formatting boot drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tom Dowler
  • Start date Start date
T

Tom Dowler

Hi,

I have a PIII based PC with a 4.3Gb boot drive (Win XP Pro
installed) and a 15Gb file store drive.

I want to format the boot drive and then reinstall win xp
and all my programs - currently it's very cluttered and
prone to crashing. I want to leave my file store drive
alone.

with win 98 this was dead simple: reboot in dos and use
the command prompt. I can't find any way in win xp to
reboot in dos mode and any attempt to format the drive
whilst still in windows comes up with fairly
predictable "this drive is in use and cannot be formatted"
style messages.

Any ideas??

Tom
 
Hi

The XP CD is bootable - you don't to boot into 'DOS'. You may have to set
the CD as the 1st bootable via the BIOS. Once you have done that, put the
XP CD into the cd drive and reboot - follow the onscreen instructions.

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| Hi,
|
| I have a PIII based PC with a 4.3Gb boot drive (Win XP Pro
| installed) and a 15Gb file store drive.
|
| I want to format the boot drive and then reinstall win xp
| and all my programs - currently it's very cluttered and
| prone to crashing. I want to leave my file store drive
| alone.
|
| with win 98 this was dead simple: reboot in dos and use
| the command prompt. I can't find any way in win xp to
| reboot in dos mode and any attempt to format the drive
| whilst still in windows comes up with fairly
| predictable "this drive is in use and cannot be formatted"
| style messages.
|
| Any ideas??
|
| Tom
 
Can I format my boot drive as part of the install process?

i started trying this and came across the option
to "delete" the partition. does this simply mean the same
as formatting or does it do something more irreversible?
 
Hi

No, that is not the same option. When you boot with the XP CD, select the
new installation option and not the upgrade option.

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| Can I format my boot drive as part of the install process?
|
| i started trying this and came across the option
| to "delete" the partition. does this simply mean the same
| as formatting or does it do something more irreversible?
|
|
| >-----Original Message-----
| >Hi
| >
| >The XP CD is bootable - you don't to boot into 'DOS'.
| You may have to set
| >the CD as the 1st bootable via the BIOS. Once you have
| done that, put the
| >XP CD into the cd drive and reboot - follow the onscreen
| instructions.
| >
| >--
| >
| >Will Denny
| >MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
| >
| >
| >| >| Hi,
| >|
| >| I have a PIII based PC with a 4.3Gb boot drive (Win XP
| Pro
| >| installed) and a 15Gb file store drive.
| >|
| >| I want to format the boot drive and then reinstall win
| xp
| >| and all my programs - currently it's very cluttered and
| >| prone to crashing. I want to leave my file store drive
| >| alone.
| >|
| >| with win 98 this was dead simple: reboot in dos and use
| >| the command prompt. I can't find any way in win xp to
| >| reboot in dos mode and any attempt to format the drive
| >| whilst still in windows comes up with fairly
| >| predictable "this drive is in use and cannot be
| formatted"
| >| style messages.
| >|
| >| Any ideas??
| >|
| >| Tom
| >
| >.
| >
 
If you choose to delete the parition and then select the same for the
installation of XP the partion will get reformatted.

Steve
 
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