Difficult Re-Format Situation

Status
Not open for further replies.

Dr Nick

In Runtime
Messages
211
Hi Everybody,
I am building a new computer and using an old hard drive for the OS. The hard drive is in my old comuter wich works a little bit. Can i format the drive from the MSDOS platform and if so how can i get there from startup? My other option is to take the drive out and put it in my computer but i really don't want to do that. Once im in msdos all i need to do is type format C: right?
 
Hmmmm, That may be a bit of a problem seeing as all of my computers came with windows already installed. Is there any other way that doesn't invlove the cd? Is there some program i could make into a boot disk (burning a prog on a CD to Boot from)
 
Dr Nick said:
Hi Everybody,
I am building a new computer and using an old hard drive for the OS. The hard drive is in my old comuter wich works a little bit. Can i format the drive from the MSDOS platform and if so how can i get there from startup? My other option is to take the drive out and put it in my computer but i really don't want to do that. Once im in msdos all i need to do is type format C: right?

You can't format from the drive you are working on, I think that's where you're getting confused. If you're in windows and go to run, and type CMD, you're in the DOS shell, but you're still on your C drive. And you can't format C from C, make sense?

So you need some other kindof of bootable media that you can run DOS from, then do the Format C:
 
Im a little confused how i can run a DOS prompt without using Windows. Anybody know of a file or place to download file to make a DOS boot Disk?
 
Dr Nick said:
Im a little confused how i can run a DOS prompt without using Windows. Anybody know of a file or place to download file to make a DOS boot Disk?

You can go to www.bootdisk.com and download a boot disc. What it gives you is basically a DOS Shell program with a limited amt of commands you can use (such as format). Use the Windows 98 link, it will work fine. It runs off the disk without accessing your hard drive, so you can " format c:" from there.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom