/s installs the system files. This was in DOS and I do not know if it works with XP.

Is D: your boot disk? It is usually C: with XP making a partition of D: for some files.

I just looked on my system, no d: on the hard drive, D: is my ZIP drive. Could have sworn that on my other units D: was a system partition. But then again this computer came with ME and was upgraded, the others came with XP.

Philadelphia, PA (Really Bensalem)

Harvey's Tips Page When you finally understand it completely... it changes.

The system may be using it for temporary files when running.

Why are you trying to reformat the drive, what is on it, and what do you want to put on it? (some additional information may help.)

Usually your XP installation CD is bootable and has formatting options.

Also, you might look up on the site of your hard disk manuf. (Seagate, Western Digital, Maxtor...) and make a disk with their downloads. You should be able to FDisk and start over from there.

just make sure that's what you want to do first.

Shaddy

Try going to Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Computer Management. Then Click on Disk Management on the left.

I don't have XP home, but that's where you find it in XPpro and Win2k. If you can get there, that's the place to do all hard drive functions, like partitioning, formatting, etc...

Is this a new hard disk for your laptop? Is it external? Are you just doing some housecleaning on a old drive already installed?

Are you running XP Home from the Dell install or did someone else install the software for you?

XP can be fussy with certain types of installs and instead of making the primary drive "C", it will make the XP install "D" or something else. It is possible you are trying to format your system drive. Kind of like standing on the same tree branch you're trying to saw off!

Michel

Ken,
It is just generic maintainence mostly. My Outlook started behaving funny, and although I have done virus and spyware scans, that show nothing, SOMETHING is weird......so I just wanted a fresh start.

The error message implies some sort of driver or utility is using something on the drive. Do you have a swap file on that drive?

Maybe start in Safe Mode to minimize the drivers loaded?

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

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

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

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

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. :-$