Formatting

[efript]

How do I format? Does formatting delete EVERYTHING off my HD so its like new? Once its formatted how do i reinstall windows? i have the 98se cd, but how would i access the cd if windows isnt running?

 

[Victory]

Formatting will wipe everything off your hard drive. It'll give you a fresh clean start. Anyhow in order to boot your machine with no OS installed on it you have a few options.

If it's a retail machine that you bought and not built yourself you should have a system restore disk that came with your machine. That will boot your machine and give you access to your CD-Rom. Just type the letter of your cd drive and then type setup and sit back and watch the show.

If it's a machine you assembled yourself you'll need to create a boot disk that will intialize your CD-Rom as well. Go to your start menu, control panel, add/remove programs and click on the create startup disk. This will copy all the needed system files you need to boot the machine. It's a wise move to test the boot disk before formatting your hard disk!!!


Save heating costs on your home, overclock your PC!!!

 

[DaveP]

Or, if you can, boot from cd, start your computer with the cd in. Go into bios and set the cd rom as a bootable drive (this may not be an option, depends on how old your computer is). Put the cd in and restart the computer.

<font color=blue>GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.</font color=blue>

 

[DaveP]

You might also be able to start with your computer already on. Just put the cd in, and let it run. Follow the on screen instructions. I'm not sure about doing it this way. I haven't reinstalled 98 recently. But, I know it works in XP. But that is a different beast.

<font color=blue>GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.</font color=blue>

 

[slickstaa]

windows 98 is not a bootable cd. You will need a startup disk (floppy) to boot from if you want to reformat. Then, the best way to go about installing win98 is to copy over the CAB files to your hd and setup from there as it will go much faster and you will never be asked to insert the windows cd again.

<font color=blue> If it ain't broke, don't fix it...tweak it.</font color=blue>

 

[Bardic]

What do you mean windows 98 is not bootable, I boot from mine all the time, it's way faster than a floppy if your motherboard supports booting from CD.

If you want the easiest way to do it without risking not being able to boot.

but to be on the safe side, just go into control panel->add/remove programs->and then the "startup Disk" tab. It will let you make a disk that boots with CD-rom support.

After you boot with that:

<a:\>d: (usually what the cd-rom is)
<d:\>cd win98
<d:\win98>setup

 

[jc14all]

You are just kiddin...huh?

<font color=purple><b>Listen twice as much as you Speak. Better yet, Think twice. </font color=purple></b>