Booting into DOS when using XP

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Sorry guys, the answer to this must be somewhere there but I'm damned if I
can find it. In the "olden days" with Windows 98, we had a closing down
option of 'reboot in MSDOS'. With XP, we dont have this. Sure, there is
'command prompt', accsessable through Accessories, but if you wish to Format
the HDD this way, you can't because Windows, on that drive, is open. I have
only the one HDD, Iwish to format in order to reinstall XP. (A few funny
things in there could be causing problems, and I've already backed up
everything I want to save). I'm sure there's one key...is it F6 or F8 that
will stall the boot in DOS and allow me to format the drive. Any help would
be very handy to receive. In anticipation, thanks.
--
Ozpete

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Booting to a Dos prompt on the hard drive does not allow you to format that
drive.
Boot to a floppy or a CD allows formatting of the hard drive.
You will need to boot from the XP CD to install, so boot from the XP CD.
--
Ron Sommer

"Ozpete" <Ozpete@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7CDF5DED-8606-4777-BF88-70E8DB5E23CA@microsoft.com...
> Sorry guys, the answer to this must be somewhere there but I'm damned if I
> can find it. In the "olden days" with Windows 98, we had a closing down
> option of 'reboot in MSDOS'. With XP, we dont have this. Sure, there is
> 'command prompt', accsessable through Accessories, but if you wish to
> Format
> the HDD this way, you can't because Windows, on that drive, is open. I
> have
> only the one HDD, Iwish to format in order to reinstall XP. (A few funny
> things in there could be causing problems, and I've already backed up
> everything I want to save). I'm sure there's one key...is it F6 or F8 that
> will stall the boot in DOS and allow me to format the drive. Any help
> would
> be very handy to receive. In anticipation, thanks.
> --
> Ozpete

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Ozpete wrote on Thu, 11 Aug 2005 03:57:07 -0700:

> Sorry guys, the answer to this must be somewhere there but I'm damned if I
> can find it. In the "olden days" with Windows 98, we had a closing down
> option of 'reboot in MSDOS'. With XP, we dont have this. Sure, there is
> 'command prompt', accsessable through Accessories, but if you wish to
> Format the HDD this way, you can't because Windows, on that drive, is
> open. I have only the one HDD, Iwish to format in order to reinstall XP.
> (A few funny things in there could be causing problems, and I've already
> backed up everything I want to save). I'm sure there's one key...is it F6
> or F8 that will stall the boot in DOS and allow me to format the drive.
> Any help would be very handy to receive. In anticipation, thanks.

There is no DOS in XP. Boot off the Win XP CD - you can use Recovery Console
to format the drive, or just go through the installation process for XP and
choose to format the existing partition (you might just have to delete the
existing partition and then recreate it, achieves the same thing).

Dan

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Ozpete wrote:
> Sorry guys, the answer to this must be somewhere there but I'm damned if I
> can find it. In the "olden days" with Windows 98, we had a closing down
> option of 'reboot in MSDOS'. With XP, we dont have this. Sure, there is
> 'command prompt', accsessable through Accessories, but if you wish to Format
> the HDD this way, you can't because Windows, on that drive, is open. I have
> only the one HDD, Iwish to format in order to reinstall XP. (A few funny
> things in there could be causing problems, and I've already backed up
> everything I want to save). I'm sure there's one key...is it F6 or F8 that
> will stall the boot in DOS and allow me to format the drive. Any help would
> be very handy to receive. In anticipation, thanks.


There is no way to reboot a WinXP PC into Real Mode DOS unless
you've set up a dual-boot system. The WinNT family of 32-bit graphical
desktop operating systems, of which WinXP is the latest generation, has
never used, included, or "ridden upon" MS-DOS. The Recovery Console's
CLI (Command Line Interface) is the closest you can come to the old "DOS
mode."

Simply boot from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the
installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot
devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm



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