How Do I Reformat My Hard Drive?

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Doctor Varney

New Member
A week ago, I inserted my Windows XP disc to do a complete reformat and re-install on a drive already containing Windows. Everything's gone wrong with that and I want to repeat this process. Only this time, I am not given the option to format the drive. Only to repair or do a fresh install. When I try to re-install Windows, I get a message saying there is already a copy of Windows on the drive and it won't do a fresh install. It didn't say that before.

Can I reformat through Windows? It gives an option to do this, when I right click on the drive in Windows Explorer.

I tried to download the Seagate/ Maxtor tools to check out this drive but it won't install.

I'm in a hell of a mess with this. Please help.

Dr. V
 
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Boot to the XP disk. On the harddrive setup page, delete the partition. Create a new one. Format it and start the install.
 
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Doctor Varney said:
Can't delete the partition. It isn't partitioned.
Click to expand...

If you are wanting to start fresh, then you have to delete the partition that windows is installed on. However, you need to boot to the install cd, you can't do a fresh install of windows while inside of windows.
 
Doctor Varney said:
Can't delete the partition. It isn't partitioned.
Click to expand...

If Windows is already on the drive it has to have a partition.

Like johnb35 said, you have to boot to the XP CD



Edit. Your problem is probably from your other thread. Your using a USB keyboard with out USB keyboard support enabled in the bios. Bet you cant boot to the CD. Use a PS/2 keyboard to enabe USB keyoard support.
 
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