formatting help needed

livelife

livelife

New Member
how do i completly format my hard drive???

i have tried to right click and select format but it says there are programs running off the hard drive and tell me to close them. i do that till it's only the critical systems left and it still gives me the same message.
i have windows xp.
 
Even if you don't have a winXP cd, you can boot using any bootable CD or even a boot floppy disk, and at the command prompt, type the following:

c:\>format c:

Change the drive letter to format the other partitions.
 
elmarcorulz said:
but its easier if he uses a XP cd, assumming he uses xp, becuase he can then re installl the OS straight away
Click to expand...

Ya sure, I agree it's much more easier if he has a bootable XP CD, but I gave the other option if he does not have a bootable XP CD my friend :) that's all.
 
Formatting is a rather easy, but time consuming task. In order to do so, you need to go into your BIOS and edit the boot order. Simply put your CD drive as the first boot device. Assuming you have a Windows XP (or whichever OS you are using), insert that into the CD drive and restart. After the post, it will prompt you to boot from the CD. Proceed and boot from the CD. After loading some drivers, Windows setup will begin. You will have to delete your current partition, make another partition(s), choose whichever partition you wish to be your system volume, and baaaaaaaaaaam youre done!
 
i'v placed the cd in and booted from it but it does not give me the option to format. all i get is install windows xp, repair and exit.
 
go to install windows, the it will ask you to format the hard drive. remember though you WILL need to install windows again.
 
Are you aware that your hard drive will be completely wiped, you will lose all you data unless you backup - or unless you used a different partition.

I know it mean seem like a silly point but it good to be sure that you know what it is your doing
 
XP was just an example of using a O/S CD
Click to expand...
Possibly but "but its easier if he uses a XP cd" suggests that not using an XP CD would be harder.

i'v placed the cd in and booted from it but it does not give me the option to format. all I get is install windows xp, repair and exit.
Click to expand...
Format is buried under install.
 
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