How to format C drive

Nickolas

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I fianally gave up on my system and wanted to wipr the HD and start over. I went to format it and a pop-up came up telling me to close all windows and programs using that and I thought I did. I clicked on continue and got the "Windows can't let you do this....."

How do I force the HD to be formatted? I remember there wqs a way but I can't remember it now!

Thanks for you help!

Nick
 

Woodman

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Obviously you can't just format your drive from within Windows, since it's actually on the drive itself!

You need to reboot your system through a secondary drive, with it's own OS, such as a floppy bootdisk. Windows won't load, and you can easily format your drive that way.

<A HREF="http://www.bootdisk.com" target="_new">http://www.bootdisk.com</A>

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Wanted: Wet Nurse needed for 25 yr old male. Will not mind if taken advantage of.
 
1) Insert boot disk
2) Select from the Menu - Boot Without CD - ROM
3) Type "format c:"
4) Say "Y" when it asks you if you are sure
5) give the Drive a label if you want (you dont have to)
6) Restart

All done

A 30gig HHD takes around 10mins to format

EDIT: This wipes all your files, so remeber to back up. You'll need to reinstall your pirate version of windows XP 2.

<A HREF="http://www.tubgirl.com" target="_new">Don't Click This - Please! (NSFW)</A><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Ned_Flanders on 05/06/04 09:19 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
 

rook

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Are you using XP? You can boot with the CD and format from from the install setup. This is what I do cuz I've heard fdisk has problems with non-fat file structures.

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=23900" target="_new">System</A>
<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=2072215" target="_new">3DMark03</A>
 

Nickolas

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Holy Carp!

All I did was answer someones question! You must be something special to think you can talk to others like that you friggin jerk!

Hope you live your life all alone so you don't have the pleasure of speaking to others like you just did here to me!

Bye Asswipe
 
Firstly, it was a joke. I'm sorry if you didn't see it that way. Secondly, lol, you dick - don't post here again

<A HREF="http://www.tubgirl.com" target="_new">Don't Click This - Please! (NSFW)</A>
 

Crashman

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If you want to format and re-instal windows, put the XP CD in the drive and when prompted to boot off the CD or hard drive, choose the CD.

If you don't get that prompt, you'll need to go into BIOS and set the first boot device as the CD and the second as the hard drive.

Once you get into Windows Settup it will show you your old partition and give you the option to delete it. Delete it, and after several prompts you'll get the same screen where it says "unpartitioned space". Install windows to the unpartitioned space, it will ask you how you want that space formatted. A quick format should do the job, but if you're fussy you can do a full format. Choose NTFS if you'll never be accessing that drive from a DOS or 95/98/ME/etc boot disk, or choose FAT if you'll be needing the ability to access it from one of those.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 

blah

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put win98 floppy into the drive, boot PC, when winME will ask you if you want to load windows XP CD-ROM drivers, say "yes" and let win2k take care of the CD-ROM installation, then after you format the drive with linux utility called fdisk, just follow the easy steps and format the drive with NTFS again. after when DOS will ask you for network password and user names, put in your credit card number (use the old one, so nobody on the Internet can still it from the winXP's registry) and use it as your password next time you log in with win98 floppy again.

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...
 

rook

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You forgot to mention that you need 5 1/4 floppies too.

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=23900" target="_new">System</A>
<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k3=2072215" target="_new">3DMark03</A>
 

blah

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my bad, but I thought that win98 floppy was made for 3.5, well things change so fast these days..

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...
 

mrmonsoon

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Nickolas,

You have to understand, we all may me computer geeks and nerds, but most of all we are smart ass's. I fully understand how you might be offended. Think about it like this, when you are hanging out with your buddies, ya know, just the guys, you smart off to each other... and no gets offended, becouse everyone knows it's just all in fun. Some of us come out like that before you get to know us and it might be misunderstood. He was just being a ass, uh,er smartass. It is not uncommon at all to have one or two answers to a post be just jokes. Fear not, sooner or later, someone will answer your question. What you need to to when you get a responce like that is answer back with something like" Yah, but who listens to you". Remember, here if someone rips on ya, ripe on them back-just don't use profanty directly.
 

mrmonsoon

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Easy killer, he just didn't realize that this isn't a "straight laced" forum. Lets all relax and have a burger with Bigmac (no ketchup).
;-)
 

mrmonsoon

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I do it like Crashman said, follow his directions and you will be golden. By the way, the other methods mentioned work fine also, I just perfer Crashmans becouse I think it is the easiest method-I am lazy and always look for the easiest method.
 

Nickolas

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Hmmm,

Don't post here again! I suppose you are gonna nuke me if I do post here again! I have no problem dealing with people who think like you - I cross the border between NY and Ontario all the time and have to deal with the Gestapo, err, I mean US Customs!

Now if you are enough of a man to put up with them, come back and talk to me again!

Bye
 

blah

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you don't know any other, that's why u are so brave to talk about US custom so loud. Try our custom, then you'll appreciate the country you cross the borders all the time with shaking hands thinking how lucky you are.

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...
 

Nickolas

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I'm afraid I do know others. Just because I live in the USA doesn't mean that I don't know what happens elsewhere in the world. I have friends and relatives in many places that aren't such good places to live.

I have family in the former DDR (East Germany), Czechoslovakia, Poland and Israel.

I have friends in many places even worse than those - Serbia, Croatia and Russia.

I have been to all of the places listed above and I have heard stories from my family so YES, I do know.

:)
 

blah

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so from what you've observed all around US custom is the worst one from all, right?

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...