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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Razor on December 18, 2002, 05:38:53 pm

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: Razor on December 18, 2002, 05:38:53 pm

I am having a lot of trouble with my system. I am using XP and it seems like that there is no other solution but to format my hard-drive. Most of the stuff is backed up. Now I need to know, how can I format a HDD that has WINXP (which doesn't have the good ol' DOS)?

One more thing, will my file system be NTFS again after formating and re-installing WINXP? If not, what do I have to do to arrange that?

Please help!

Thanks in advance.

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: Nico on December 18, 2002, 05:58:59 pm

you don't have dos floppys or a win98 CD? I actually have no idea how to format on a strict XP system, so I'd boot with one of those. for the NTFS stuff, when you boot from the XP cd to install it, it'll let you choose how you want the disk formated at the begining of the installation.

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: Razor on December 18, 2002, 06:05:16 pm

I have Win 98 CD. If I remember right, I am supposed to press CTRL at the beginning of the boot process, but it's a lot different in XP than in 98-er. You don't have taht good ol' one like in )x versions.

OK. So I guess I have the File System problem fixed but how do I format my HDD? Any ideas please? :(

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: mikhael on December 18, 2002, 06:12:53 pm

Boot from the OS install CD. The XP, Win2k, and Win98 CDs will all let you boot from them and should allow you to reformat/repartition your hard drive at that time.

Failing that, there's always http://www.bootdisk.com/

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: Razor on December 18, 2002, 06:20:49 pm

Ok. So that is how I boot it up, but my question  is How do I format my hard drive? I am sorry if I missed your point here, but I am really dum when it comes to Operating Systems.

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: mikhael on December 18, 2002, 06:24:44 pm

Quote

Originally posted by Razor
Ok. So that is how I boot it up, but my question  is How do I format my hard drive? I am sorry if I missed your point here, but I am really dum when it comes to Operating Systems.

During the install process of Win2k and most likely WinXP you should be given the option to reformat and/or repartition your drives.

If you can't do that, get a boot disk from the URL I listed, make a boot disk, boot to DOS and use the fdisk and format commands.

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: Borealis on December 18, 2002, 07:08:08 pm

when I had to re-install and re-format XP I called Dell tech support and made them coach me through it over the phone :nod:

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: Shrike on December 18, 2002, 07:25:46 pm

Quote

Originally posted by Borealis
when I had to re-install and re-format XP I called Dell tech support and made them coach me through it over the phone :nod:

OH god, I remember that.....  they certainly took their time on that one.

Title: Need urgent help! Please assist!
Post by: Razor on December 19, 2002, 04:57:26 am

Quote

Originally posted by mikhael


During the install process of Win2k and most likely WinXP you should be given the option to reformat and/or repartition your drives.

If you can't do that, get a boot disk from the URL I listed, make a boot disk, boot to DOS and use the fdisk and format commands.

OK. I will try to do that when I get home.