Formatting the Active Hard Drive

[tallguy22]

I am having trouble formatting my hard drive (C: Partition). I have 3 partitions set up and am trying to format C: only. I had moved something around and the File structure is now jacked up. I need to format C:, which only runs XP. Problem with this is, you can't go to your command prompt and type format after the C: prompt. I need to get to a dos prompt before windows starts, and can't remember how. I have consulted my mobo manual and have halted startup but still can't get to a dos prompt. I also booted from XP CD to do the recovery thing, and that didn't work, then tried doing just a clean install. But the problem now is that the CD says it can't find an active Hard Drive. WHat can go wrong with my computer will go wrong.

I don't have a floppy drive, but do have rewriteable CD's and a flash drive.

I need to know what's the easiest and most efficient way to format the C: partition and redo the whole thing. I do have 2 other Hard drives that are Western DIgital Raptors that I have raided solely for the purpose for having my games on them. I'm sure I'll have to end up reinstalling all my programs on D: and games on G: also since in a perfect world, a PC would actually do something right and now glitch or make me want to throw a $2000 + machine into an oncoming 18 wheeler down Interstate 40.

The scene on Office Space where they take the printer out to the open field and smash it with a baseball bat also comes to mind.

Thanks for any info!

 

[superdave1984]

Try reconnecting the cable for your drive. Sounds silly, but give it a shot.

 

[KSoD]

Use the GParted liveCD. You boot to it and can do whatever you want to the file systems then since you are not within Windows.

 

[tallguy22]

That GParted thing seems to be for partitioning. I don't think anything is wrong with my partitions. I'm needing to either reformat, or do something that keeps this "F:/ is not a valid win32 application" from popping up every time i stick a game CD into my CD drive. THis is all games and not all cd's. Music Cd's work, and some other ones that aren't games. Why are just games messing up with this error. I had to have jacked up something that made it do this. Is there some diagnostic tool that will help me with this error message? I don't want to have to format, but I think this is the best thing I can do. Unless all of a sudden my disc drive just doesn't want to install new games. Now, Battlefield 2 is on my computer and it will run that since it is already installed, but not new games that haven't been installed. Thanks in advance.

 

[KSoD]

GParted is a partition tool but it also formats. Just right click on the drive you want to format and you will see the option there.

Under the Windows Disc Management have you changed any drive letters? Have you uninstalled or moved your XP isntall from one drive or partition to another?