I'm trying to wipe my laptop and then re-install it as it's about 4 years old and running VERY slow. It needs to start again!! I've tried various boot disks to get me to a DOS prompt but it either won't allow me to 'format c:' or says 'Invalid drive specification'. I'm running XP Home edition.
2006-12-01 00:22:45 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
press windows key + R and type command,
when DOS prompt appears type the following command format c:
answer the question and that's it really.
Of course make sure you've got everything you need to reinstall your PC (starting with the OS Install CD) before
2006-12-01 00:29:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
we're going to go over how to format your hard drive and reinstall Windows XP from scratch to get back that shiny new operating system feeling untainted by years of wear, tear and added and removed programs.
Note for the tremulous: I cannot tell a lie; reinstalling an operating system is NOT a trivial task. There are several junctures where lots of things can go wrong that can affect the way your PC functions FOREVER. Further, this isn't a task one can complete in just a few hours. There are lots of ways to fix PC problems before reinstalling Windows, a fresh install should be an absolute last resort. It took me three years - one which involved installing and uninstalling programs almost daily - to get to the point of reinstalling Windows. You have been warned.
Still with me? Good.
What you'll need:
1. A Windows XP machine in dire need of a fresh start
(Without any crucial, un-backedup data on it)
2. A Windows XP installation CD with a valid Product Key
(Preferably the disc that shipped with the computer originally, in which case the Product Key won't be obviously listed)
3. The CDs and serial numbers of all the software you need to install on your fresh "new" machine
4. Hardware driver discs that shipped with the PC and any components you added on
(Optional, but VERY strongly recommended)
5. Another 'net-connected computer of any OS persuasion with a CD burner, thumb drive, or other removable disk
(Optional, but strongly recommended, for looking up stuff and downloading drivers in case of emergency)
6. One full day to get your PC fully functioning again.
2006-12-01 00:29:24 · answer #2 · answered by Dev 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How To Format A Laptop
2016-10-04 05:21:53 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Go into the BIOS and set your CDROM as your primary boot device.
Insert your genuine Windows XP Home CD in your drive and restart your computer.
Once you boot up you should have an option 'press any key to boot from CDROM' - press any key.
This will take you to Windows setup. Inside the setup you can do a clean install which will partition and format your harddrive.
You could also format while inside windows. Start button > Run > type in 'cmd', this will pull up a command prompt. Type in format/q c: and this will format your harddrive.
It is recommended that you have some sort of bootup disc so that after formatting you can reinstall a OS.
Good luck!
2006-12-01 00:28:35 · answer #4 · answered by ninesunz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put in your XP disk and reboot your machine.
Make sure it boots from the XP disk.
Part of installing the OS is an option to format the hard drive.
Have fun.
2006-12-01 00:25:28 · answer #5 · answered by timc_fla 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Invalid drive specification
Explanation: You specified a drive letter in a command that does not exist.
Diagnosis: This usually results from incorrectly typing a drive letter. For example, typing "DIR Q:" will cause this error if there is no Q: volume on the machine. It can also result from a drive not being properly recognized by the system at boot time, for a variety of reasons.
http://www.oldfiles.org.uk/powerload/fat32/fat11.htm
2006-12-01 00:25:19 · answer #6 · answered by mr nice 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you do not need to get a dos prompt to format your hard disk. On the link below read the easy to follow steps of the complete process of repartitioning, formatting, and installing windows XP.
http://yanswers.blogspot.com/2006/10/windows-reinstallation.html
2006-12-01 00:35:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you only have one hard drive in it, then that's the hard drive that would have Windows installed on it. So you can't format that one.
2006-12-01 00:30:56 · answer #8 · answered by dlenflockson 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before forematting, try this;
1) tools
2) Internet opt'ns
3) (T.I.F. ) Temp' internet files
4) settings
5) view files
6) And then, delete the tif's
7) delete cookies
8) then try your computer to see if it wowrks any better
2006-12-03 13:55:33 · answer #9 · answered by purdygoode 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Run fdisk first and repartition the drive. Make sure all partitions are wiped out and make a new primary.
2006-12-01 00:30:38 · answer #10 · answered by Nomadd 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋