Reformat Harddrive

[Jaycee711]

Hey guys! I am new to this forum, but come here occasionally to read topics and such. I am a newbie at these kinda things so please forgive me if I am amateurish.....

I have run into a problem recently with trying to upgrade a Toshiba laptop. I want to install Windows XP on it. Right now it is running Windows ME. I want to reformat the harddrive and install XP. Lastnight I tried to do a "format c:" at the MS-Dos prompt, but I kept getting a "c: is currently in use by another program....aborting format". So next I tried to run the XP install cd thinking it would reformat the harddrive before installing, but when running the install it said it would put TWO operating systems on one computer! That isnt what I wanted so I cancelled the install. I dont know how to restart the computer in MS-Dos mode and there didnt seem to be an option to remove Windows ME on the add/remove programs tab.......can someone please give me a clue as to where to go next?!!!

Thanks.

 

[TheMajor]

at some point during XP setup it asks u to select a partition/harddrive....u can push the "f" button to format

or

u can make a bootdisk with ME

or

u can download a bootdisk from www.bootdisk.com

 

[Jaycee711]

ok thanks! i will try it out tonight!

 

[TheMajor]

no problem, and welcome to TF!!!

 

[Spud5437]

1) Go here http://ouraynet.com/files/windows/u...isks/boot98.exe and run that. It may say its for Windows 98, but donÂ’t mind that.

2) Then, shut down your computer. With the computer still turned off, insert the windows 98 bootdisk you just made. Turn on your computer.

3) Boot up your BIOS. it should me done by pressing either F1, F2, F7,F8,F9,F10,F11,F12 or DEL on your Keyboard simultaneously. If one doesnÂ’t work, just restart your computer and try the other one. When your have booted up your BIOS, go to the sector where it says BOOT. Set the primary boot device to your floppy drive. Exit and save your changes.

Now just follow these instructions.

1.) Insert the Startup disk in the floppy disk drive, restart your computer. When the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup menu is displayed, select the Start computer without CD-ROM support menu option, and then press Enter.

At a command prompt, type fdisk, and then press Enter.

2.) Do you wish to enable large disk support?

Press Y and then press Enter. This will enable the FAT32 file system

3.) After you press Enter, the following fdisk options menu is displayed:

1. Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive
2. Set active partition
3. Delete partition or Logical DOS Drive
4. Display partition information
5. Change current fixed disk drive

**Note** that option 5 is available only if you have two physical hard disks in the computer.

4.) Press 1 to select the Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive menu option, and then press Enter.

5.) Press 1 to select the Create Primary DOS Partition menu option, and then press Enter.

6.) After you press Enter, you receive the following message: Do you wish to use the maximum available size for primary DOS partition?

A.) After you receive this message, use the following method:

B.) Press Y if you want all of the space on the hard disk to be assigned to drive C, press Y, and then press Enter. Go to Step 7

C.) Press N if you do not want all of the space on the hard disk to be assigned to drive C.

a.) If you select N then continue to follow these instructions.

b.) Enter the size of the partition you wish to make and then press Enter.

c.) Press ESC.

d.) Press 1 to select the Create DOS partition or Logical DOS Drive menu option, and then press Enter.

e.) Press 2 to select the Create Extended Partition menu option, and then press Enter.

f.) Press Enter to create an extended DOS partition that uses up the rest of the hard drive.

g.) Press ESC. After pressing ESC fdisk will automatically try to create a logical DOS drive.

h.) Enter the size of the second partition you wish to create and then press Enter.

i.) If you created your second partition to use the entire size of the Extended DOS Partition then go to Step 7.

J.) If not then repeat step h until you have used up the rest of the Extended DOS Partition then go to Step 7.

7.) Press ESC, and then press ESC to quit the fdisk tool and return to a command prompt.

8.) Reboot. You are now ready to format the partitions that you just created.

The next step which is how to format the partitions you just created.

 

[Jaycee711]

Success!! It worked! I was able to reformat the harddrive and install WIndows XP on the laptop! I am now setting that up. I wanted to thank everyone for their help, it is greatly appreciated!

 

[killians45]

heh, quick question though... were you trying to format from the Dos shell at first? You can't do that. Your trying to format while IN windows. Just curious

 

[Jaycee711]

LOL.....yeah I realized that was what I was doing after I posted it....real doofus moment! Hope that doesnt instantly ban me?!

*crosses fingers*

 

[killians45]

lol, nah. I've seen people do that before You can start it that way, but I would NOT recommend it.