i want to format my computer... how do i open DOS when i start up my computer?

Question

what do i press and at what time?

Answer 1

I'll give you my honest answer.

It seems you have little knowledge of this and, just to let you know, you can screw things up.

Answer 2

If you want to format the main drive tic on the "My Computer" icon and right tic on the "C:/ drive"then select "format". I don't think that you can do this from the DOS prompt in Windows. I'm not too sure that this process that I have given you here will work either. I've never had to do this in WinXP. The only sure way that I know is to create a MS-DOS boot disk in the floppy drive. Open the floppy drive in "My Computer" on the "File" menu select "Format", under "Format Options" select "Create an MS-DOS Startup Disk" then click on "Start". To get to the DOS prompt, insert the start up disk into your floppy drive and "restart" or "start" the computer. If you don't have a floppy drive then install one yourself, or get an external one.

Answer 3

It's been so long since I've opened the DOS window, it'd be wrong for me to even suggest the procedure to format your hard drive. And hard drive reformatting may NOT be the solution to your problem; other simpler tips yet discovered may fix your computer, given one was told what problems your PC is having.

Help (and membership) is FREE if you go to www.suggestafix.com, where there are knowlegable people who can walk you safely through this--hopefully with as few snags as possible.

Members of this PC help forum saved me time and time over--and their help is FREE, unlike Geek Squad.

Answer 4

Well it seems to me that you really can't screw anything up if your willing to format. All you need is a windows 95,98 or milenium startup disk.

boot from the floppy, or cdrom, and it will ask you if you want to start with or without cdrom support, this is not necessary if you are using floppy.

when the dos propmpt comes up simply type "format c:\" at the propmt (minus the quotes) and it will ask you if you are sure hit the y key and off it goes.

WARNING: all data WILL be lost.
replace the C if you have another partition you are formatting.

Answer 5

Formatting the PC is not a start-up option.

If you intend to clean up your pc and start afresh, then I suggest you get the installation CD of that product - windows/linux/etc. and start from that.

Please remember that once you format a PC there will be nothing on the hard disk that will let the PC start up, so you will have to install an operating system.

During the installation of most operating systems you will be prompted to format your hard disk.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Download a DOS Boot floppy. Some its F8,F9 or Delete, but with a DOS boot floppy you are positive that you are in DOS.
http://www.computerhope.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?s=dos+boot
That explains any situation.
http://www.computerhope.com/boot.htm#09

Answer 7

at this point of time, mostly everyone is using win xp or vista...
i hope u r one of them too...
if u want to open DOS from the desk top screen then follow these steps...
click on the START menu --- click RUN.
a small window of RUN will appear. in that window, type 'cmd'.
u will get the dos mode there.

Answer 8

if youre using anything past windows 98 then theres no such thing as real DOS anymore and so you wouldn't use it to reformat your hard drive.
my best advice is to find the software that came with your new hard drive it usually has what youre looking for

Answer 9

I think it's F8. Press F8 when your screen shows the very first thing that you see.

Answer 10

this sounds like a bad idea for you to do. but if you must...you'll need a boot disk to boot your pc after reformatting your hard drive.

p.s. i still do not advise that you do this...I'm with that guy up there, you said it sounds like you don't know what you're doing.