabling/creating some kind of "undo" option. Ken Devory Jr.

From:	Harvey only (HARVEY-ONLY)	20 May 2006
To:	Ken D. (KDEVORY)	26 of 29

3872.26 In reply to 3872.25
You spurred a memory. I remember somewhere, now, that you CAN undo that operation. Your memory beats mine. Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem) Harvey's Tips Page When you finally understand it completely... it changes.

From:	Upacreek	20 May 2006
To:	Ken D. (KDEVORY)	28 of 29

3872.28 In reply to 3872.25

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)	22 May 2006
To:	ALL	29 of 29

3872.29
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.