Reformatting

Alright, if anyone could help me out it'd be great. I've already backed everything up, checked it all twice, and am ready to format. So i put in the boot disks, let it all load, and as i type - format C: (or format C: /fs:ntfs) and it says "Not able to format," or something of the like. Basically it won't let me format. Anyone have a solution? yes im absolutely sure i am going to reformat, don't try to talk me out of it

Usually you boot off the install disk, and just install the OS to C: drive.

I'm assuming you're using some Windows product, and that you want to wipe the disk and install a new OS. Is this what you really want?

Nowadays "format c:" just isn't done. It's been 10+ years since I typed "format c:"


So what is the end goal?

yea, well really your right, i just need to install the new os. And i figured it out, i need to create a new partition, but i cant remember how to get to fdisk, and my buddy just gets angry with me instead of telling me how...wheee.

You shouldn't have to use fdisk - the install procedure should prompt you to create a partition (or use an existing one and overwrite it) and will format it for you, and then load the OS onto that partition. (Again, assuming a Windows product.)

Ten years ago, "format c:" would have left me shaking in my boots.

Now it gets used sometimes when one owner is getting ready to remove a hard disk from his system, and he wants to make the data moderately invisible before it moves to some other system.

The only time I have done it recently is when I was going to remove it from my system, but I swapped hard disks around so that the one I wanted to format was not what the system had started up on.

---Bob Gross---

"debug g=c800:5" must have made you wet your pants.


I can't believe that I remembered that... It's been about 13 years since I last typed that...

10 years?

Damn.. I just formatted C: a few months back the last time i did a clean Win98SE install... and fdisk too...

In fact.. it's Fdisk.. create two or even three partitions.. format C:
Format D:

Xcopy32 G: D:/Win98CD /s/e/v

CD D:/Win98CD
setup.exe

..etc..

Hey guys, everything went pretty smooth after a bit of work...and i did have to use fdisk, as my computer had a rather strange problem i cannot really explain. i'll be back after i install a few things, tomorrow. night.

Scottes wrote:
"debug g=c800:5" must have made you wet your pants.


I can't believe that I remembered that... It's been about 13 years since I last typed that...

LOL... now that's a blast from the past if ever I saw one.

...okay. Tales from the crypt :P

C'mon guys. GUI !!!!

I'm a young guy. My first computer was an AMD K6, so I haven't been around computers that long.

I only used command user interface because it's cool 8) I like typing commands, makes me feel a little more knowledgeable.