Re-Format Hard Drive

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

James, you can use the WinXP CD to format your drive. You can also go
here www.bootdisk.com and download
and create a Win98SE Bootdisk. Then select the Floppy Drive as first boot
device in Bios. Insert the disk and bootup. At the A:\
prompt type: format C: You may have to do this first though. type:
fdisk /mbr but usually you can skip that.
To do a clean Install of WinXP Home and format your drive check
here
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_hom [...] raphic.htm



"JamesKnable" <JamesKnable@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4FCD6183-451B-4F64-81DA-35CEEDE6CC40@microsoft.com...
>I need to re-format my hard drive. I cannot do it throught the MS-DOS
>prompt
> in Windows XP Home Edition due to the File Structure on the hard drive.
> Is
> there any way to bypass the Windows boot and go directly to a MS-DOS
> prompt
> on start-up?? Plz help. Thanks.

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

JamesKnable wrote:
> I need to re-format my hard drive. I cannot do it throught the MS-DOS prompt
> in Windows XP Home Edition due to the File Structure on the hard drive.


It sounds like you're trying to format the drive containing the
system volume from within WinXP. You can't. This would be the computer
equivalent of sawing off the tree limb you're sitting on, and WinXP is
"too smart" to allow this.


> Is
> there any way to bypass the Windows boot and go directly to a MS-DOS prompt
> on start-up?? Plz help. 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 operating systems, of which WinXP is the latest generation,
has never used, included, or "ridden upon" MS-DOS.

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/defau [...] -us;316941

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

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


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