I just got a new hard drive and I want to change the old one. My computer didn't com with a format cd, so is there anyway to format my hard drive without buying anything?
2006-08-30 18:39:15 · 9 answers · asked by bluevoltagex@sbcglobal.net 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
If you are going to use both the hard disks together, and you have windowsXP installed on your computer, then you can go to start > control panel > Administrative Tools > Computer management > click on "disk management"
At this location you will see both of your hard disks. You can right click on the unformatted disk and Format and create a new partitions.
2006-08-30 18:46:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All new hard drives now have a boot disk to format the drive like Maxtor and Western Digital, just put the disk in, boot from cd and follow on screen instructions, it should be formated in a few minutes, if it hdd didn't come with a disk (if you bought the hdd oem from somewhere) then go to the hard drive manufacturers site and download the iso or bood disk to format the hdd.
2006-08-31 02:06:21 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Without knowing which OS you are using, it's a hap hazard ordeal... modern day XP detects the new hardware and lets you choose a format for it, either NTFS or FAT32 ... the choice is yours ... Caution tho, once you format in NTFS, you can not go back to FAT32.
2006-08-31 03:27:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go to start and right click on my computer. One the options is to manage. Within this there is the option under storage for disk management.
When you click into this you will see and unformatted/unpartitioned disc. Click on it and format.
Be careful that you do not format your existing drive or you will lose everything on it.
2006-08-31 01:45:19 · answer #4 · answered by doyler78 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sure! just make a boot disk (see windows help) then boot with the disk, get to the dos command prompt, ensure A: is the prefix and type
format c:
this will ask you if your sure and you can take it from there. simple
2006-08-31 01:45:59 · answer #5 · answered by Mikeo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
plug it in as a slave drive, boot from the old disk, and you can format it from thier, if you are using xp right click on my computer and goto manage, from this new window you choose disk management right click on the new drive and create partition, and follow the prompts
2006-08-31 01:44:05 · answer #6 · answered by tekinstaller 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Install the drive and boot up your computer with your cdrom with windows. It should recognize your hard drive and load up.
2006-08-31 01:45:51 · answer #7 · answered by Thomas S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can make an image of your old hard drive and operating system with something like Norton Ghost. But you have to buy that too.
Just like you'd have to buy windows. Which of course you did.
2006-08-31 01:45:43 · answer #8 · answered by PommyTom 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
you can download at bootdisk.com to make a bootable floppy disk if you don't have an available win98 to make a startup disk.
2006-08-31 02:03:07 · answer #9 · answered by kurapiket 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋