How do i format my hard drive

[vtrdaz]

The old p.c's getting a bit slow - guess it's 4 years worth of rubbish on it - can anyone tell me how to format the hard drive and reboot it from the window's c.d i have?
Cheers
Darren

[landyman Ash]

Yes I can but Ive just returned from the pub and that would be dangerous......  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:

The first time I did it I typed in "re-formatting hard drive" in google and printe off ten ways.  All roughly thr same and they worked a treat.  

Like going from 2.5 normally asmatic to a TD5 in a few hours  :D  :shock:  :D

[GaryPatt]

depends on what degree of formatting? need to save/backup al lfiles first.

Gary

[gords]

Formatting your hard drive is the easy bit ... making sure you have copied everything that you want/need to keep is much harder

I usually go into the BIOS and make sure the CD-ROM is before the C: drive in the boot sequence, then insert your Windows CD and boot up.

Oh actually, what version of Windows are we talking about here?

[vtrdaz]

windows 9(x?!!!iing)8 - we're thinking about just buying a new P.C at the moment as the norton software keeps saying the hard drive is playing up

[gords]

windows 9(x?!!!iing)8 - we're thinking about just buying a new P.C at the moment as the norton software keeps saying the hard drive is playing up

Well, at least you didn't say Windows ME  :lol:

To be perfectly honest, I can't remember the steps for 98. :oops:

It's a bit like recommending Halfords ... but if you're considering a new PC then get down to PC World. In an emergency (PC failed one Friday night and I had shed loads of work to do over the weekend), I whizzed down to PC World for a temporary solution. I got an e-Machines 420 for about £300. That was more than a year ago and it's still working fine!!

Hard drives do fail ... if you've got anything precious on there, make sure it's backed up!

[ChrisW]

boot into dos then format c: /u

[littlepow]

just type format c:\ in DOS and everything will go! Can't be undone so make sure you have copied everything you want first.

[C C]

Windows 98.
OK first backup your important files.
If you don't have a start up floppy disk make one by:
Opening the control panel. Select Add/Remove programs and select Start up disk.
Or download it from:  http://www.bootdisk.com/

OK you have your start up floppy.
Reboot the pc with the floppy.
Select the start with CD rom option.
At the A/ prompt type format c: then press enter.
answer yes to warning prompts.
After the format is complete.
put the windows CD in the drive.
Now if your CD drive is normally named the D: drive type e:                  then press enter. **
At the e/ prompt type  setup    then press enter.
Follow the instructions and windows will reinstall onto a nice clean hard disk.

Remember to have your drivers disks handy and all the programs you have been using will need to be reinstalled.


** whatever letter your CD drive is normally you must type the next letter. That is why the D: drive becomes the E: while you are installing Windows.


Hope that helps.

[vtrdaz]

cheers chaps :lol:

[Wanderer]

On a 98 machine I'd normally fdisk the drive and remove the partitions and rest them up in case anything naughty is squirreled away in the partition area.

Then just run up the 98 disk as per usual and let it do its stuff.