I need to format my hard drive
2006-07-07 07:28:41 · 8 answers · asked by cres_ton 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Other - Computers
you have to prepare a bootable floppy by following steps,
insert a new floppy, into the FDD
then right click, click format,
then select the option, copy system files,
and click start,
bootable floppy is ready,
then you have to boot from ur floppy by changing ur BIOS settings
then MSDOS will load,
then u can format ur harddisk
Note(after copying the system files dont forget to copy a format.exe from ur system root/windows/system32 to the floppy to format the HDD.)
2006-07-07 07:40:22 · answer #1 · answered by Mathi 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you are formating your hard drive and are reinstalling Windows you can reformat (and repartition) your hard drive directly from the installer. You will have to boot directly into the install program though, which means you will have to boot from the install cd.
If you are not reinstalling Windows and just wiping the disk clean, I don't think you can format the same drive Windows is currently installed on. You would have to remove the hard drive and install it as a secondary drive in another computer and then you could format it from My Computer.
2006-07-07 14:40:23 · answer #2 · answered by John 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't. Windows XP is not a DOS based platform. You can however go into the Command Promt. Start->All Programs->Accessories. If you are needing to format your hard drive, I would recommend a program called Autoclave. It will completely reformat the HDD to DOD thuroughness.
2006-07-07 14:45:50 · answer #3 · answered by harlequingraphics 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Short answer is you can't.
However, you can load a command prompt in windows by running cmd.exe from the run window (Start Menu->Run...).
You can also boot to command prompt by pressing F8 while windows is loading.
However you won't be able to reformat because windows locks the drive against that when you boot. The only way to reformat is to boot from the windows CD.
2006-07-07 14:37:20 · answer #4 · answered by John J 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sometimes 'older' can help, i still have my old win 98 start-up disk!
restart and go into your BIOS set boot priority to start a:\ drive first, exit saving changes with that 'boot up disk' in a: drive...from there you can cheat your windows XP and format from that stiffy disk...
Think this should work!!
2006-07-07 15:40:10 · answer #5 · answered by HAWKEYE 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
click on start button, select Run, type in "cmd" in box (no quotes). that will give you an ms dos screen
2006-07-07 14:34:28 · answer #6 · answered by micki_84341 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i dont think u can cause i needed to to play one of my old games and i could never find it
2006-07-07 14:31:48 · answer #7 · answered by justinurban03 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
start / run / then type in cmd. it will put you in dos mode, not true dos however.
2006-07-07 14:33:59 · answer #8 · answered by Sportsterjohn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋