whats the correct way to reformatt the drive with windows installed on

  • Thread starter Thread starter frank_1
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frank_1

frank_1

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Drive C is the drive which Windows XP sp1 is installed. I need to reformatt it but I am very confused how to do so. I did an internet search on it but it only confused me more.

Please help!

Thanks.
 
You need to boot from the windows install disk and it will ask you which drive to format during the install process. Of course this will wipe out your OS install which I'm guessing is what you want to do...
 
vestast said:
You need to boot from the windows install disk and it will ask you which drive to format during the install process. Of course this will wipe out your OS install which I'm guessing is what you want to do...
Click to expand...

Yep. You can't format (basically erase) the drive, because Windows is what does the formatting. It's basically asking a program to erase itself (which is different than uninstall). That is why you have to boot from the windows CD. When you use the windows cd, the program that does the formatting is on the CD, not on your C drive. Make sense?

I always find it helpful to understand why you have to do something, rather than just understanding you have to do it. Hopefully what I said didn't confuse you more.

And like vestast said. . . .when you format, you'll delete everything on the drive - but you probably are going for that, anyway.
 
Yes, I need to get rid of everything.

The reason being is because I cannot install new USB drivers anymore. I tried to find a fix to this problem for 3 months without any luck. SO I will try to start fresh an see what happens.
 
If your Primary Partition is Fat32, i think the best way is to boot in DOS mode, and rename the the basic directories :

C:\Documents and settings
C:\Program files
C:\Windows

to whatever you want, and install windows normally.

is just as easy as this:

just type in DOS mode "ren C:\windows C:\p.ofshit" , and do the same with the other folders. ;)

Don't delete anything and don't format your harddrive. I'm not a musician, but i'm someone who has 15 years sitted in front of a computer, and i know how frustating is that situation.

After the installation of windows, you will be able to check the renamed folders and save your favorits, documents, e-mails, and those stuff that i know you don't want to lose. After saving all your stuff, just delete those 3 folders and that's it.

A clean hard drive. :)
 
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