how do i format c: without the XP CD ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter CaTz
  • Start date Start date
C

CaTz

A buddy asked me this question and like him i'm newly
migrated to WIN XP so i searched this forum and can only
find solutions like...reboot with XP CD in bootable drive.
Trouble is since upgrading to service pack 1, his CD
drive has become very selective as to what discs it will
read...
like game discs and RECOVERY discs are not recognised ?
He's been on to tech support (expensive phone calls) and
they talked him thro removing service pack 1, but prpblem
persists.

Is there a way to format c: when there is no DOS
present ?

Cheers
 
Hi

You can boot the PC with a Win ME/98 Emergency Boot Disk - select 'Minimal' and then type

format C:

from the A: prompt. If you haven't got an EBD, you get the files for one from www.bootdisk.com

--

Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


| A buddy asked me this question and like him i'm newly
| migrated to WIN XP so i searched this forum and can only
| find solutions like...reboot with XP CD in bootable drive.
| Trouble is since upgrading to service pack 1, his CD
| drive has become very selective as to what discs it will
| read...
| like game discs and RECOVERY discs are not recognised ?
| He's been on to tech support (expensive phone calls) and
| they talked him thro removing service pack 1, but prpblem
| persists.
|
| Is there a way to format c: when there is no DOS
| present ?
|
| Cheers
|
 
Maybe he should consider replacing his CD ROM drive ( a $15 to $20
component) since it is unlikely a software issue is preventing him booting
from his recovery CD.

--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups
 
Hi,

Have him wipe the problematic disks with a soft lint-free cloth, and
purchase a <$10 CD lens cleaning disk from a local pc/electronics store.
Most of these read problems are caused by scratched disks or dirty lenses.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Windows
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone
 
Will said:
Hi

You can boot the PC with a Win ME/98 Emergency Boot Disk - select
'Minimal' and then type

format C:

from the A: prompt. If you haven't got an EBD, you get the files for
one from www.bootdisk.com
Click to expand...

Can you do that if the partition is NTFS, I didn't think you could. In
that case you would need to use fdisk on the EBD to delete the partition
(which will show as non-DOS) and then create a new partition. For
creating the new partition you wouldn't be able to create as NTFS.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
Tom Porterfield said:
Can you do that if the partition is NTFS, I didn't think you could. In
that case you would need to use fdisk on the EBD to delete the partition
(which will show as non-DOS) and then create a new partition. For
creating the new partition you wouldn't be able to create as NTFS.
Click to expand...

The OP didn't state whether FAT32 or NTFS. If NTFS then following your
posting is the way to go.
 
Will said:
The OP didn't state whether FAT32 or NTFS. If NTFS then following
your posting is the way to go.
Click to expand...

Quite right, they didn't. But as many XP PC's come with drives formatted
NTFS, and that is the recommended file system for XP, it's worth mentioning
the difference.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
Greetings --

The installation of SP1 cannot possibly have any affect upon a
PC's ability to boot from the CD, as booting takes place long (in
computer timing terms) before any operating system is loaded and takes
control.

If the PC suddenly will not boot from the CD, either the BIOS
settings have changed, the CD drive has failed, or the CDs being used
are either defective or not bootable.

However, if your buddy wants to format his hard drive without
first solving his problem with the CD drive, it's possible to create a
set of Setup diskettes for WinXP:

Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;310994

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
Bravo Bruce. Finally a MVP with some sense. The boot floppy set should have been the first answer this person got from a MVP then he should have been told to look into the administrative tools\event logs to see what conflicts are present and trouble shoot them then open up the tower and start doing some cleaning. {:~)
 
The said:
Bravo Bruce. Finally a MVP with some sense. The boot floppy set
should have been the first answer this person got from a MVP then he
should have been told to look into the administrative tools\event
logs to see what conflicts are present and trouble shoot them then
open up the tower and start doing some cleaning. {:~)
Click to expand...

If it weren't so painful to download, create and then boot off of six floppy
disks I would agree with this. But I can have the whole process done using
a single floppy from a different source faster than you would have the
second disk of six even created let alone booted.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
The said:
You see Mr.Porter this is exactly the problem with most of the MVP's
like yourself. You throw a claim out there and I quote " But I can
have the whole process done using
a single floppy from a different source faster than you would have the
second disk of six even created let alone booted." A fascinating
claim but pray tell would you consider sharing your infinite wisdom
with us lowly users? If you know how to do something easier and
quicker then give precise detailed explanations and we would be
forever in your debt rather than considering you to be simply a blow
hard. You MVP's need lessons in posting. You forget that once upon a
time you too were computer virgins who didn't know their bits from
their bytes and yet you dole out your help grudgingly and in many
cases cryptically. K.I.S.S. {:~)
Click to expand...

I can repeat it again if you are having problems reading this entire thread,
but I have already provided that information in this thread. And with more
detail than is provided in this portion of the thread on exactly *how* you
do it with the six XP boot floppies. Will Denny gave the basic detail, I
followed up with additional on if the file system is NTFS. What specific
questions do you about the steps listed in our posts?

In case you are having problems finding that part of the thread, and for the
sake of completeness here, these are the simple steps outlined by Will and
my addition:

You can boot the PC with a Win ME/98 Emergency Boot Disk - select 'Minimal'
and then type

format C:

from the A: prompt. If you haven't got an EBD, you get the files for one
from www.bootdisk.com

If the partition is NTFS you will need to first delete the partition using
fdisk (the partition will show as a non-DOS partition) and then create a new
partition.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
 
Tom Porterfield said:
I can repeat it again if you are having problems reading this entire
thread,
but I have already provided that information in this thread. And with
more
detail than is provided in this portion of the thread on exactly *how* you
do it with the six XP boot floppies. Will Denny gave the basic detail, I
followed up with additional on if the file system is NTFS. What specific
questions do you about the steps listed in our posts?

In case you are having problems finding that part of the thread, and for
the
sake of completeness here, these are the simple steps outlined by Will and
my addition:

You can boot the PC with a Win ME/98 Emergency Boot Disk - select
'Minimal'
and then type

format C:

from the A: prompt. If you haven't got an EBD, you get the files for one
from www.bootdisk.com

If the partition is NTFS you will need to first delete the partition using
fdisk (the partition will show as a non-DOS partition) and then create a
new
partition.
--
Tom Porterfield
MS-MVP MCE
http://support.telop.org

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup only.
Click to expand...

Don't expect Unknown P to grasp any of what you tried to explain. The
Unknown P "ONLY" uses the web format because in Unknown P's opinion, it is
the best way to use nntp newsgroups. LOL The sad part is UNP does sometimes
have viable information, but because of his\her lack of posting
sophistication doesn't see how the web format ignores line length and
creates paragraphs that are difficult to quickly read and comprehend. A post
where each line goes across the entire screen is very difficult to speed
read. That is why paperback books are so popular. You can scan an entire
page very quickly and evaluate it before turning the page. When an entire
page is on a single line, it is hard to put the information into
perspective.
--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

--

Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm
 
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