why are my DOS commands failing?...I am trying to format a hard disc on a fat32, but all my commands fail,?

Question

I don't know why. I know I have not the right commands. I know my my knowledge of DOS is only in part. I try: (I type this on ntfs)

c:\format i try c\driveformat,,,,,, I try: c:\drive\format

It's an old machine, No matter what i do, it just wont format, any ideas?

ok thanx.......ppl

it's not this computer, it's my other one

Answer 1

You can not format the C drive if you are booted from the C drive. Otherwise the format program would delete itself, crash and the hard drive would be ruined.

You have to boot the PC using a Windows floppy boot disk. You can go to http://bootdisk.com and download a small program (free) that will create a Windows 98 bootdisk with everything needed to format the computer on it.

Boot from the floppy disk. You should get the a:\

Type in: format c:

That will tell it to format the hard drive of the computer

Answer 2

Try "fdisk" first and then format. You need to partition your hard drive first before you format. Did you make a start up disk? Check out the link below for more information.

How to Format a Hard Disk
After you create the partitions, you must format the partitions: 1. Restart your computer with the Startup disk in the floppy disk drive.

NOTE: If you are using a Windows 95 Startup disk, a command prompt is displayed and you can skip to step 2. If you are using a Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Me Startup disk, select the Start computer without CD-ROM support menu option when the Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed.
2. When a command prompt is displayed, type format c: /s, and then press ENTER. This command transfers the system files and should only be used when you format drive C (or your "active" drive). For all other partitions, type format drive: (where drive is the letter of the partition that you want to format).

NOTE: If you receive a "Bad command" or "Bad file name" error message, you may need to extract the Format.com tool to your boot disk. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:
extract ebd.cab format.com
After the Format.com tool is extracted to your boot disk, type format c: /s t a command prompt to format your active partition, or type format drive: if you want to format a partition that is not your active partition.
3. When you successfully run the Format.com tool, you receive the following message:
WARNING, ALL DATA ON NON-REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE C: WILL BE LOST!
Proceed with Format?
4. Press Y, and then press ENTER to format drive C.
5. After the format procedure is finished, you receive the following message:
Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?
NOTE: This is an optional feature that you can use to type a name for the drive. You can either type an 11-character name for the drive, or you can leave it blank by pressing ENTER.
For information about how to repartition the extended partition and logical drives, view the "How to Repartition and Format the Extended Partition and Logical Drives of a Hard Disk" section in this article.

Answer 3

You have to boot from a floppy, CD or DVD to format. Otherwise, the Win Install will format the drive before installing (and, it will be on a floppy, CD, DVD). Also, if there was a hard drive manufacturer's program that can prevent you from using DOS. Also, if you tried to install Vista, that will really, really screw up a hard disc. Microsoft has changed the MBR on Vista.

First link is Microsoft "knowledge base" for NTFS / fat32.

Second link is for a linux distro. What you would do, if the DOS things fail, is download this Linux CD image -- called an ISO -- burn the CD and boot from it. You'll be in Linux. It has GParted, a hard disk management tool. It WILL format the drive and it will do FAT32 or NTFS

Answer 4

If memory serves me right of DOS 6.22!

Try Format a: (Where "a:" is the drive you want to format)

From a DOS prompt, you can also type in: Format /?
This will give you the options you can type in with "Format" to get it to format in different ways.

I hope this helps a little?!

Good luck!

Answer 5

Are you getting "bad command or filename?"

do this:
dir /s format.com

That will tell you where it is.

Note that if you are formatting drive c, you will have to copy format.com over to another drive and run it from there.

Answer 6

possibility-free Mode skill something went incorrect in homestead windows. you need to observe the boot up demonstrate screen and be in a position to elect available-free mode that brings up homestead windows, from that you need to do a restoration or checkdisk to fix the priority. i imagine being stuck in dos is nojoy.