How to use FDISK and Format the Full PC which has two OS Now

[chockku]

Hai,

I had Windows Advanced 2000 Server in my PC, When i install Windows XP on it, i choose the Option for New Installation,
and deleted two partitions D & E, but i am not able to delete the C , it says the message the files in this drive are need to Complete this Setup Installation and cannot delete it. So i installed Windowx XP on D drive , now i don't need the Windows Advanced 2000 Server.

I need to Format the PC fully by removing Windows Advanced Server and Windows XP and again I need to install , Windows XP, one of my friend suggest me to boot from CD and try the installation, but Booting From CD also results the same, i am not able to Delete the C: Drive.

one friend suggest to using FDisk command, using that we can Format the PC , and asked me to use Win98 BootDisk. Why we need Win98 BootDisk for installing Windows XP.

kindly tell me the steps for this scenario - to Format my PC fully and install the Windows XP on it.

Thankyou,
Chock.

[visualAd]

As long as you have the full version of Windows XP (i.e: not the upgrade). You can place the CD in the drive and boot from the CD. From there you can choose a new installation and delete and reformat your old partitions.

Have a look at this post. Andy posted a link to a tutorial which describes how to do a fresh installation of windows XP.

Remember that if you have any data you want to keep, back it up before formatting and changing paritions as both these operations wipe old data.

[dglienna]

W2K writes info in Track Zero, and sometimes that is why you can't format it. I used FDISK to wipe it out once. Just boot off a floppy and FDISK, which will wipe out the drive. Or else put it in a different computer, or install it as the slave to a different master.

[RobDog888]

Do an "FDISK /mbr" first. This will wipe out the master boot record and prepare your drive for formatting.

[Ideas Man]

Booting from the CD should always allow you to format the partitions regardless, I've done it even with Windows 2000 Server and it didn't lock it. It will only lock it if you attempted to install from within Windows, in which case it will lock the drive and prevent you from installing Windows because the setup files are on the HDD.
The only other way I found was that if you stuffed up your MBR, it wouldn't allow you to do it, but it also doesn't list your partitions either.

[chockku]

Hi,


Yesterday i tried in several ways , but it didn't work out.


Hope the problem is i am running WinXP setup from inside the Windows 2000 server as said here. How to over come it. I am using 80 GB Harddisk, also heard that Win98 bootdisk will not work if the harddisk capacity is more than 65 GB. The ways i tried

1. I given the Floppy in the First place. But when i restart , it didn't boot from the Floppy (Win98 SE). Then i tried bye going to the Command Prompt and given A: and then given A:\>fdisk it says 'fdisk' is not recognized as a internal or external command, Operable program or batch file.

2. in A: colon i given the exe name and tried A:\>boot98sc
a progress bar runs upto 100% and says Insert another floppy to write application.

then i feel it something wrong and given in A: the Format C: Command as below

3. A:\> Format C:

it says

The type of File System is NTFS

A:\> Format C: All Removable Disk will lost.

but it didn't work

4. the i right click the C: Drive and Click the Format from the Context menu

the progress bar runs up to 100 % and finally says

Windows was unable to complete the Format.

5. Even the XP CD is not in the System , whenever it ReStart or Start - then system shows 3 options as below - and if i delay to choose any one then it goes for the Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup

Quote:
Microsoft Windows XP Proffessional

Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

Microsoft Windows XP Proffessional Setup


Thankyou,
Chock.

[Ideas Man]

Yeah, like I said, you've attempted to run the Windows setup from within Windows by the looks of it, and it has copied files from the internet to allow the setup to run with the most up-to-date files, hence the entry about the Windows XP Professional Setup. Because you have done this, you cannot format the drive because the setup locks it for repartitioning so you don't delete the files.
Please do NOT use fdisk, format.com or any of those crappy dos utilities. They do not support NTFS file systems and they are just plain annoying to use. The best thing is to simply let the setup continue what it wants to do and then perform a clean install (Or find out how to stop it, but I can't remember off the top of my head, easier to just let it install).

Do this by putting the CD in the drive and booting off it, do NOT run setup from within Windows. When you boot your computer will will see a message "Press any key to boot from the CD...", do that, then go through all the dialogs until you get to the partition screen. Delete all the partitions and create them how you wish, select the partition to install Windows on and hit enter, format using NTFS and then continue the setup.

[Andy]

Have you checked out this thread? http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=345656 there is a link to a very detailed xp installation.

[visualAd]

Have you checked out this thread? http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=345656 there is a link to a very detailed xp installation.

I pointed that out in post#2

[Andy]

I pointed that out in post#2

That's what happens when I skim through posts...I wish I had more time in my day

[RobDog888]

Just take a big magnet to your HD and then it will erase everything.

What brand of HD is it? Most major manufacturers have downloadable utilities that can do a lowlevel format and reset the HD back to all zeros.

[chockku]

Hi,

I thought before i didn't boot it from CD. But after your replies i tried it again from the begining, set the BIOS to Boot from CD and save that setting, then when restarting , it asks as below

Verify DMI Pool Data.................

Boot from CD

If i didn't press any key at this place,
After some seconds - it automatically shows the menu as following

Please select the Operating System to Start

Windows XP Professional
Windows Advanced Server 2000

OR

If i press the Enter key at this place

Verify DMI Pool Data.................
Boot from CD

then also it shows the same menu. So what's the difference. it seems that it doesn't able to run the Set up from the CD (i.e) booting from CD seems - it doesn't work.

I didn't check - to which company my HardDisk belongs to , if i get a Software from that company and formatting the HardDisk, then what i have to do, booting with XP Cd will properly install or any additional task should be done there or what.

i read all your posts and the links provided.

Thankyou for spending your valuable time to reply my post.

Thankyou,
Chock.

[Ideas Man]

Nah, see when it says Boot from CD, it should then check your CD drive and then say Press any key to boot from the CD.... If you don't see that, then it's not booting from the CD. If you have more than one CD drive, put it in the other one and try again. Your CD drive might also be dying and cannot boot properly from CDs. I had this happen to me and I had to put another drive in before it would boot. Also, if possible, try the CD in someone else's computer to ensure it's not the CD (If it's genuine, it should be right)

[chockku]

Hai,

I have only one CD Drive in my system , its a LG combo drive. I am able to install other softwares in my system through this CD drive. So we can't say that CD drive is dead - isnt it. The system is in my home - so its getting delayed to study from here and working out there. Anyhow i will try and tell you. Thankyou for your earlier responses.

Thankyou,
Chock.

[Ideas Man]

Nah, see you can use it, but it may not be able to boot cds, sounds odd but it does happen. It might be able to read and run fine within Windows, but reading and executing the boot portion of the CD might cause troubles.