Win Xp won't let me format >_<

[Gunblade]

I have no idea how to get to the command prompt >_< I hate win xp...
It doesn't start with a command prompt and obviously there is no ms-dos to restart to and of course you can not format a drive while it is in use so i have no idea how to actually format the damn thing... Any help please?

[mjc]

What exactly are you trying to do? Remove it?

What file system did you set it up with?

If you set it up with FAT32 then you can use a 98 boot disk and run format from the bootdisk.

If you set it up with NTFS then you can run a format from the CD...

[Gunblade]

Huh?
I'm just trying to format the C: drive in general but with win xp I have no idea how to get it to boot from the win 98 CD...

[mjc]

OK, if you have XP installed with the native NTFS filesystem then the Win98 CD won't recognise the partitions. You might be able to remove them by using the non-DOS partition option in fdisk, otherwise you will have to use the XP CD or a third party app that does recognise NTFS partitions. From there it should be a pretty straight forward procedure to reformat the drive.

[Gunblade]

There's no fdisk and exactly what am I suppose to do with the win xp CD? I want to format the entire hard drive so I have no idea what the win xp cd has to do with it? Surely formatting a drive can't be that difficult >_< Anyone one tell me why Microsoft decided to make formatting a drive with xp so hard? They think that I'll never need to format again with their "superior" software or something? Sheesh...

[mjc]

You basically use the XP setup disk to get part way into the setup and then choose to reformat the drive as FAT32, then when it is done abort the installation. Then you should be able to install 98....or you could then go back with the 98 bootdisk and setup partitions as you see fit and then reformat them....

Or if you can find a program called delpart, it should wipe the MTFS, and then format norally for 98.

[iisbob]

Get Ranish partition manager (http://www.ranish.com/part/); place it on your 98 boot disk, run Part from the Cmd prompt and choose to zero wipe the drive & MBR.

Then simply reboot and install whatever OS you wish.

The command promt in XP ( and NT/2k ) is run with " CMD ", or in XP's case you can also use the standard " Command " in the run box.


NO Windows version will let you format the current partition that Windows is using; to wipe an OS you have to be outside the current mount.

MS didn't make XP any harder to use to do a Disk Format than NT/2k. Simply boot from the CD and choose the format option avaialable to you after you have determined your partitions.

If you want to use the XP CD to remove the current installed OS, simply boot from the CD and delete the current partition(s), then reboot and use your OS media of choice to recreate the necessary partition(s) and file system.

[mjc]

iisbob,

I guess I'd better quit stumbling around at 1:30 am trying to say what you said, so much better......;) (just answer the easy ones then...)