Format Hdd

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03-31-2004, 05:34 PM
:-)

I have a secondary computer which was running on Windows 2000 (I know its probably the worst Windows OS ever but it was on before I got it :frusty: ). I installed XP on top of it and basically messed up the whole computer when I tried to get rid of Windows 2000 as I deleted loads of OS stuff manually. Then I tried formatting my hard drive (I know the risks, I made a backup of everything important, blah blah :rolleyes: ) but it won't let me do it, says the volume is in use by another process or something similar. Furthermore, the only icon on desktop when XP starts is the recycle bin. Thirdly, I can't even get it to run in Windows 2000 mode.

I just want to totally wipe the HDD clean and start over. :(

PLEASE HELP ME!
03-31-2004, 05:40 PM
Marius24

proberly the best way to do it is through partition magic 8. It's how I would do it :)
03-31-2004, 05:45 PM
Peerzy

Never deleat stuff manully from an OS folder :frusty:

1)Get a DOS boot disc
2) insert DOS disc and it will load DOS
3)Type Format C: (replace C with whatever your hard drive is called

I think its:

Format C:

like that i could be wrong, If i am do this:

1)Do steps 1 and 2 as above.
2)Type FDISK and then go into the section where it displays your hard drive and format from there.

The reason you can't format from Windows is that the hard drive is being used BY windows! If it was a secondary hard drive and didn't have the OS on there it would do it fine!

Note i always get this mixed up it might be FDISK or it might be FDISC but i think its FDISK

:)
03-31-2004, 06:01 PM
:-)

Quote:

Originally posted by peerzyboy@31 March 2004 - 17:45
Never deleat stuff manully from an OS folder :frusty:

I know that now and I'm sorry! ;)

Thanks for the quick response Marius24 and peerzyboy.

Couple of follow up questions if I may:

Marius24: What's "partition magic 8"?

peerzyboy: The link for the DOS Boot Disc is to a defunct website. Any chance you could provide me with another link please.

Thanks again, much appreciated!
03-31-2004, 06:11 PM
atiVidia

Quote:

Originally posted by :-)@31 March 2004 - 12:34
I have a secondary computer which was running on Windows 2000 (I know its probably the worst Windows OS ever but it was on before I got it :frusty: ). I installed XP on top of it and basically messed up the whole computer when I tried to get rid of Windows 2000 as I deleted loads of OS stuff manually. Then I tried formatting my hard drive (I know the risks, I made a backup of everything important, blah blah :rolleyes: ) but it won't let me do it, says the volume is in use by another process or something similar. Furthermore, the only icon on desktop when XP starts is the recycle bin. Thirdly, I can't even get it to run in Windows 2000 mode.

I just want to totally wipe the HDD clean and start over. :(

PLEASE HELP ME!

scoreage, my friend :lol:

win2k is actually one of m$' better OSes...

also, just use killdisk to clean off the entire disk. after the disk is wiped, insert the winXP cd and boot from it. while ur at it, you shoul be able to choose partition sizes...
03-31-2004, 06:26 PM
firefox

forget all that, just boot to the windows xp bootable disk, during the install process you can delete all partitions and reformat during the setup.

EDIT: If you have the drive set to NTFS the dos boot disk will not help anyway.
03-31-2004, 06:27 PM
atiVidia

Quote:

Originally posted by firefox@31 March 2004 - 13:26
forget all that, just boot to the windows xp bootable disk, during the install process you can delete all partitions and reformat during the setup.

killdisk does a full 7 stage wipe...
03-31-2004, 06:32 PM
:-)

Quote:

Originally posted by atiVidia@31 March 2004 - 18:11
win2k is actually one of m$' better OSes...

You serious about that? I've had problems all the time with it! <_<

Thanks for the info anyway. I like the sound of killdisk.

PS Excuse my ignorance :unsure: but what does "scoreage" mean?
03-31-2004, 06:35 PM
Mr. Elmo

Quote:

Originally posted by :-)@31 March 2004 - 17:34

I just want to totally wipe the HDD clean and start over. :(

PLEASE HELP ME!

take out ur hdd....throw in against the wall until it break, buy a new hdd, put winxp on it :D :lol:

ok, so that might not be best, but i the best way is to use partition magic 8 but im still wondering why u cant just format the hdd when installing a new os :blink: :blink:

oh btw, did u buy ur comp, or build it? If u buy ur comp, use the recovery disc they gave you.
03-31-2004, 07:11 PM
:-)

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Elmo@31 March 2004 - 18:35
take out ur hdd....throw in against the wall until it break, buy a new hdd, put winxp on it :D :lol:

ok, so that might not be best, but i the best way is to use partition magic 8 but im still wondering why u cant just format the hdd when installing a new os :blink: :blink:

oh btw, did u buy ur comp, or build it? If u buy ur comp, use the recovery disc they gave you.

Would do the throwing thing if I had the money to burn but I'm a bit tight for cash right now.

What's "partition magic 8"?

This computer was bought quite a few years ago so I don't have recovery disk - nice try though!
03-31-2004, 07:21 PM
james_bond_rulez

Quote:

Originally posted by :-)@31 March 2004 - 08:34
I have a secondary computer which was running on Windows 2000 (I know its probably the worst Windows OS ever but it was on before I got it :frusty: ). I installed XP on top of it and basically messed up the whole computer when I tried to get rid of Windows 2000 as I deleted loads of OS stuff manually. Then I tried formatting my hard drive (I know the risks, I made a backup of everything important, blah blah :rolleyes: ) but it won't let me do it, says the volume is in use by another process or something similar. Furthermore, the only icon on desktop when XP starts is the recycle bin. Thirdly, I can't even get it to run in Windows 2000 mode.

I just want to totally wipe the HDD clean and start over. :(

PLEASE HELP ME!

that's cuz you dont know and you mess it up.

win2k is one of the best os that ms has come up with.

Just use a win98 DOS bootdisk and then format c:\

it's simple really
03-31-2004, 07:27 PM
Mad Cat

Quote:

Originally posted by :-)@31 March 2004 - 17:34
Then I tried formatting my hard drive but it won't let me do it, says the volume is in use by another process or something similar.

You tried to reformat the active partition? If it was possible, what would Windows do when it self deleted that part of itself that it needs to reformat while in Windows :wacko:

Killdisk is cool, does over the hard drive with redundant data many times over, good if you ever get caught by the cops. Either that or a magnet... :P
03-31-2004, 07:50 PM
Virtualbody1234

As already mentioned.

Just boot the Windows XP CD. There are tools right there to format before the setup starts.

Use NTFS.
03-31-2004, 10:11 PM
clocker

Quote:

Originally posted by :-)@31 March 2004 - 11:11

What's "partition magic 8"?

It is a very cool program for partitioning/formatting/in general screwing around with your drives.

I consider both it and Norton Ghost to be "must have" programs.
03-31-2004, 11:04 PM
tesco

Since everyone has already posted plently of helpful comments\ideas I thought i would just say that in XP by default there is only one icon on the desktop, that is the recycle bin. To get more icons on the desktop the easiest way is to:
right click desktop>click the desktop tab>click customize desktop>choose the icons you would like at the top of the window.
04-01-2004, 02:38 AM
delphin460

or just go to properties and choose windows classic mode and all the usual icons apear on yer screen

and yes why bother with any of the old ways of partitioning and formatting as windows xp when booted from the cd allows you to do it all, partitioning / formating ect all in one go
04-01-2004, 02:55 AM
peat moss

Quote:

Originally posted by delphin460@31 March 2004 - 18:38
or just go to properties and choose windows classic mode and all the usual icons apear on yer screen

and yes why bother with any of the old ways of partitioning and formatting as windows xp when booted from the cd allows you to do it all, partitioning / formating ect all in one go

Some priortory systems have installed factory recovery partions. I like to fdisk or use killdisk first from the floppy drive .Then boot from cd to install. Works best on older system's, I feel.
04-01-2004, 01:39 PM
:-)

Thanks for all your help guys. I booted from the XP disc and it formatted it for me and now, happiness, a clean hard drive. :D
04-02-2004, 11:53 PM
firefox

Quote:

Originally posted by :-)@1 April 2004 - 07:39
Thanks for all your help guys. I booted from the XP disc and it formatted it for me and now, happiness, a clean hard drive. :D

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